A gleam in a loss

This might be hard to believe, but there was good news Sunday out of Los Angeles even though the Browns lost a didn't-see-that-coming, point-scoring festival to the Chargers that saw defense leave SoFi Stadium midway through the third quarter.

This one was a 12-round battle that saw lethal punches delivered with regularity, the lead change hands eight times and the two 3-1 teams compile 1,042 yards of offense in a 47-42 slugfest with 41 of those points (26 by the Chargers) scored in the final 15 minutes. At the end, both teams were gassed on defense. 

Neither could stop the onslaught as Mayfield and Justin Herbert of the Chargers were well protected for the most part, keeping both secondaries extremely busy. Herbert torched the Browns for 398 yards and four touchdowns, two of which were the result blown coverages.

Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams was the beneficiary of both. The first, a 72-yard strike early in the second quarter was due to a missed assignment by a safety; pretty much the same on the second, a 42-yarder early in the fourth quarter. The closest Brown was in the next county.

So what's the good news out of this mess? The Browns' offense is back. Baker Mayfield & Co. awakened from their slumber to put 531 yards on the stats sheet, 230 on the ground with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt taking turns gouging out yards.

Mayfield rebounded nicely with 305 yards and touchdown passes to Rashard Higgins and tight end David Njoku (a 71-yard bomb in the third quarter), doubling his season total. His throwing was much sharper than in recent weeks. Under ordinary circumstances, the outcome Sunday would have been different.

But this one was not destined to be ordinary in the final 15 minutes as the teams traded touchdowns on five consecutive possessions. It was the kind of game where the last team that owned the ball last had the best chance to win. 

That team was the Browns after the Chargers had taken a 47-42 lead with 91 seconds left in regulations on the third of Austin Ekeler's three touchdowns. Head coach Kevin Stefanski wisely allowed Ekeler to score from three -- in fact, it looked as though the Browns pushed him into the end zone -- so his offense could get the ball back with significant time remaining.

The strategy failed as the offense, with no timeouts left, advanced to their 47, but three straight incompletions by Mayfield ended the drama. 

In some ways, it seems a shame such a solid offensive output was wasted. It was due mainly -- and ironically -- to the poor performance of a defense that had been mainly responsible for the three-game winning streak the Browns brought into the game.

Turning points? It's almost nonsensical to pick one out in a game like this, but here goes, anyway.

After the  Browns stretched their 20-13 halftime lead to 27-13 on a 52-yard scoring romp by Chubb to cap the opening drive of the second half, Chargers coach Brandon Staley must have sensed his defense wasn't going to be a factor and his offense needed a boost.

The Browns had all the momentum at the time and probably felt pretty good about themselves. The defense forced a fourth and two at the Chargers 24-yard line on the subsequent possession. Every team punts from deep in their territory, right? Not on this day. 

Still plenty of time left in the game. Why not go for it? Stupid? You bet. 

Apparently feeling this one was slipping away and couldn't be won, the rookie head coach chained his punting unit to the bench and went for it. The daring and very unorthodox against-the-book gamble produced a nine-yard run by Ekeler right up the gut.

Ten plays later, Herbert scored the first of his two running touchdowns and the Chargers were right back in it. It provided that side of the ball the momentum change it badly needed. Staley punts and who knows where this game would have gone. It turned out to be a smart emotional and psychological move, one where he would have been roasted had if failed.

It seemed to have a profound effect on the Chargers' offense, which went on to score touchdowns on four of the next five possessions, including the last four straight. The Cleveland defense flat out disappeared in the final 30 minutes after playing moderately well in the first 30 minutes.

The reason the Browns were able to stay with the Chargers is simple. Think last season, when they played numerous games where they simply outscored the opponent to win because that defense was embarrassingly awful.

This offense is built to win -- and sometimes lose -- games like this. There will be other games this season where something like this is repeated. As soon, perhaps, as the next game back home against the unbeaten Arizona Cardinals.

Some would argue injuries was a factor Sunday. Cornerback Denzel Ward went down in the first half with a neck injury. Edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney (elbow) watched the game on the sideline. Offensive right tackle Jack Conklin (knee) left in the third quarter. Corner M. J. Stewart exited with a hamstring.

Part of the game. Some coaches would argue excuses are for losers. And they would be correct.