Coop, there it is. After dropping a fourth-down pass earlier in the game, Amari Cooper's 46-yard catch in overtime set up Nick Chubb's game-winning touchdown in the Browns' 23-17 win over the Buccaneers.
Trailing 17-10, the Browns forced overtime after Jacoby Brissett hit David Njoku for a 15-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-10 with 32 seconds left. The Browns defense then forced two punts in overtime before Brissett's big completion to Cooper set up Chubb's game-winning score.
The win moved the Browns to 4-7 while ending Cleveland's two-game losing streak. Conversely, the loss dropped the Buccaneers to 5-6 while snapping Tampa Bay's two-game winning streak.
Tied at halftime, the Buccaneers took the lead on Tom Brady's 5-yard touchdown pass to Ko Kieft on Tampa Bay's second drive of the second half. Neither team would score again until Brissett hit Njoku to force overtime. Tampa Bay was unable to extend its lead despite not allowing a Browns second-half first down until the game's final 11 minutes.
Cleveland drew first blood when Anthony Schwartz scored on a reverse from 31 yards out. Tampa Bay countered with Brady's 10-yard pass to Chris Godwin, who led both teams with 110 yards on 12 receptions. Down 10-7 late in the half, four completions from Brady to Godwin set up Ryan Succop's 42-yard, game-tying field goal with 39 seconds left in the half.
Here's a closer look at what went down in Cleveland.
Why the Browns won
Cleveland's defense kept the home team in the game when its offense went in a lull for most of the second half. Led by Myles Garrett (who had 1.5 sacks and several other hits/pressures), the Browns sacked Brady three times after halftime after not getting to him in the first half. The pass rush contributed to the Buccaneers going just 4 of 15 on third down. It also led to the Buccaneers punting on their second drive in overtime, thus setting up the Browns' game-winning drive.
The Browns got just enough clutch plays from their offensive quartet of Brissett, Chubb, Cooper and Njoku. Brissett withstood heavy pressure (particularly in the second half) to go 23 of 27 for 210 yards. Chubb rumbled for 116 yards that included his 28-yard run to set up Njoku's touchdown. Cooper caught seven passes, none bigger than his 46-yard grab in overtime.
Why the Buccaneers lost
Tampa Bay was unable to put Cleveland away when it had the chance. Despite dominating the third quarter (Cleveland had just 11 total yards during the quarter), the Buccaneers found themselves in a one-possession game late in regulation.
Leaky pass protection and a lack of run support (Rachaad White ran for 64 yards but 35 of that was on one run on Tampa Bay's opening drive) contributed to the Buccaneers' offensive plight. Those issues undoubtedly impacted Brady, who finished the game with a good but not great stat line of 246 yards and two touchdowns on 29 of 43 passing. Brady surely would like to have several throws back, including a few deep shots to Mike Evans that just missed the mark.
They were stellar for most of the game, but the Buccaneers defense was unable to seal the deal at the end of both regulation and overtime. It allowed plays of 12, 15, 17 and 46 yards on the Browns' last two scoring drives.
Along with losing the game, Tampa Bay suffered another loss when offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs was carted off the field during overtime.
Turning point
Tampa Bay was one fourth-down stop from winning the game and moving to 6-5. Instead, they became a footnote on the Browns' biggest play of the season to date, when Brissett hit Njoku for the game-tying score to force overtime. Credit to Njoku for making an impressive, one-handed snag to secure his first touchdown since Week 3.
Play of the game
For a while, it looked like Cooper would be the center of postgame criticism after he dropped a fourth-down pass with the Browns trailing with 8:26 left. But he more than made up for it by making several big catches after that, including his catch and run that set up Chubb's game-winning touchdown run.
Quotable I
"I told him I was coming back to him, and I did." -- Brissett on his reaction following Cooper's fourth-down drop
Quotable II
"Yeah, that was super special. I wasn't expecting it, but like I've said, this has never been about me. It's always been about the team. This is our team's opportunity to step up in the big moment, and I think we did that." -- Brissett on receiving a game ball after the win
What's next
The Browns will travel to Houston in what will likely be Deshaun Watson's season debut. Houston fell to 1-9-1 on after losing on the road in Miami on Sunday. Tampa Bay will host the Saints on "Monday Night Football" in a game between division rivals. The Buccaneers defeated the Saints in their first matchup back in Week 2 behind a defense that forced five turnovers in a 20-10 win.