The Browns showed they’re still capable of blowing games in an OT loss to the Raiders

The Browns are a lot of things in 2018. One thing they are not is boring. Baker Mayfield has proven himself worthy of last spring’s No. 1 overall pick, and Cleveland suddenly has an explosive and exciting offense.

But one thing they may still be is cursed after a series of unexpected events turned a game in which Cleveland had a 95.8 percent win probability into the Raiders’ first win of 2018. Mayfield fell to 0-1 as an NFL starter as his team saw an eight-point lead fritter away in the final minute of regulation before a 29-yard field goal dropped his team to 1-2-1 on the season.

The Raiders refused to fall apart in the face of adversity, and it sent Cleveland back into a very familiar space. So let’s review:

So when exactly did things go pear-shaped for Cleveland?

The Browns led 35-34 past the midway point of the fourth quarter and appeared to have this one sealed up when a third-and-nine sack of Derek Carr resulted in a fumble that bounced into Larry Ogunjobi’s hands with 35 yards and one player standing in the way of a touchdown. But the officials ruled that play dead for some reason, giving Oakland the chance to punt the ball away instead.

Then the Browns appeared to have this one wrapped when Nick Chubb broke away for his second big touchdown run of the day, sprinting 41 yards into the end zone to give Cleveland a 42-34 lead with 4:20 to play. The Raiders tempered that excitement by driving deep into the Browns’ red zone on their ensuing drive, but two straight not-even-close incompletions gave Mayfield the ball at his own nine with 1:46 to play.

That led to another sigh of relief for Browns fans when a third-and-two dive up the middle was spotted inches past the chains. Then an official review moved the ball four inches toward the Cleveland end zone, and the visitors were forced to punt.

That gave Carr 53 yards to cover with 1:24 left and no timeouts — and the Raiders’ quarterback was up to the task. He found Jared Cook in the corner of the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown pass with 30 seconds to play. A short fade to Jordy Nelson seconds later would knot the game at 42-all. While Mayfield would rally his team to midfield as the clock ticked down, a deep-ball interception would send the Browns to overtime for the second time in four games.

Cleveland got a little breathing room when a missed 50-yard field goal gave the club a score-and-win situation from its own 40, but went three-and-out to set up Oakland’s game-winning drive.

What went right for the Browns?

Mayfield had a solid day in his first career start, overcoming a pick-six on his third pass of the day to put together a reasonable 295-yard, two-touchdown performance. Those numbers would have been even bigger had his receivers stepped up for him; the Browns had no fewer than seven drops on Sunday.

The biggest revelation for Cleveland may have been its running game. Chubb was exceptional in limited touches, running for 105 yards on only three carries. Carlos Hyde was a useful workhorse in front of him, taking 22 carries for 87 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, the team’s offensive line was able to win at the line of scrimmage against

That’s cold consolation after a heartbreaking win, but it’s something from which the Browns can build. The final result may have been “same ol’ Browns,” but there were plenty of new developments to inspire some hope for Cleveland, even in defeat.