Browns pull off the surprise: Key block and 55-yard FG against Packers

In a dramatic turn that defied expectations, the Cleveland Browns staged an epic comeback against the Green Bay Packers, securing a 13-10 victory with a heart-stopping finish. The encounter, marked by intensity and emotion, saw the Browns overcome a 10-point deficit in the last four minutes, thanks to a series of key plays that defined the course of the game.

A Decisive Block and a Field Goal for the Ages

The crucial moment arrived when Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris blocked a 43-yard field goal attempt by Brandon McManus, denying the Packers the chance to extend their lead. This defensive play, added to the subsequent score by Andre Szmyt, who made a 55-yard field goal as time expired, sealed the victory for the Browns. The pressure fell on Szmyt, who had the opportunity to redeem himself after difficult weeks. The kicker, who had lost his mother in July, demonstrated remarkable mental strength by securing the winning field goal.

Shelby Harris celebrates the blocked field goal attempt against the Packers on Sunday.

The Browns’ victory over the favored Packers was the biggest surprise of the season so far.

“Sometimes, like today, you screw up,” declared Micah Parsons, Packers defensive end, acknowledging the harshness of the defeat.

Micah Parsons

Parsons, in part, blamed himself for two offside penalties, the second of which occurred on the first play of the Browns’ winning drive. Quarterback Joe Flacco completed an 8-yard pass to David Njoku to advance and set the stage for Szmyt’s winning attempt. For the Packers, penalties were part of a bigger problem. They committed 14 in total, their most in a game since Week 3 of the 2010 season. “One thing we have to clean up is, when you have 14 penalties in a game, it’s going to be hard to overcome,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said. “We have to do a much better job of coaching the fundamentals, the details, and then we have to focus at a higher level as it relates to some of the controllable penalties, whether it’s false starts or offsides or whatever. But, ultimately, this is a total team sport. I thought we played well enough defensively to win the game and didn’t do a good enough job on offense and special teams.”