Browns hold on for 49-38 victory over Cowboys

ARLINGTON, Texas — Baker Mayfield and Myles Garrett each had a homecoming gift waiting when Cleveland visited Dallas in their home state Sunday.

For Mayfield, it was a porous Cowboys pass defense that was poor against the run this time as well. For Garrett, it was an undrafted rookie right tackle who was overmatched against the star defensive end.

Mayfield threw for two touchdowns, one of which was set up when Garrett had a strip sack for the third straight game, and the Browns held on for a 49-38 victory over the Cowboys to improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2001.

Jarvis Landry had his first career touchdown pass in the receiver’s 100th career game, a 37-yard toss to Odell Beckham Jr. in Beckham’s first multi-TD game with the Browns.

Beckham finished with his first three-score game in nearly five years, capped by a 50-yard run on a reverse after the Cowboys had cut a 41-14 deficit to three points with less than four minutes remaining. He had five catches for 81 yards and two scores.

The Browns added an inadvertent 2-point conversion after Beckham’s third TD when a blocked PAT was touched by the Cowboys and recovered in the end zone by Cleveland.

The Browns ran for 307 yards and three touchdowns despite losing lead back Nick Chubb to a knee injury in the first quarter.

Kareem Hunt, who has been battling a groin injury, had 71 yards and two touchdowns, and D’Ernest Johnson doubled his career yardage of 26 yards in the first half alone, finishing with a team-high 95 yards. Beckham had 73 on two carries.

Dak Prescott had his first 500-yard game, finishing with 502 yards passing, and became the first NFL player to throw for at least 450 yards in three consecutive games.

Prescott set that record because the Cowboys (1-3) have played from way behind three straight weeks and now have lost the first of three straight home games in what could prove to be a critical stretch if coach Mike McCarthy wants to get Dallas to the playoffs in his first season. Cleveland’s Kevin Stefanski is in his first season as well.

Playing at the home of the Cowboys for the first time since winning a Big 12 championship there with Oklahoma three years ago on his way to being Cleveland’s No. 1 overall pick, Mayfield 19 of 30 for 165 yards about 200 miles from his hometown of Austin.

Garrett, the top pick in the draft out of Texas A&M a year before Mayfield, grew up just a few miles from AT&T Stadium and celebrated early with the first of his two sacks on the second play from scrimmage.

The second sack turned the tide.

In a 14-14 tie in the second quarter, Garrett forced the first of two turnovers on consecutive plays by Dallas, both converted into touchdowns as Cleveland went on to score 27 consecutive points.

Garrett easily beat undrafted rookie Terence Steele and hit Prescott as he was trying to throw, leading to Mayfield’s 1-yard scoring pass to Austin Hooper. After Ezekiel Elliott fumbled at the end of a 24-yard run near midfield, the Browns drove to Hunt’s 2-yard TD run.

After Garrett’s strip sack, Brandon Knight replaced Steele. Knight is also undrafted, in just his second year. They shared the duties a day after news broke that regular right tackle La’el Collins, who hasn’t played this year, is set to have season-ending hip surgery.

The Cowboys got within a field goal with three straight touchdowns followed by successful 2-point conversions. Another comeback try finally ended when Prescott threw his first interception on his career-high 58th and final attempt.

NICKED UP CHUBB

Chubb, who came in as the NFL’s fourth-leading rusher, was injured in the first quarter when his right leg was rolled up on by a pair of opposing linemen engaged with each other. He limped to the locker room, and the team said it was a knee injury. Stefanski said that Chubb will have an MRI.

PANDEMIC CROWD

The Cowboys announced a crowd of 25,021. That’s about 4,000 more than the opener, and about 31% of capacity. The retractable roof was closed again, and the large sliding doors on each end were open. The configuration was the same for the first home game two weeks ago.

INJURIES

Browns: WR KhaDarel Hodge hurt his hamstring in pregame warmups. … DT Larry Ogunjobi left with an abdominal injury and didn’t return.

Cowboys: C Joe Looney injured his right knee on the first offensive play of the game and didn’t return. He was replaced by rookie Tyler Biadasz.

UP NEXT

Browns: Indianapolis at home next Sunday.

Cowboys: New York Giants in second of three straight home games next Sunday.