Cardinals vs. Browns: Score and Twitter Reaction from 2015 Regular Season

The Arizona Cardinals were in danger of an upset on the road in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns but overcame multiple turnovers and a resultant 20-7 deficit on Sunday to win 34-20 at FirstEnergy Stadium.

For a team comprised of veteran leadership, it was surprising to see two of Arizona's seasoned offensive playmakers in Chris Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald lose critical first-half fumbles. Johnson's resulted in a short field and subsequent Browns touchdown, while Fitzgerald lost the ball at the Cleveland 8-yard line.

Credit goes to Cleveland for executing in the red zone, but it indubitably benefited from the Cardinals' generosity in the early going.    

Brian Hartline has looked like yet another busted acquisition by maligned Browns general manager Ray Farmer, yet he was on the receiving end of two TD passes from Josh McCown. Breakout tight end Gary Barnidge kept his hot 2015 going by hauling in a three-yard score after running back Duke Johnson rumbled 51 yards on a catch-and-run to the doorstep.

But Cleveland got conservative late in the opening half despite McCown's three touchdown throws. Unfortunately for the home team, the strategy swung the momentum back to the favored visitors.

Even before the Cardinals' comeback truly began, ESPN Cleveland's Aaron Goldhammer sensed such an ominous development:

Although Browns cornerback Joe Haden returned to the lineup after dealing with a concussion, he was rusty and got beat on two key plays by Michael Floyd. The big-bodied Cardinals receiver (6'2", 220 lbs) beat Haden for a 28-yard gain at the end of the first half that led to a field goal, cutting Arizona's deficit to 20-10.

Cleveland's offense didn't produce anything to start the third quarter—and then Floyd struck again, burning Haden for a 60-yard TD to give the Cardinals plenty of life after a lethargic opening 30 minutes.

Dane Brugler of CBSSports.com felt Haden's health was to blame for his woes:

Many others weren't so empathetic to Haden's situation since he did in fact suit up Sunday, such as Bleacher Report's Matt Miller:

Arizona QB Carson Palmer made some history on his throw to Floyd as well, per ESPN Stats & Info:

The Cardinals' No. 1 cornerback, Patrick Peterson, provided a spark on the heels of another three-and-out by the Browns as McCown struggled through obvious pain after taking some punishment in the pocket. Peterson ran a punt back 38 yards to get across midfield into Cleveland territory, whereupon Arizona's scalding passing attack continued to light up an overrated Browns secondary.

Palmer then hit wideout Jaron Brown for 39 yards on Tramon Williams and found Troy Niklas for a second TD connection of the afternoon, giving Arizona a 24-20 lead.

Mary Kay Cabot of Northeast Ohio Media Group aptly summarized how the game was trending for the perpetually embattled Browns after what looked to be a potential upset bid:

Both Donte Whitner and Haden were indeed diagnosed with concussions, per the team's announcement.

Even when Tashaun Gipson picked off Palmer late in the third, Cleveland couldn't manage a first down on the subsequent possession. Johnson coughed up the ball again in his own territory to give the Browns yet another chance at redemption, but McCown was intercepted by Rashad Johnson in the end zone.

The Cardinals made sure not to gift another giveaway and proceeded to march down the field in 12 plays, as Palmer hit Larry Fitzgerald for a six-yard scoring strike to seal the deal with a dagger. Palmer wound up with 374 yards passing.

Team beat reporter Kyle Odegard was among those praising Arizona's ability to weather adversity:

McCown has been a pleasant surprise under center for the Browns overall but has ultimately been unable to win most games. With how hurt he's appeared to be in recent weeks, one has to wonder whether Johnny Manziel, who entered Sunday's game late in the fourth, will be handed the keys to the offense amid Cleveland's 2-6 start.

Making matters worse in the wake of this latest devastating defeat, the Browns have to travel to Cincinnati to play the Bengals in Week 9's Thursday night contest. Cleveland needs some sort of spark, but turning to Manziel with so little time to prepare may not be the best course of action unless McCown can't go.

As for the Cardinals, they have shown immense resilience and are able to win games ugly, helping them remain atop a competitive NFC West division. On deck for Arizona is a bye before a huge road trip to Seattle to take on the Seahawks in Week 10.

Post-Game Reaction

Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

About that ever dubious Browns QB situation, McCown had a cryptic answer of sorts after the game when assessing the health of his ribs, per the Akron Beacon Journal's Nate Ulrich:

In an attempt to brush aside trade rumors, Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas reiterated his desire to remain in a Browns uniform.

"I want to be here and I want to finish my career here. Nothing has changed for me about that," said Thomas, per the Medina Gazette's Brian Dulik, adding, "I'm not a quitter. My goal is to be part of the (positive) change here."

As for the Cardinals' reinvigorated approach to the gridiron following the halftime intermission, Fitzgerald explained what head coach Bruce Arians said to rally the team, as reported by Odegard:

Arizona is up to 6-2 on the year, the exact opposite of Cleveland's record. The disparity between the two teams was most evident over the final two quarters.