Browns finally got a lead this season right after benching DeShone Kizer

The Cleveland Browns took the lead in a game in 2017 for the first time thanks to a diving, one-handed touchdown grab by David Njoku.

In each of Cleveland’s first four losses to open the season, the Browns were tied or behind for the entire game, but the defense has done well against the Jets so far in Week 5 to keep things close. A normal team would have grabbed a lead much earlier, but Cleveland’s impossibly bad luck kept the team scoreless in the first half.

After DeShone Kizer was benched at the beginning of the second half, Kevin Hogan took over and led the team down the field, highlighted by a beautiful touchdown catch by Njoku.

Two drives for the team in the first half got inside the 5-yard line and both ended with Kizer turnovers. The first was a fumble and the second was a bad interception that erased a chance at a chip-shot field goal.

That isn’t just rookie stuff. Two turnovers that close to the end zone is a rare occurrence.

But even field goals were hard to come by. Zane Gonzalez entered the game two-of-three on field goal attempts and seven-of-seven on extra points. On Sunday, he missed 52-yard and 39-yard field goals that would’ve given the Browns the lead.

With a 57-yard field goal at the end of the half, the Jets took a 3-0 lead to the locker room. Thanks to the Cleveland defense, the Browns were still in striking distance despite the many blown chances to get points.

The Browns’ defense has been helped by the addition of Myles Garrett, who made his NFL debut Sunday and sacked McCown on the first snap of his career and added a second sack late in the first half.

Hogan’s touchdown pass got things going for the Browns, so maybe the bad voodoo is finally gone.