Baltimore vs. Cleveland
Ravens Stay in Postseason Mix, Keep Browns Winless in 27-10 Victory
In the wake of last week’s shootout loss to Pittsburgh, Sunday became a case of “must win” for the Ravens. The defense held up their end of the bargain, forcing four Browns turnovers in a 27-10 victory.
“Every time I say ‘get a turnover’ we get one,” said head coach John Harbaugh. “Then you’ll be like ‘why doesn’t he ask for them more often?’ It’s been an emphasis and our coaches have done a good job, but turnovers happen because you play hard and you’re in the right spot, and you do things well.”
Cleveland rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer looked the part against a defensive unit that has now forced 33 takeaways this season. Eric Weddle and Brandon Carr each picked off Kizer for his 18th and 19th interceptions of the year, while Brandon Williams recovered a Kizer fumble in the endzone for a touchdown.
Celebrate the Return of Fans to Football by Purchasing Ravens Tickets Online!
While the defense will get the majority of the credit, the offense held its own with 376 total yards of offense and 23 first downs. Quarterback Joe Flacco played a mistake-free ballgame, completing 26-of-42 attempts for 288 yards and one touchdown. The longtime starter added a second score with his feet on a two-yard quarterback draw late in the second quarter. Flacco continued his dominance against the division rivals, upping his career winning percentage against the Browns to .895. Only Ben Roethelisberge, versus Cleveland, and Tom Brady, versus Buffalo, have higher winning percentages amongst active quarterbacks.
Javorious Allen added 70 yards rushing on 13 carries to lead the ground game.
While the AFC North Division title may already be sewn up by the Pittsburgh Steelers, the wild card remains in play for Baltimore (8-6). The remaining games on the schedule are against teams with losing records: Indianapolis and Cincinnati.
“I think it’s fun,” wide receiver Mike Wallace told reporters. “I live for this type of stuff. Nothing is ever going to make me nervous. I love it. Every game is a playoff game from here on out and we want to win. We want to be in the real playoffs and right now every week is the playoffs.”
On the flipside, Cleveland took another wrongful step closer to history. They’re now two losses away from becoming the second team in NFL history to finish a 16-game regular season winless. The 2008 Detroit Lions are the only club in the league to go 0-16. The Browns can avoid joining that company with a win against either Chicago next week or Pittsburgh in Week 17. Some members of the Ravens don’t believe the Browns are as poor as their woeful record would indicate.
“I see a group of guys work hard and play hard,” said tight end Ben Watson. “One thing you see when you turn on the film and watch Cleveland play, they may not have won many games this year. When I was here, we won a few games but always played hard and never gave up. I think it’s a tribute to the players. Whenever I come here to play the Browns, you know it’s going to be a hard-fought battle. I respect those guys.”
GAME RECAP
Baltimore began the game with a 13-play, six-plus minute drive that sputtered inside the red zone. Justin Tucker made good on a 31-yard field goal try to put the Ravens in front 3-0.
After four consecutive three-and-outs, Baltimore’s defense recorded its first of four takeaways on the day as DeShone Kizer overthrew Corey Coleman, resulting in an Eric Weddle interception. The ensuing drive yielded no points though despite three attempts from the Browns’ 1-yard line. A Joe Flacco incompletion and two rushing attempts by Alex Collins failed to break the goal line.
It took the Browns only five plays to march 96 yards for the game’s opening touchdown. Isaiah Crowell broke off a 59-yard run into Ravens’ territory and Duke Johnson ended the drive with a 12-yard rushing touchdown to make it 7-3.
Baltimore would score on its next two possessions, first off a Flacco quarterback draw on third-and-goal from the 2. Following a forced fumble by C.J. Mosley, the Ravens offense retook the field with 1:36 remaining in the first half. Flacco found Mike Wallace for a 12-yard gain followed by a 33-yard touchdown toss to Ben Watson to make it a 17-7 lead.
Cleveland made the most of the 59 seconds remaining in the half, as a Kizer to Coleman connection set up a Zane Gonzalez 45-yard field goal to cut the deficit to 17-10 at intermission.
Both sides traded a pair of punts to open the second half, the last placing the Browns at their own 4-yard line. Forced to work in the shadow of his own endzone, Kizer was blindsided by Za’Darius Smith, jarring the ball loose. Brandon Williams recovered it for the defense’s fifth touchdown of the season, extending the lead to 24-10.
Cleveland would turn it over on downs on their following possession when Mosley stopped Kizer’s quarterback keeper on 4th and 1. Flacco followed it up with four consecutive completions to put the Ravens in field goal range, where Tucker converted from 43 yards to make it 27-10 with seconds to play in the third.
Baltimore recorded its fourth and final takeaway of the afternoon when Kizer threw into triple coverage in the endzone, finding Brandon Carr instead of his intended target Crowell.
The Ravens were able to chew up nearly 10 minutes of clock during their final two possessions to seal the 27-10 victory.
UP NEXT
Baltimore (8-6) prepares for its next opponent on a short week. The Ravens host Indianapolis (3-11) on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium. The Colts have struggled mightily as of late, dropping eight of their last nine matchups including a 25-13 loss to Brock Osweiler and the Denver Broncos.
Get Your Baltimore Ravens Season Tickets for the Upcoming Season Here!