The Browns trailed by 10 points heading into the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game against the Bears, but anyone who thought that they were on the road to a loss wound up disappointed.
After the defense stopped Bears quarterback Justin Fields short of a first down at the Bears’ 33-yard-line, quarterback Joe Flacco hit tight end David Njoku with a couple of passes to set up a field goal. Njoku had another catch before wide receiver Amari Cooper tied the game with a 51-yard touchdown catch and the defense got the ball right back into Flacco’s hands.
Flacco hit Njoku for gains of 31 and 34 yards to set up Dustin Hopkins’ go-ahead field goal with 36 seconds left to play and the Browns held on for a 20-17 win. Njoku ended the day with 10 catches for 104 yards and a touchdown in the first half and Flacco called the 34-yard gain play that moved the Browns into field goal range “incredible” in his postgame press conference. Njoku had similar praise for the guy running the offense.
“I just thank God,” Njoku said, via the team’s website. “I am not going to question him or complain about it. Joe Flacco threw great balls. Nothing more to say.”
Flacco starting a playoff game this season was on nobody’s radar in September, but Njoku helped move it closer to reality on Sunday and it’s hard to imagine anyone counting the Browns out of any situation as their improbable run continues on a weekly basis.