Baker Mayfield Leads Browns Past Philip Rivers, Colts to Improve to 4-1

The Cleveland Browns improved to 4-1 with a 32-23 victory over the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland.

The Browns are now riding a four-game winning streak after dropping their opener to the Baltimore Ravens.

Sunday's encounter pitted the NFL's best defense against a Cleveland offense averaging 387 yards per game. Even without Nick Chubb, the Browns found success moving the ball on the Colts (3-2) and finished with 385 yards.

A 25-yard field goal by Colts kicker Rodrigo Blankenship made it a one-score game with 2:53 remaining.

After getting the ball, the Browns were facing a 3rd-and-9 on their own 43-yard line. D'Ernest Johnson broke free for a pivotal 28-yard run. That allowed Cleveland to run valuable time off the clock, and Cody Parkey connected on a 46-yard field-goal attempt to eliminate any doubt about the result.

Notable Performers

Baker Mayfield, QB, Browns: 21-of-37, 247 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions; two carries, 17 yards

Jarvis Landry, WR, Browns: four receptions, 88 yards

Odell Beckham Jr., WR, Browns: five receptions, 58 yards

Philip Rivers, QB, Colts: 21-of-33, 243 yards, two interceptions

Browns Ride Big First Half to Victory

Through two quarters, the Browns had scored 20 points and gained 284 yards. The Colts were only giving up an average of 14 points and 236.3 yards through their first four games, to put those numbers into perspective.

Baker Mayfield was showing off the skills that got fans excited during his rookie year.

As you might have guessed by Cleveland's point total, the offense focused on the ground game in the second half. Mayfield threw two interceptions, and neither team scored a second-half offensive touchdown.

The absence of Chubb was glaring. The Colts defense is too good to think a one-dimensional offense can move the chains for four quarters. Without the two-headed monster of Chubb and Kareem Hunt, the Browns were unable to get the ground attack going like they had in recent weeks.

Timely runs by Hunt and D'Ernest Johnson were just enough in the fourth quarter to deny the Colts' comeback bid.

Rivers Failing to Provide Expected Lift

The Colts made a clear statement when they signed Philip Rivers to a one-year, $25 million deal. Football Outsiders ranked Indianapolis 19th in offensive efficiency in 2019, and the front office thought Rivers would be a short-term upgrade on Jacoby Brissett.

Instead, the Colts sat 24th in offensive efficiency entering Week 5. That's not all on Rivers, but the 38-year-old is no longer capable of carrying an offense that can't rely on a consistent ground game.

Ronnie Harrison Jr.'s pick-six in the third quarter was a perfect example of Rivers' diminished arm strength:

To some extent, the Colts are shaping up to be the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars. The Jaguars had one of the league's top defenses that year, which carried them to the AFC title game and was enough of a counterweight for an offense led by Blake Bortles.

When Indianapolis' defense is having an off game, Rivers probably won't be the savior.

There isn't much the Colts can do because they saw what Brissett did with 15 starts in both 2017 and 2019. Benching Rivers in favor of Brissett—assuming that option is ever seriously on the table—would be a lateral move at best.

Getting more from Jonathan Taylor is the most straightforward way to get the offense trending in the right direction.

What's Next?

The Browns hit the road to play the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday, while the Colts will take on the Cincinnati Bengals the same day. Both games are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET.