CLEVELAND _ 0-16 be damned.
The Browns pulled off a Christmas Eve miracle to avoid a winless season and prevail 20-17 on Saturday against the San Diego Chargers in the home finale at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Browns (1-14) have one game left this season, next week at the Pittsburgh Steelers. They no longer need to sweat becoming just the fifth NFL team since 1944 to go winless.
The Browns led 20-17 entering the fourth quarter and held on to ensure they wouldn't become just the second team in NFL history to finish a season 0-16. The 2008 Detroit Lions are the only team to go winless in 16 games.
Chargers kicker Josh Lambo missed a 45-yard field goal wide right with no time left, and the Browns snapped their 17-game losing streak dating to last season. They triumphed for the first time since Dec. 13, 2015.
Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III suffered a concussion when defensive end Darius Philon sacked him with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter and immediately left the game. Griffin, due a roster bonus of $750,000 on March 11, might have played his final game with the Browns. He completed 17-of-25 passes for 164 yards, posted a passer rating of 86.1 and took seven sacks.
Rookie quarterback Cody Kessler entered the game on third down, and cornerback Trovon Reed broke up his first pass as rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman tried to secure it.
With 7:32 remaining, cornerbacks Jamar Taylor and Tramon Williams combined to stop Chargers rookie running back Kenneth Farrow for a 1-yard loss on third-and-1 from the Browns' 40.
The Browns took control at their 11 after the Chargers (5-10) punted, but they went three-and-out. Outside linebacker Melvin Ingram sacked Kessler for a 10-yard loss on third down, and the Browns punted.
The Chargers took over at the Browns' 33 after an 11-yard punt return. They set up a 32-yard field goal for kicker Josh Lambo, but Browns defensive lineman Jamie Meder blocked the kick with 3:45 left.
The Browns extended their lead to 20-10 when Cody Parkey finished the opening drive of the second half by making a 27-yard field goal with 10:58 left in the third quarter.
But the Chargers bounced back right away with an 11-play, 75-yard scoring drive.
On third-and-8 at the Browns' 20, cornerback Jamar Taylor was penalized for pass interference as he defended tight end Antonio Gates on a pass in the back left corner of the end zone.
Three plays later, Rivers completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyrell Williams, who beat the coverage of inside linebacker Demario Davis. The score allowed the Chargers to cut the Browns' lead to 20-17 with 6:04 left in the third quarter.
The Browns captured their fifth halftime lead of the season, holding a 17-10 advantage over the Chargers after the first two quarters.
The Browns won the coin toss, but coach Hue Jackson made a puzzling decision by deferring and kicking off to the Chargers. San Diego entered the game with an NFL-leading eight game-opening touchdowns and Rivers had a perfect passer rating (158.3) on game-opening drives.
The decision to let the Chargers have the ball first predictably backfired.
They started with a 50-yard pass from Rivers to former Browns wide receiver Travis Benjamin, who beat the coverage of cornerback Joe Haden. They later went for it fourth-and-1 at the Browns' 4 and picked up a first down when rookie running back Kenneth Farrow bolted ahead for 3 yards. On the next play, Gates caught a 1-yard touchdown pass from Rivers, capping the eight-play, 75-yard march and allowing the Chargers to capture a 7-0 lead with 10:49 left in the first quarter.
The Browns, though, fired back during the ensuing series.
Aided by three defensive penalties, they assembled a 10-play, 72-yard scoring drive. They went for it on fourth-and-6 at the Chargers' 39 with Griffin's 10-yard pass to tight end Gary Barnidge giving them a first down. On first-and-goal, running back Isaiah Crowell sprinted off the right side for an 8-yard touchdown, allowing the Browns to tie the score 7-7 with 5:12 left in the first quarter.
The Chargers immediately countered with a seven-play, 50-yard drive and took a 10-7 lead when Josh Lambo made a 43-yard field goal with 1:49 left in the first quarter.
The back-and-forth continued with the Browns producing a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive during the next possession. Rookie tight end Seth DeValve held onto a 21-yard pass from Griffin despite taking a hit from safety Darrell Stuckey and hurting his back. Crowell ran right for a 4-yard touchdown on the next play, and the Browns seized a 14-10 lead with 12:39 left in the second quarter.
The Browns hadn't led an opponent since they held a 7-6 halftime advantage over the Baltimore Ravens on Nov. 10. They also hadn't scored more than one touchdown since Oct. 30 against the New York Jets.
After scores on the game's first four series, Browns cornerback Jamar Taylor ended the streak by intercepting Rivers' underthrown pass intended for Gates and returning it 17 yards to the Browns' 30 with 9:35 remaining in the second quarter.
The Browns then turned the takeaway into three points when Parkey made a 49-yard field goal to give them a 17-10 lead with 4:46 left in the first half.
