Indianapolis Colts (3-4) – Cleveland Browns (4-2): 38-39
47 seconds left in the game, and the Colts won the game. On a sack by EJ Speed, DeForest Buckner recovers the ball and validates the victory for the locals (38-33). Except that a contact in the secondary defense gives Cleveland three attempts. On the first, severe pass interference gives the Browns four attempts at 1 yard. On the last of them, Kareem Hunt forces the passage to give the victory to the Ohio players (38-39).
Deprived of Deshaun Watson, victim of a concussion, and limited in attack by an uneven PJ Walker (15/32, 178 yards, 1 interception), Kevin Stefanski’s players can thank Myles Garrett, the source of 3 of the 4 losses Colts ball.
Minshew gives and Minshew takes
The outcome is cruel for the Colts who generally dominated the match (456 yards to 316), but who will regret their numerous errors in the first half. While the Browns attack was slipping after the concussion of Deshaun Watson who had started badly (1/5, 5 yards, 1 interception), with the exception of Jerome Ford’s 69-yard touchdown from the start (0-7), the locals put their opponents back in the match, helped by the XXL performance of Myles Garrett.
The Browns defensive end crushed the game, recovering no less than three balls for his team on two forced fumbles, the second being recovered in the endzone for a defensive touchdown by Tony Fields II, and on a blocked field goal. Enough to offer good positions leading to 17 points (two touchdowns, one field goal) for his team. Result, the Browns are in front at the break without showing much offensively and despite the locals’ three touchdowns against a defense in difficulty after its demonstration against the 49ers. Gardner Minshew (15/23, 305 yards, 2 TDs, 1 int, 2 lost fumbles) was, as always, capable of the best and the worst with two Tds on the run and inspired passes, but three ball losses.
A match riddled with errors
Both teams continued to shoot each other in the foot in the second half. Gardner Minshew starts with a nasty interception transformed into a field goal by the visitors (21-30), before Jonathan Taylor takes matters into his own hands for a closer on the ground (28-30). An exchange of field goals later, and the Browns holed up to let Michael Pittman score from 75 yards with five minutes to play (38-33). Before a cruel outcome for Indianapolis, which remains 3rd in the AFC South. Cleveland remains one win behind the Ravens in the AFC North.
