Atlanta Falcons fall to Cleveland on last-second field goal

ATLANTA (AP) — Josh Gordon picked right up where he left off for Cleveland.

Fortunately for the Browns, Brian Hoyer had a short memory.

Gordon turned in a huge performance in his first game of the season, catching eight passes for 120 yards, and Hoyer shook off three interceptions to lead a drive in the final minute that set up Billy Cundiff’s 37-yard field goal as time expired Sunday, giving the Browns a 26-24 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

Taking advantage of the last of Hoyer’s picks, the Falcons drove for Matt Bryant’s 53-yard field goal with 44 seconds remaining to seize the lead.

Turns out, they left too much time on the clock.

Hoyer completed four straight passes, including a 24-yarder to Gordon down the middle of the field. The last of the throws went to Miles Austin, who took it to the Falcons 19. The Browns (7-4) hustled to the line, spiked the ball with 5 seconds left, and sent on Cundiff for his fourth field goal of the game.

The Falcons (4-7) came in on a two-game winning streak and improbably tied for first with New Orleans in the woeful NFC South.

But, with another fourth-quarter meltdown, Atlanta dropped to 0-7 against teams outside its division.

Georgia native Isaiah Crowell scored a pair of touchdowns for the Browns, but it was Gordon who had the biggest impact.

After serving a 10-game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy, he started for Cleveland and was targeted a game-high 16 times.

The longest catch was his last one, taking the Browns to the Atlanta 45. Hoyer followed with a 15-yard completion to tight end Gary Barnidge, who bounced off a couple of tacklers to pick up some extra yards. Then Austin hauled in an 11-yarder that set up Cundiff for the winning kick.

He also connected 33, 37, and 32 yards.

Hoyer, who was 23 of 40 for 322 yards, nearly gave it away for the Browns. The first of his picks turned the momentum in Atlanta’s favor, leading to a touchdown that put the Falcons ahead 14-13 at halftime when it looked as though Cleveland might have a commanding lead.

In the fourth quarter, the Browns had first-and-goal at the Atlanta 6 and a chance to make it a two-score game when Hoyer, after scrambling out of trouble, inexplicably threw it up for Gordon in the back of the end zone instead of just throwing it away. Desmond Trufant made a leaping interception to keep Cleveland’s lead at 23-21.

Atlanta was forced to punt with just under 4 minutes left, and Hoyer made another huge mistake. This time, he floated a deep pass down the sideline, only vaguely in Gordon’s direction, and Dezmen Southward made his first career interception.

Matt Ryan guided the Falcons into Bryant’s range, but there were again some clock-management issues. On third-and-2 at the Cleveland 35, they went with a pass that was batted down, stopping the clock. That gave the Browns enough time to win it even after Bryant’s field goal.

Crowell, who spent one troubled year at the University of Georgia before being kicked off the team, rushed for 88 yards on 12 carries. He scored on runs of 11 and 26 yards.

Ryan threw a pair of TD passes, to Julio Jones and Jacquizz Rodgers, but also had an interception and a fumble.