Jets spoil Browns’ hopes of clinching
Baker Mayfield coughed up the ball, and the Cleveland Browns’ chances to wrap up a playoff spot.
After a 23-16 loss to the host New York Jets on Sunday, the Browns will need to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday if they’re going to end the NFL’s longest playoff drought.
On fourth-and-1 with 1:18 remaining and the Browns (10-5) driving for the potential tying score, Mayfield tried to push forward for the first down but lost the ball when Tarell Basham smacked into him. Kareem Hunt recovered, but by rule, Mayfield was the only one who could advance the ball — and the quarterback was short of the first down.
The call was upheld by video review, and the Jets (2-13) sealed their second straight victory after an 0-13 start.
It was a rough week for the Browns, who haven’t been in the postseason since 2002 and entered without seven players including Jarvis Landry and three other wide receivers, and rookie left tackle Jedrick Wills.
Despite being short-handed, the Browns nearly erased a 20-3 deficit.
Earlier in the fourth, the Browns had third-and- 6 from their 15 when Basham sacked Mayfield and knocked the ball out and John Franklin-Myers recovered, giving the Jets the ball at the Browns 17 with 3:14 left. Sam Ficken’s 34-yard field goal with 2:52 left gave New York a 23-16 lead.
New York’s Jamison Crowder caught a TD pass and threw one to Braxton Berrios on a razzle-dazzle play.
CHIEFS 17, FALCONS 14 >> Kansas City clinched the top seed in the AFC and the only playoff bye when Patrick Mahomes threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson with just under two minutes remaining.
The Chiefs had to watch as Younghoe Koo missed a tying field-goal attempt with 9 seconds left to escape.
Kansas City (14-1) matched a team record with its 10th straight win.
RAVENS 27, GIANTS 13 >> Lamar Jackson directed four scoring drives in the first half as Baltimore (10- 5) earned its fourth consecutive victory.
New York (5-10) lost its third in a row.
COWBOYS 37, EAGLES 17 >> Andy Dalton threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns, two to Michael Gallup, and Dallas stayed alive in the playoff race.
The Cowboys (6-9) won their third consecutive game and still have a chance to win the NFC East thanks to Washington’s loss to Carolina, which guaranteed that the NFL’s worst division won’t have a team with a winning record.
Dallas can overtake Washington (6-9) with a win at the Giants and a Washington loss to the Eagles.
PANTHERS 20, WASHINGTON 13 >> Dwayne Haskins turned the ball over three times before getting benched, Steven Sims muffed a punt return that turned into a Carolina touchdown and Washington blew its first chance to clinch the NFC East.
CHARGERS 19, BRONCOS 16 >> Justin Herbert set the rookie record for most touchdown passes in a season by throwing his 28th and Los Angeles won its third in a row.
Michael Badgley hit four field goals, including the winning kick with 41 seconds remaining.
BEARS 41, JAGUARS 17 >> Mitchell Trubisky accounted for three scores, including two TD passes to Jimmy Graham, and Chicago (8-7) kept control of its postseason path by beating Jacksonville (1-14), which set a team record with its 14th consecutive loss.
BENGALS 37, TEXANS 31 >> Samaje Perine ran for two touchdowns, including a 3-yard score late, to give Cincinnati its first road win in more than two years.