The offense lives

It is extremely difficult, damn near impossible in fact, to extract anything positive out of a loss, whether it's a bitter pill like last Monday's crusher against Las Vegas or a walloping where absolutely nothing can be gleaned.

And then the Browns, the 7-7 and staggering Browns, went out and played a football game on Christmas Day in Green Bay against a vastly superior team in the Packers, who are well on their way to the postseason. And scared the crap out of therm.

The Packers extended their latest winning streak to four games with a 24-22 victory Saturday that had them hanging on for dear life at the end as the Browns, playing easily their best overall game in the last two months, made a game of it right down to the finish.

They actually had the football in the final moments of regulation and were driving toward what would have been, could have been, should have been but wasn't a dagger-like game-winning field goal at the very least, or a game-winning touchdown at best. 

That's when Baker Mayfield, who had thrown three first-half interceptions that led to three Aaron Rodgers touchdown passes and had never thrown four in a National Football League game, delivered his fourth with 43 seconds left in regulation. 

The initial trio were all his fault. This one wasn't. Packers cornerback Rasul Douglas, who had picked off one earlier, semi-mugged Donovan Peoples-Jones off the line of scrimmage and hauled the pass in shortly after shoving the Cleveland wide receiver to the ground.

Mayfield barked at the officials. DPJ pleaded with them. Nothing. Normally, I don't quarrel with calls, but this one should have been (a) illegal contact, (b) holding) or (c) pass interference. It did not draw yellow laundry. It was (d) no call.

It was tough, but the fact the Browns were as close to the Packers at the time and seriously threatening says something with only two games left in the regular season, If they play in Pittsburgh next weekend and the season finale at home against Cincinnati as well as they did Saturday, what's left of their chancers for the postseason should not be a concern.

I know a loss is a loss, but this one had a different feel about it. The offense for the first time in nearly two months, looked scary. The ground game, AWOL during that dry period, burst forth for 219 yards, Nick Chubb accounting for 126 in addition to 58 more yards on three pass receptions. 

Nope, this game was not going to be the rout many people expected. The offense looked alive, racking up 408 total yards, their highest total since the week-five loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. The blocking along the offensive line was crisp, although the pass blocking was average at best, Mayfield hitting the  deck five times. 

Even so, he looked more sure of what he was doing. With a few exceptions, he was delivering the ball on time and accurately. His confidence level was higher that it has been in the last couple of months. 

The Cleveland defense sensed something was different and pretty much shut down the Green Bay offense in the second half, forcing a couple of three-and-outs along the way. With the offense finally looking anything but listless, it seemed as though everything was coming together. 

They clamped down on Rodgers and the Packers' offense in general in the second half,  limiting them to just 107 yards and forcing three punts on four of their possessions. That's when the Browns climbed back into the game.

After easily and flawlessly scoring on the first drive of the game on a one-yard plunge by Chubb  and Mayfield connecting with tight end Harrison Bryant from a yard out on another smooth drive midway through the second quarter, the Browns trailed by nine points at the half. Rookie kicker Chris Naggar missed the extra point on the first and head coach Kevin Stefanski needlessly went for two on the second and failed. 

But one could sense the Browns were legitimately in this one with a chance for one of the season's biggest upsets despite Mayfield, fresh off the COVID-19 list, throwing those three awful first-half picks Rodgers turned into touchdowns and a 21-12 halftime lead.

If he wasn't carelessly trying to hit Peoples-Jones in double coverage, Mayfield was sailing a pass over Jarvis Landry's head or misfiring again with Landry while bootlegging to his left. The rout, it appeared, was on as Rodgers connected twice with Davante Adams and once with Allen Lazard for scores.

The Packers ran 23 of their 36 first-half plays in Cleveland territory, Rodgers playing pitch and catch with Adams (10 catches, 114 yards) and Allen Lazard (2-45 and a TD) and getting a 143-yard game from scrimmage from running backs Aaron Jones and A, J, Dillon.

The Browns put together two long drives in the second half, netting a 37-yard field goal by Naggar after a 14-play, 66-yard possession that consumed eight minutes and a few seconds, and Dustin Colquitt's only punt of the game after a 10-play, 24-yard journey that ended with Mayfield sacked twice in field-goal territory.

They then broke through with a 76-yarder that took only 2:10 off the clock. Chubb accounted for 31 yards and D'Ernest Johnson ripped off a 30-yard burst around the right side on a third-and-10 from the Green Bay 35, setting up Mayfield's five-yard scoring strike to rookie Anthony Schwartz with 4:31 left.

A little more than two minutes later, the surging Browns had the ball again as the defense limited the Packers to just one first down in their last three possessions.  They reached midfield and it started to look a lot like what the Raiders did to the Browns last Monday with their come-from-behind victory.

This one might have not turned out the way fans wanted, but there was definitely a gleam. Solid signs that life have been breathed back into the heretofore fractured offense. Whether it's too late will be determined in the next two weeks.