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Falcons beat Browns behind Dee Alford’s game-clinching pick

Oct 2, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier (25) runs against Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (28) during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Allgeier rushed for 84 yards on 10 carries and Younghoe Koo kicked four field goals to lead the Atlanta Falcons to a 23-20 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

With the game tied at 20-20, Koo made a 45-yard field goal with 2:28 remaining to give the Falcons a 23-20 lead.

Cleveland drove inside Atlanta territory on its final drive, but a sack made it third-and-23 for the Browns at their own 46-yard-line. Dee Alford, a Georgia native who played in the Canadian Football League a season ago, picked off a Jacoby Brissett pass at the Atlanta 26-yard-line to end the game.

Brissett went 21-of-35 passing for 234 yards in defeat for Cleveland (2-2).

The Falcons (2-2) scored the first 10 points of the game, taking a 3-0 lead with 3:36 left in the first quarter on a 30-yard field goal by Koo before going up 10-0 on a 13-yard touchdown run by Cordarrelle Patterson with 1:20 remaining in the first quarter.

A strong ground game led the Falcons Sunday, with 206 yards on 35 carries, with reserve running backs Allgeier and Caleb Huntley receiving 10 carries apiece. Patterson, the usual starter, played intermittently while dealing with a knee injury.

Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota finished 7-for-19 passing with 139 yards and an interception.

Cleveland answered with 10 points of its own in the second quarter, starting with a 4-yard touchdown run by Brissett with 7:35 left in the half.

The Browns then tied the game at 10-10 with seven seconds left until halftime on a 29-yard field goal by Cade York.

With 3:06 left in the third quarter, York made a 45-yard field goal to give Cleveland a 13-10 lead, but Atlanta answered on its next drive.

On entirely running plays, Atlanta went 75 yards in 10 plays and took a 17-13 lead with 12:51 remaining in the game on a 5-yard touchdown run by Caleb Huntley.

Cleveland countered that with a touchdown of its own, as Atlanta-area native Nick Chubb scored on a 28-yard touchdown run with 9:51 remaining to put the Browns up 20-17.

Atlanta then tied the game at 20-20 with 7:19 to go on a 21-yard field goal by Koo.

–Field Level Media

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