The Washington Post's Scott Allen and Keith McMillan break down the Redskins' Week 4 victory over the Browns. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post)

The Washington Post's Scott Allen and Keith McMillan break down the Redskins' Week 4 victory over the Browns. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post)

For the second time in two weeks, the Washington Redskins weathered a brush with adversity and used late-game heroics on both sides of the ball to pull off a victory.

The latest win, Sunday’s 31-20 triumph over the Cleveland Browns at FedEx Field, evened Washington’s record at 2-2 — a crucial development as the first quarter of the season ends.

The road win against the New York Giants last week removed the goose egg from the Redskins’ win column. But it did nothing to alleviate the sense of desperation within the locker room entering the meeting with the Browns.

A loss to winless Cleveland would have put the Redskins in another unfavorable situation with the tougher segments of the season still awaiting.

1 of 84 Full Screen Autoplay Close Week 16: Washington 41, Bears 21 at Soldier Field Week 15: Carolina Panthers 26, Redskins 15 at FedEx Field. Week 14: Redskins 27, Philadelphia Eagles 22, at Lincoln Financial Field. Week 13: Arizona Cardinals 31, Redskins at University of Phoenix Staduim Week 12: Dallas Cowboys 31, Redskins 26 at AT&T Stadium Week 11: Washington 42, Green Bay 24, at FedEx Field. Week 9: Washington 26, Minnesota Vikings 20 at FedEx Field. Week 8: Washington 27, Bengals 27, at Wembley Field in London. Week 7: Washington 17, Lions 20 at Ford Field. Week 6: Washington 27, Eagles 20 at FedEx Field. Week 5: Washington 16, Ravens 10 in Baltimore. Week 4: Washington 31, Cleveland Browns 20 at FedEx Field. Week 3: Washington 29, NY Giants 27 at MetLife Stadium. Skip Ad × Photos from the Redskins season so far View Photos A look at the standout images from Washington’s games in 2016. Caption Washington went 8-7-1 and missed the playoffs by a whisker. Here’s a look at the standout images from 2016. Reed celebrated his touchdown, which he hoped would set the stage for a dramatic Washington win. Nick Wass/Associated Press Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

So, by clawing their way back from an 0-2 start to reach the .500 mark, the Redskins kept hopes of contention alive. And a fourth quarter in which the offense scored 14 unanswered points and the defense registered a pair of takeaways featured potential momentum-building hallmarks for the next quarter of the season.

[Bog: Best and worst moments from the Redskins’ win over the Browns]

“I like the way we rebounded from being 0-2,” Coach Jay Gruden said, assessing the first four games. “Didn’t like being 0-2, but it’s good to get our first home win. I think there’s a lot of positives that we can draw from our four-game start, and there’s a lot of things we can clean up. That’s probably going to be the case with every NFL coach out there. So, it’s our job to keep them coached up and keep working, and it’s their job to want to come in and get better. That’s all we can do.”

The past two weeks have featured signs of encouragement. A strong resolve helped players rally from deficits and overcome injuries to starters in each victory. The offense has moved the ball, both through the air and on the ground, after fielding an anemic run game in Weeks 1 and 2. On Sunday, the Redskins scored four touchdowns in the red zone after the unit managed just three in 14 trips inside the 20 in the first three games. And the defense provided game-changing plays in crunch time in the wins over the Giants and Browns.

But reasons for concern remain, particularly as the Redskins prepare to play three of the next four on the road (at Baltimore, at Detroit and in London against Cincinnati), and face another division foe (Philadelphia) in two weeks.

Rushing defense remains a major weakness. On Sunday, Cleveland’s Isaiah Crowell rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on just 15 carries to become the third back to top the 100-yard mark against Washington this season. Teammate Duke Johnson added 53 yards on nine carries, and for the game, the Browns averaged 5.8 yards per carry while running through gaping holes and arm tackles alike.

“Lack of fundamentals,” defensive end Ricky Jean Francois said, when asked for the reason for the inability to stop the run. “That’s on the players, not the coaches. The coaches can go ’til they’re blue in the face. When it’s time to be on the field, that coach is not going to be there to help you sit down, squat, make that open-body tackle for the stop. . . . We’ve got to learn how to gang tackle. . . . It’s a must. . . . If we don’t make tackles, that [stuff] is going to get real irritating.”

The Washington Redskins wide receiver wore custom cleats with a caution tape against the Cleveland Browns, saying he wants "to be part of a solution and start [a] dialogue about the senseless killings of both citizens and police." (Master Tesfatsion,Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post)

Washington’s defense also continued to struggle to get off the field on third-and-long situations. All season, opponents have produced some of their biggest plays from unfavorable downs and distances. Sunday was no different. The Browns earned first downs on third and nine twice, as well as on third and seven, third and 10 and third and 11. For the season, Washington has surrendered first downs on 15 plays of third and seven or longer.

The defense has rallied in the most crucial moments the past two weeks, however, forcing turnovers in the red zone (an interception against New York, and a fumble recovery against Cleveland), and two more interceptions in enemy territory (Su’a Cravens last week, Josh Norman this week).

[Josh Norman expected a warning, not a penalty for bow-and-arrow theatrics]

Washington on Sunday appeared to have cured both its inconsistent rushing attack, which stemmed partially from a lack of a commitment to it and from the indecision of running back Matt Jones.

Offensive coordinator Sean McVay gave Jones a season-high 22 carries , and Jones cranked out 117 yards (5.3-yard average) and a touchdown.

Red-zone ineptness also wasn’t a problem. Cousins threw three touchdown passes (two to tight end Jordan Reed, one to running back Chris Thompson), and Jones rushed for another. Only once did Washington settle for a field goal inside the 20.

The Redskins realize they must keep working. In a sense, they have managed to just get by because of their deficiencies on both sides of the ball. But it’s harder to overcome shortcomings like Sunday’s when facing quality opponents, they know. On Sunday, though, the players and coaches saw reason for optimism.

“I think it’s a feel that there’s a lot of potential, we can be a lot better than we’ve been at times — but that’s the NFL. It’s to be expected,” Cousins said. “While the expectations are very high, we might not reach them all the time. . . . It’s what we need to do, a step in the right direction. We’re very pleased to get to 2-2 today, and now we go forward. One game at a time and try to go 1-0 this week, and that’ll never change.”