CLEVELAND – The Packers' offense hit the skids after a good opening drive, and the Browns took a 14-7 lead into halftime on Sunday in Cleveland.
Here's a recap of the first half.
First quarter:
The Packers and Browns traded touchdowns on their opening drives and went into the second quarter tied at 7.
The Browns won the toss and deferred. The Packers started with a 12-yard pass to WR Jordy Nelson. After a pair of 4-yard completions to WR Randall Cobb, Green Bay faked a punt on fourth-and-2, as S Jermaine Whitehead took a direct snap as the up back and ran around the left side for 7 yards.
Two runs by RB Jamaal Williams picked up 9 yards, and the Packers went for it again on fourth-and-1. QB Brett Hundley threw it out quickly to Cobb, who picked up 8 yards and another first down.
Two plays later, a scrambling Hundley found Williams wide open behind the defense for a 30-yard touchdown pass, and the Packers took the early lead.
The Browns started with a 38-yard pass from QB DeShone Kizer to WR Josh Gordon. Two runs for 5 yards total by RB Isaiah Crowell set up third-and-5, and Kizer scrambled 8 yards to pick it up. A 12-yard pass to TE Randall Telfer got the Browns to the Green Bay 21, and two plays later, Kizer found Gordon for an 18-yard TD against zone coverage to tie the game.
Browns DL Nate Orchard came unblocked and sacked Hundley on the first snap for a 9-yard loss, leading to a three-and-out. Packers LB Kyler Fackrell's zero-yard sack on a scrambling Kizer on third down produced a three-and-out for Green Bay's defense.
Rookie RB Aaron Jones lost 2 yards on the final play of the quarter.
Second quarter:
Facing third-and-12 from their own 6, the Packers caught a break. Hundley's deep pass for WR Davante Adams was incomplete, but Browns DB Kai Nacua was flagged for a personal foul after the play for head-butting Adams, and Green Bay got a first down.
The drive went nowhere after that, though, and the Packers punted.
A holding penalty put the Browns in second-and-long, but a 20-yard completion to WR Corey Coleman moved the chains. Crowell carried three straight times for 21 yards, and a 13-yard slant to Gordon on third-and-1 put the Browns on the Green Bay 24.
On third-and-11, Kizer found Coleman for 18 yards to make it first-and-goal on the 7, and Kizer's shovel pass to RB Duke Johnson was good for the score. Cleveland led 14-7 with 5:12 left in the half.
Green Bay got another gift on its next third-and-1, as Browns DB Mike Jordan was called for illegal hands to the face as Hundley's pass was incomplete. Adams dropped a low throw on a slant pass, and then a holding penalty on C Corey Linsley wiped out a third-and-10 conversion to TE Richard Rodgers, and the Packers punted again.
On the ensuing drive, the Browns threw incomplete on third-and-11, but LB Ahmad Brooks jumped offside, giving Cleveland another shot. Kizer found Johnson matched up on Brooks for an 18-yard catch-and-run to move the chains. LB Clay Matthews sacked Kizer on first down, but Kizer hit Coleman for 18 yards into Green Bay territory.
A deep shot to Gordon was broken up at the goal line by S Josh Jones, and two plays later, S Ha Ha Clinton-Dix intercepted another deep ball to Coleman with 17 seconds left in the half.
