The Cleveland Browns have struggled to convert turnovers into touchdowns through the first seven games of the 2018 regular season, and the same proved true during the first half of play against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but that changed early in the third quarter at Raymond James Stadium Sunday.
After the defense forced a third Buccaneers turnover, quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end David Njoku, which drew the Browns to within one score of Tampa Bay, 16-9, with 13:01 to play in the third quarter.
On first-and-10 from the Tampa Bay 15-yard line, Mayfield took the shotgun snap from center JC Tretter, looked left and fired a pass to Njoku in the left back corner of the end zone. Njoku had enough separation from safety Isaiah Johnson to haul in the pass and get both feet down in bounds for his second receiving touchdown of the year.
On second-and-six from the Tampa Bay 29-yard line, Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston dropped back to pass the football, but defensive end Myles Garrett had other ideas. After getting around left tackle Donovan Smith with a speed rush, Garrett stripped the ball from Winston.
Rookie linebacker Genard Avery recovered the ball at the Tampa Bay 33-yard line and returned it seven yards to the 26, which set up the three-play scoring drive for the Browns.
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