Browns avoid winless season with 20-17 win over Chargers

(CLEVELAND, OH) - Pop the champagne 2008 Detroit Lions, you’re 0-16 record is safe. The Cleveland Browns have finally won.

Josh Lambo’s 45-yard field goal attempt as time expired sailed wide right to give the Cleveland Browns (1-14) a 20-17 victory over the San Diego Chargers (5-10) in front of a small, but raucous crowd at First Energy Stadium.

Trailing 20-17 with just under two minutes remaining, Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers connected with future hall of fame tight end Antonio Gates three separate times to put San Diego in field goal range. Rivers final completion set the Chargers up at the 27-yard line with the clock ticking and under 15 seconds remaining on fourth down and two. The Chargers field goal unit rushed on to the field and managed to get the kick off as time expired, only to see it sail right, giving Cleveland their first victory in 377 days.

The Browns, who have struggled to put a complete game together all season, used solid contributions on both sides of the ball to earn the hard-fought victory.

Despite allowing San Diego to march down the field easily on their opening drive of the game, where Rivers found Gates for a one-yard score to give the Chargers a 7-0 lead almost instantaneously, the Browns bounced back with help from three big San Diego defensive penalties to knot the game at seven on an Isaiah Crowell touchdown run on their ensuing possession.

The Chargers would add a Lambo field goal to go back on top 10-7 before the Browns, led by Robert Griffin and Crowell, took the lead again when Crowell capped off a 10-play, 75-yard drive with his second touchdown of the game to give the Browns a 14-10 lead after one quarter. They would add 49-yard Cody Parkey field goal, set up by a Jamar Taylor interception, to go into halftime ahead 17-10.

The Browns would then extend their lead to 20-10 on their first drive of the second half when Parkey connected on a 27-yard attempt, but San Diego wasn’t letting the Browns off the hook easily as they answered back immediately with an 11-play 75-yard drive that ended with a Rivers to Tyrell Williams touchdown pass to make the score 20-17.

Cleveland’s defense bent but never broke and stayed ahead with a huge play by Jamie Meder who blocked a 32-yard Lambo field goal attempt with just under four minutes remaining to hold the Browns slim lead. The offense managed to take just enough time off the clock to force the Chargers to rush their final chance at a tie and send the Browns faithful home with a Christmas miracle.

The Browns close out their season next Sunday in Pittsburgh.