SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 2, 2014
Browns 22, Buccaneers 17: Brian Hoyer passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns as host Cleveland held off Tampa Bay.
Hoyer was 21-of-34 with two interceptions but threw a pair of second-half TD passes, including a game-winning 34-yard toss to Taylor Gabriel in the fourth quarter. Terrance West rushed for 48 yards and caught a short touchdown pass while Gabriel had five receptions for 87 yards for the Browns (5-3).
Rookie Mike Evans made seven catches for 124 yards and two touchdowns for the Buccaneers (1-7), who lost their fourth straight game - and third by a touchdown or less. Mike Glennon finished 17-of-33 for 260 yards with two TDs and two interceptions while Bobby Rainey rushed for 87 yards on 19 carries.
After Tampa Bay jumped offside on a field-goal attempt, the Browns converted on fourth-and-inches from the 4-yard line to set up Hoyer's 2-yard TD pass to West with 9:10 left in the third quarter for a 16-10 lead. Cleveland's short punt from its own end zone set up the Buccaneers with good field position, and they needed only three plays to go 45 yards - with Glennon and Evans connecting for their second 24-yard TD of the day to put Tampa Bay back on top.
A blocked punt gave the Browns a short field and set up Hoyer's go-ahead TD pass to Gabriel with 8:59 left in the fourth. Tampa Bay drove to the Cleveland 37 on its final possession and appeared to convert a fourth-and-1, but Evans was called for offensive pass interference and Glennon's next attempt fell incomplete.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Cleveland S Tashaun Gipson recorded his NFL-best sixth interception of the season, ninth in his last 11 games and fourth in his past three contests. … Evans has at least four receptions in each of the first seven games of his career, a record for Buccaneers wide receivers. … DE Billy Winn's blocked field goal in the first quarter was the first for the Browns since Dec. 5, 2010.