Amari Cooper's game-winning TD is wiped out by a penalty, the defense reels as the Browns lose 20-16 to the Raiders and fall to 1-3

LAS VEGAS – The Browns headed to Las Vegas betting they would have a good game after last week's bitter loss to the Giants.

Instead, they lost 16-20 and fell to 1-3 in what was supposed to be their second straight playoff season.

The Raiders were without their best offensive player, six-time Pro Bowler Davante Adams, and their best defensive player, elite edge rusher Maxx Crosby. Certainly, it was an opportunity for the Browns to beat a seemingly inferior team and even even their 2-2 record.

Instead, they wonder what happened to them as they make the long journey home alongside tens of thousands of disappointed Browns fans.

After jumping out to a quick 10-0 lead in the first quarter, the Browns allowed the Raiders to score 20 straight points, including a touchdown after a ball went out of Amari Cooper's hands and was picked off. The Raiders converted it into a TD to make it 20-10.

The Browns got back into the game at 20-16 after Rodney McLeod recovered a fumble for a touchdown, but that was followed by a missed extra point by Dustin Hopkins.

Cooper's 82-yard TD catch-and-run would have made amends for the interception, but was negated by a holding call against center Nick Harris. Cooper was one of the first players to leave the field after the loss.

The Browns had a few late chances, including a fourth-and-3 from the Raiders 9 with a chance to win with 41 seconds left. But Watson was sacked for a 10-yard loss. It was a fitting end to a game in which he was again not adequately protected.

The Browns had three drives left to score the game-winning touchdown. They started with 10:16, 6:24 and 3:17 left in the fourth period. After the two-minute warning expired, the Browns faced a first-and-10 at the Raiders' 16-yard line. Harris grabbed the ball early when Watson wasn't ready, resulting in a 6-yard loss when Watson did had to fall on the ball.

On second down, Watson's pass intended for tight end Jordan Akins was knocked down at the line of scrimmage by Charles Snowden. A 13-yard pass to Cooper gave Cleveland a fourth-and-3 yard pass. After the Browns called a timeout, the Raiders pressed for five players, and Snowden stunted up the middle, chasing Watson for a 10-yard sack to seal the win.

The Browns were once again challenged on offense, with James Hudson III at left tackle, rookie Zak Zinter at right guard and a banged-up Dawand Jones at right tackle. They lost center Ethan Pocic to an ankle injury and Harris replaced him. The makeshift line was no match for the Raiders' lightning-fast defense and strong defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Watson (24 of 32, 176 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 84.9 rating) was hit mercilessly again, including once by Wilkins after Harris pulled the hold call to stop him. He was once seen punishing Jones on the pitch after a missed call and later comforting him on the bench.

But in this game it was mainly the defense that was to blame, unable to attack or cover. The Raiders, who came into the game last in the NFL, ran all game and through the Browns and the Raiders embarrassed them.

The Raiders ran 29 times for 152 yards on the day.

“Not for lack of effort, but man, we need to capitalize on some opportunities there and we didn’t,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said after the loss.

“We just have to focus on getting better. These games always come down to a few plays. We have to do the things that win games – protect the football, tackle… we have to go back to basics to get a win.”

Amari Cooper loses the ball for a pick; Raiders concede

Watson shot a perfect ball over deep center that hit Cooper in the lines, and it bounced out of his hands and was intercepted by Tre'von Moehring, who returned it 17 yards to the Raiders' 48 yards. Cooper lay face down across the field for a few moments with his head in his hands.

A fired-up Raiders team capitalized with an 18-yard touchdown run from Jakobi Meyers, who had three failed tackle attempts from Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramah on his way down the left side into the end zone. for a 20-10 Raiders lead with 5:23 remaining in the third quarter.

Cooper's 82-yard touchdown was canceled

At first, the long TD play seemed to be the ultimate redemption for Cooper. He caught a pass from Watson on the right side and saw it 82 yards from home. It seemed to be a way to make amends for the ball that slipped out of his hands in the third quarter, bounced into the air, was caught by the Raiders and eventually turned into a touchdown.

But Cooper's long touchdown was negated by a call against Harris, and the Browns punted four plays later on their 26th.

Rodney McLeod scores on a fumble recovery

Safety Rodney McLeod got the Browns back into the game after the Raiders converted Watson's deflected pick with 14:50 to play. McLeod recovered a fumble forced by Isaiah Thomas when he dropped running back Zamir White, causing a 3-yard loss, and separated him from the ball.

Dalvin Tomlinson and Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah failed to control the ball, but McLeod hit a 25-yard scoop-and-score to make it 20-16 with 14:50 to play. It was his fourth career touchdown.

The problem is that the sure-footed Hopkins missed the extra point, his first of the season, after going 4-for-4. Last season he hit 24 of 26 extra points.