Henne, Jaguars rally to stop Browns
CLEVELAND -- The Jacksonville Jaguars might be getting hot too late to make a move this season, but on Sunday they continued to lay the groundwork for a productive future.
The Jaguars overcame four deficits and quarterback Chad Henne threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cecil Shorts with 40 seconds left to defeat the Cleveland Browns 32-28 in FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns turned over the ball three times, but the defense took blame for not being able to hold the lead.
"We didn't finish strong, and as a good defense that's trying to be a top defense, you have to make plays at that time of the game," Browns linebacker Jabaal Sheard said.
A pass from quarterback Brandon Weeden to wide receiver Josh Gordon covering 95 yards with 3:55 left gave the Browns their fourth lead of the day, 28-25, but they could not hold it.
"I thought we were actually going to have a momentum swing there and we did for a second," Gordon said.
After the game, Weeden was diagnosed with a concussion and was not made available to the media. The extent of the concussion is unknown.
The Jaguars have won three of their last four games and are 3-9. The Browns have lost six of their last seven and are 4-8.
"We knew we had to do the right thing to keep things going," Jaguars center Brad Meester said. "(Wins) definitely come in bunches. We're going to keep working hard every day and continue to get better."
The Jaguars trailed 21-20 at the end of three quarters. They took the lead when Weeden kicked the ball out of the end zone for a safety with 7:42 left in the fourth quarter after a bad snap and then expanded the lead 25-21 on a 25-yard field goal by Josh Scobee with 4:14 to play
Weeden threw two interceptions and lost one fumble in the final three minutes of the first half. The Jaguars converted each takeaway, getting a touchdown on the first interception and then a pair of field goals by Scobee. Scobee's 36-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter gave the Jaguars a 20-14 halftime lead.
The Browns opened the scoring on a 1-yard touchdown by running back Willis McGahee on the Browns' first possession. It was the first time this season the Browns scored a touchdown on their opening drive.
Jacksonville tied the game the next time it had the ball with an 80-yard drive capped by an 18-yard touchdown pass from Henne to tight end Clay Harbor.
The Browns went back on top when Weeden threw a 21-yard pass to Gordon on their first possession of the second quarter. The score remained 14-7 until the Jaguars pounced on mistakes by Weeden near the end of the half.
The flood began when rookie safety Johnathan Cyprien jumped in front of a pass intended for tight end Jordan Cameron at the Browns' 44. He returned to the 27. The Jaguars moved to the 8 in two plays and then on third-and-one, Henne pitched the ball to running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Drew rolled right and tossed a touchdown pass to tight end Marcedes Lewis.
An interception cornerback Dwayne Gratz and a fumble recovery by defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks on a strip sack set up the two field goals by Scobee.
"We were just able to hit it right and hit it home," linebacker Paul Posluszny said. "It was a great call in that situation."
The Browns regrouped at halftime and regained the lead on a 4-yard touchdown pass from Weeden to wide receiver Greg Little for a 21-20 lead, but once again they failed to hold it.
NOTES: Jaguars backup RB Justin Forsett was inactive. ... Jaguars S Josh Evans was knocked out of the game with a shoulder injury. ... Rookie Darius Eubanks started at inside linebacker for the Browns because Craig Robertson (knee) and Tank Carder (shoulder) were inactive. ... Browns linebacker Eric Martin was knocked out of the game with a head injury.
