Deshaun Watson completed a lot of short passes, but nothing came easy for him. (Cleveland Browns)

Editor’s Note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

LAS VEGAS, NV

Direct insights from the Browns’ 20-16 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders…

1. Make it stop: It almost seems like it’s just not going to happen for Deshaun Watson. His second attempt at a comeback in the fourth quarter was thwarted again when his attacking teammates abandoned him. The game ended with Watson being flushed from the pocket on fourth-and-3 from the Raiders’ 9 and sacked by Charles Snowden. It was Watson’s third possession in an attempt to erase a 20-16 deficit. The first was undermined when an 82-yard catch-and-run by Amari Cooper was called back after a holding penalty by Nick Harris. The second on a PBU from safety Isaiah Pola-Mao on a pass that Jerry Jeudy had his hands on. The final possession didn’t help when Harris snapped the ball without Watson looking and he fell on it at the Raiders’ 22. Oh yeah, Dustin Hopkins also missed a PAT. The loss dropped the Browns to 1-3. The Raiders improved to 2-2.

2. Wow…wait…what?: Watson showed off his 2018 vintage form on a play from the Browns’ 18 early in the fourth quarter. He stepped up after a blitz from cornerback Jack Jones and threw the ball to Amari Cooper in the wide open middle of the field. Cooper turned on the jets for what should have been an 82-yard catch-and-run. But Harris was cautioned for pinning defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. To make matters worse, Wilkins played off Harris’ hold and knocked Watson to the ground just as he released the ball. The Browns were forced to punt after Watson’s third-down pass to Jerry Jeudy was broken up.

3. Not dead: The Browns finally gave their large contingent of fans something to cheer about on the first play of the fourth quarter. End Isaiah McGuire stripped the ball from Zamir White and after a few bounces, Rodney McLeod picked the ball up at the Raiders’ 25 and tapped it all the way to the left sideline for the touchdown. Unfortunately, Dustin Hopkins’ PAT hooked wide left and the Raiders led 20-16. The ball may have hit right guard Zak Zinter’s left shoulder on its way up the field.

4. Implosion: After the Raiders increased their lead to 13-10, Watson was intercepted when his perfect pass went through the hands of Amari Cooper, hit his chest and was intercepted by safety Tre’von Moehrig. It was Cooper’s fifth dropped pass in four games. Anyway, the defense had the Raiders on third-and-9 at the Browns’ 36. A simple inside handoff to Alexander Mattison turned into a 19-yard run because of a sloppy tackle. More sloppiness ensued on the next play when DJ Turner hit left on a handoff and broke weak tackle attempts for a 17-yard TD run. And just like that it was 20-10, Raiders. As a result, the Raiders ramped up their pass rush and finished the next Cleveland possession with back-to-back sacks.

5. Don’t forget: Actually, we should trace the implosion to a passer penalty on Alex Wright’s end on a third-and-9 would-be sack on the Raiders’ opening possession of the second half. It was a clear foul, as the crown of Wright’s helmet made contact with Gardner Minshew’s chin. Those 15 yards led to Carlson’s 34-yard field goal.

6. Wow!: In the final seconds of the first half, the Raiders were backed at their 2-yard line. It seemed like they just let the clock run. Then running back Zamir White shot up the middle and into the secondary. Safety Ronnie Hickman brought him down with a minor tackle on the 19th. Hickman probably saved a 98-yard TD run.

7. Passion Play Suffering: The Browns were forced to punt with 1:20 left in the half as their would-be 2-minute offense failed at the end. Watson took the offense from the Browns’ 17 to the Raiders’ 40 in six plays. Included were his longest completions of the half: 17 yards and 19 to Jerry Jeudy. But on third-and-9 from the 40, Watson was forced to release the ball early as Dawand Jones was beaten. Watson’s deep pass for Amari Cooper was aimed toward the right sideline. Cooper broke inside. Watson finished the half 14 of 17 for 87 yards – 5.1 yards per attempt.

8. Ground and Pound: As in Jacksonville, Stefanski’s conservative game script worked to perfection in the opening game. Using extra tight ends, instead of extra linemen, Watson moved the Browns 70 yards in 15 plays and ate 9 minutes, 22 seconds on the clock. Watson converted the TD on a 1-yard flip to TE2 Blake Whiteheart on a play-fake against Nick Harris posing as a fullback. It was Whiteheart’s first career TD in his fifth NFL game, including two with the Cardinals.

9. Battle of Kickers: Dustin Hopkins’ 56-yard field goal gave the Browns a 10-0 lead in the first quarter. However, the second quarter belonged to the Raiders. They countered with a 3-yard TD run by receiver Tre Tucker on a reverse of a White handoff, and then Daniel Carlson tied the score with a 52-yard field goal. Carlson beat the Browns with a last-second field goal in the last meeting between these teams in 2021.

10: Injuries: In the first half, the Browns lost center Ethan Pocic to an ankle injury and linebacker Jordan Hicks to an elbow injury. Both were announced as doubtful, but neither returned in the first half. Pocic came back in the third quarter and then left again. Hicks never returned.

11. Pre-game Notes: No surprises on Brown’s inactive list: Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, running back Pierre Strong Jr., cornerback Kahlef Hailassie, offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr., offensive tackle Jack Conklin, receiver Jamari Thrash and tight end David Njoku.