Las Vegas Snaps Skid with Dramatic 31–28 Victory Over Cleveland

LAS VEGAS, NV - In a matchup of 3-7 teams desperately searching for a spark, Max Farias and the Las Vegas Raiders finally found a way to close one out. Daniel Carlson drilled a 19-yard field goal as time expired to cap a wild fourth quarter, lifting the Raiders to a 31-28 win over the Cleveland Browns and snapping a two-game losing streak that began with last week's heartbreaking loss to the Dallas Cowboys, chronicled here. Las Vegas improves to 4-7, while Cleveland falls to 3-8.

Milroe and Bowers set the tone

The Raiders came out aggressive from the opening drive. Jalen Milroe marched the offense down the field and finished the series by zipping a 10-yard touchdown to Brock Bowers in the back of the end zone for a 7-0 lead.

"That first drive was huge," Milroe said. "Coach Farias trusted us to be aggressive, and Brock set the tone for how we wanted to attack."

Cleveland answered in the second quarter. Joe Flacco orchestrated a pair of methodical drives, first finding David Njoku for a 2-yard score and then watching Quinshon Judkins burst through a crease for a 28-yard touchdown that flipped the game, giving the Browns a 14-7 lead.

Las Vegas responded just before halftime when Milroe hit Tre Tucker on a 10-yard strike to tie it at 14-14, but Eddy Pineiro's booming 53-yard field goal at the buzzer sent the Browns into the locker room up 17-14.

Browns punch back but can't finish the job

Cleveland controlled long stretches of the night with a balanced approach. Judkins powered the ground game with 13 carries for 71 yards and a touchdown, while Flacco was sharp and efficient, completing 25 of 30 passes for 205 yards and two scores with no interceptions.

The Browns stretched their lead to 20-14 late in the third quarter on another Pineiro field goal after a drive that chewed clock and forced the Raiders' defense to stay on the field. Cleveland converted 7 of 11 third downs and both of its fourth-down tries, repeatedly staying ahead of the chains.

"We had chances to put them away," Flacco said. "When you're on the road in a place like this, you have to finish drives with touchdowns, not field goals. That's on us."

Raiders' playmakers steal the fourth quarter

Down six entering the fourth, Milroe and the Raiders offense caught fire. Tailback Ajay Jeanty kept the Browns honest with 18 tough carries for 78 yards, and the play-action game opened up behind him. Milroe capped a crisp drive by finding Bowers again, this time on an 11-yard scoring strike that reclaimed the lead at 24-20.

"Brock is a mismatch every time he's on the field," Farias said. "When he's winning those one-on-ones, it makes life a lot easier for our quarterback."

Cleveland refused to go away. With just over five minutes remaining, Flacco dropped a perfect deep ball over the top to Jerry Jeudy for a 32-yard touchdown. On the ensuing two-point try, Gabe Davis hauled in a quick out to push the Browns back in front, 28-24, and silence the Allegiant Stadium crowd.

Milroe never flinched. The second-year quarterback engineered one of the Raiders' best drives of the season, dissecting Cleveland's coverage with underneath throws to Jakobi Meyers and Michael Mayer while Jeanty churned out yards on the ground. Milroe finished the night 23 of 31 for 282 yards and four touchdowns, distributing the ball to a deep group of weapons. Meyers led all Raiders receivers with 5 catches for 88 yards, while Bowers turned his 4 receptions into 51 yards and two touchdowns. Tucker added 50 yards and a score on his 4 grabs, and Dont'e Thornton Jr. contributed 3 catches for 30 yards and another touchdown as part of a balanced passing attack.

With the Browns out of timeouts, Las Vegas methodically bled the clock and set Carlson up for a chip-shot 19-yarder as time expired. The veteran kicker split the uprights, touching off a roar from the home crowd and a wave of relief on the Raiders sideline.

"We've lost our fair share of close ones this year," Carlson said. "It felt good to be the team that finished on the right side for once."

Up Next

The Las Vegas Raiders look to build on the momentum of this win when they travel in Week 13 for an AFC West showdown against the Los Angeles Chargers. The Cleveland Browns head back to Ohio in Week 13, returning home to host the San Francisco 49ers in a challenging non-conference matchup.