Cleveland Browns secure 20-17 win over Oakland Raiders in Week 13 – NFL Recap
Cleveland Browns finally broke their 11-game run of consecutive defeats on road as they came on top of Oakland Raiders in Week 13 game on Sunday, December 02, 2012, at O.co Coliseum, Oakland, California.
For Raiders (3-9), the loss has put a full stop on chances to qualify for the postseason
It was Raiders’ fifth defeat in a row. The game ended with bad news for Raiders head coach Dennis Allen that his father the former NFL player Grady Allen was seriously ill.
Browns got the victory thanks to an over the moon performance by quarterback Brandon Weeden who put up his career-best 364 yards after completing 25 out of 36 passes and also scored a touchdown.
Weeden got a 94-yard drive during the critical moment of the game to provide a stepping stone for the Browns’ immaculate win. According to the Associated Press, Brown head coach Pat Shurmur said:
"You don't want streaks like that. Let's face it, over the last few years we haven't done a great job of winning games. And so, as we take this journey with this young football team, they're starting to learn."
Browns running game also excelled with running back Trent Richardson carrying the ball 20 times for 72 yards and a score.
Meanwhile, Raiders offence made blunders during critical stages of the game. Quarterback Carson Palmer threw an interception that was returned for a touchdown.
Palmer finished the game with 34 of 54 for 351 yards and scored a touchdown. Giving his views about the game, Allen said:
“It’s frustrating anytime you lose in the National Football League. It doesn’t matter who you lose to. Yeah, it’s frustrating. But, we have to go back to work. We’re going to play again on Thursday night. We have to get ready to play. We had some opportunities
to make plays and we didn’t make them. That’s what we’ve got to do.”
The game started very chary as both teams struggled to find a way to score in the first quarter.
It was Browns who broke the deadlock in the second quarter with a 41-yard field goal by Phil Dawson which was followed by a 44-yard pass from Weeden to wide receiver Josh Gordon for a touchdown as the score went 10-0.
Raiders reduced the deficit to seven points at the end of the first quarter with a superb 51-yard field goal from Sebastian Janikowski.
Browns got a field goal in the third quarter to increase their leader, but Raiders again came closer when Palmer and Rod Streater connected for a 64-yard score.
In the final quarter, Browns strengthened their lead, thanks to a 3-yard run by Richardson to the end zone to take the score to 20-10.
Raiders scored a touchdown in the final seconds of the game. However, it did not stop Browns from winning the game by 20-17.
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