The author of this piece is Tom Withers, a sports writer for the Associated Press.

CLEVELAND

Myles Garrett cannot reword.

It has been chaotic, comical, unpredictable, and unusual.

“Who wrote this story?” questioned the star defensive end of Cleveland. “Not even Dr. Seuss could come up with something this abstract, given what we’ve been through.”

Joe Flacco threw for a total of 374 yards, with 212 of those yards being in the fourth quarter. He also helped set up Dustin Hopkins’ 34-yard field goal with only 32 seconds remaining in the game, allowing the Browns to hold on for a 20-17 victory over the Chicago Bears on Sunday.

In his third game since joining Cleveland in the past month, 38-year-old Flacco overcame three interceptions and made remarkable throws in the final minutes to lead the Browns (9-5) back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter. The Browns have now won six games by a margin of four points or less.

In the fourth quarter, Flacco completed 11 out of 13 passes and threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper, despite being closely defended. This tied the game at 17-17 with 3:08 remaining.

At 1:50 left in the game, the Browns regained possession and Flacco, the fourth quarterback to play for Cleveland this year, threw two passes to tight end David Njoku for a total of 65 yards. This set up Hopkins’ game-winning kick.

The Bears (5-8) lost their lead of 17-7, but almost managed to make a comeback in a surprising finish.

As time was running out, Chicago’s quarterback Justin Fields threw a pass from the 45-yard line towards the end zone where a group of players were gathered. Although two Browns defenders tried to block the ball, it ended up landing right in the hands of Bears receiver Darnell Mooney, who was lying on his back.

Mooney failed to maintain control of the ball as it bounced in and out of his hands. He then kicked it upwards, giving Browns safety D’Anthony Bell the opportunity to intercept it, preventing a disastrous outcome for Cleveland.

“It’s challenging and unpredictable,” Mooney remarked. “How often do you witness a Hail Mary successfully executed and potentially caught?”

The Browns coach, Kevin Stefanski, found the play to be a blur.

He stated that he had lost consciousness.

Garrett witnessed it firsthand when he pursued Fields out of the pocket.

Garrett explained that the person glanced at him and checked that he was a safe distance away before throwing something into the air. Garrett admitted, “I was hoping we wouldn’t end up in one of those viral YouTube compilations.”

Fields briefly believed that the Bears had managed to win.

He stated that he noticed some excitement on the sidelines, but then felt a sense of disappointment. However, he then witnessed the interception of the pass.

Despite not having their starting quarterback Deshaun Watson and star running back Nick Chubb, the Browns managed to maintain their position as the fifth seed in the AFC playoff race. This is an impressive accomplishment, especially considering that they lost five key players to season-ending injuries this week.

Garrett stated that the team has already had four different quarterbacks due to injuries, but this will not affect them as they have experienced similar challenges before. He sees this as just another part of their journey and a chance to create a unique and successful legacy.

Reworded: Flacco has become a beloved figure in Cleveland, despite previously being a rival during his time playing for Baltimore. In just three games, the 15-year veteran has thrown for 939 yards.

Flacco demonstrated determination following his interceptions, with one being run back by Tremaine Edmunds for a 45-yard touchdown on Cleveland’s opening play in the second half, giving the Bears a 14-7 lead.

“Trust me, there may be a part of you that desires to retreat and avoid everyone, but that is not an option,” stated Flacco. “Especially for someone like myself who has been in this league for a significant amount of time and witnessed so many events.”

“Simply stay focused on what’s ahead. Keep moving forward and trust that your teammates will be in the right places for you to pass the ball to them.”

NO COMMENT

Garrett refrained from making any disparaging comments about the officiating, in light of being fined $25,000 by the NFL for statements made after last week’s game.

“He mentioned asking Roger,” he stated, mentioning Commissioner Roger Goodell’s presence at the game on Sunday. “I didn’t personally speak to him, but upon reviewing the footage, you may want to ask Roger for his thoughts.”

Garrett believes he has not been receiving sufficient phone calls. He has gone four consecutive games without achieving a sack.

STAT PACK

Njoku achieved a personal best with 10 receptions for 104 yards, scoring a 2-yard touchdown in the second quarter. Cooper recorded four catches for 109 yards.

BRUISED BROWNS

Jedrick Wills Jr. and Dawand Jones, the offensive tackles, were unable to play due to knee injuries. Safety Grant Delpit also sat out due to a groin issue, while defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo and defensive tackle Maurice Hurst were sidelined with pectoral injuries. All five players were absent from Cleveland’s game.

The situation deteriorated when All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio exited the game in the opening quarter due to a back injury.

“I have an injury in my back,” stated Bitonio. “I am unsure of the cause, but it is not feeling well.”

INJURIES

Bears player LG Teven Jenkins was taken to the locker room on a cart in the second quarter due to a concussion.

The Cleveland Browns’ linebacker, Anthony Walker Jr., was unable to play due to a knee injury sustained in practice earlier in the week. He was initially listed as questionable for the game. In addition, cornerback Mike Ford Jr. left the game in the first quarter to go to the locker room due to illness.

UP NEXT

The Bears will be hosting the Arizona team on December 24th.

The Browns will be playing in Houston on December 24.

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The NFL section on the AP website can be found at https://apnews.com/hub/NFL.

Source: wralsportsfan.com