The Cleveland Browns finally broke through in Week 3, stunning the previously unbeaten Green Bay Packers 13-10 in a comeback thriller. Joe Flacco admitted afterward that the team had to fight through the “embarrassment” of an ugly start, but staying patient paid off.
Rookie Quinshon Judkins carried the load with 94 yards and a touchdown, while kicker Andre Szmyt delivered the decisive 55-yard field goal in the final seconds.
Flacco credited the defense for holding firm and stressed how a gritty win like this can change a team’s mindset early in the season.
Part of that turnaround came thanks to veteran defensive tackle Shelby Harris, who provided one of the game’s defining moments. Harris blocked Packers kicker Brandon McManus’ late go-ahead attempt, setting up the winning drive.
For the 34-year-old lineman, it was a career-defining sequence, and one he celebrated loudly. Nicknamed “Unc” by younger teammates, Shelby Harris is known as both a relentless trash-talker and a savvy technician when it comes to kick-blocking.
“It’s especially sweet because McManus is my old teammate in Denver,” Harris said. “I grew up a Packers fan in Milwaukee. Everyone back home is cussing at me, so that’s a lifelong memory right there.”
Harris explained that blocking kicks is “100 percent an art,” something he’s refined over nearly a decade in the NFL. He emphasized that leverage, timing, and his 6-foot-10 wingspan make all the difference, though he quickly credited teammates for creating the opportunities.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski praised Harris as a uniquely instinctive player who has always had a knack for getting his hands on the football.
The league doesn’t officially track blocked field goals, but Harris estimates he has “seven or eight” in his career.
SportRadar data credits him with six, tying him for 11th all-time. Former Browns lineman Shaun Rogers holds the record with 17.
Unfortunately, Cleveland’s win also carried bad news. Starting left tackle Dawand Jones tore a knee ligament and will miss the remainder of the season, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Backup Cornelius Lucas is expected to step in, but protecting Joe Flacco and opening lanes for Judkins will become a greater challenge without Jones anchoring the line.
Still, Week 3 was proof of what resilience and a perfectly timed block can do. For the Browns, it was a reminder that in football, even 56 minutes of frustration can be redeemed by one momentum-swinging play.
