Baltimore--- In one night he threw a career-high four interceptions, Lamar Jackson still produced an incredible moment of brilliance.
That was enough for the Baltimore Ravens, who now have the best record in the AFC after another tense win.
Jackson pulled off one of his signature scrambles in the third quarter, buying enough time to throw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Mark Andrews, & the Ravens secured a 16-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday night.
Jackson, who returned from last weekend’s win over Chicago with an illness, was indistinguishable from that one TD throw.
“Our defense just shone the light today,” Jackson said. “I’m tickled, but I told all those people: ‘Way to get our back, way to get my back.’”
Both teams spent most of their prime-time performances making critical mistakes. Baltimore only managed one touchdown, but Jackson made it a memorable one. Panicked by the crowd near Cleveland all night, he zig-zag back to the nearly 35-yard line before lofting a pass into the middle of a remarkably open Andrews in the end zone.
This made it 13-3, & the Ravens (8-3) went ahead from there. They are now 6-1 in fixed games with eight points or less.
Cleveland (6-6) could never get their running game—which finished No. 1 in the league—going up against the Baltimore defensive front. Nick Chubb managed only 16 yards on eight carries, & Kareem Hunt covered 20 yards on seven attempts.
“Our run game has been great & we have run against such a loaded box,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said. “As a one-run offense, we’ve done better than that.”
Ravens coach John Harbaugh improved to 18–2 in the prime-time game at home & 23–4 on aggregate against the Browns.
“The defense was just off the charts,” Harbaugh said. “It’s one of the best defensive performances we’ve seen here in a long time.”
Baker Mayfield threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to David Nojoku late in the third quarter, but Cleveland did not score again. By 13–10, the Ravens took over with 6:28 remaining in the game & the rest of the clock was nearly over. A holding call on guard Ben Powers helped halt that drive, & Justin Tucker’s 49-yard field goal took the lead to six with 1:10 to play.
Brown never got the first time in his final possession.
It was far from December, when these teams played one of the most exciting games of the 2020 NFL season – a 47-42 Ravens win over Cleveland. This time, a quiet first half turned into a series of messes at the end of the second quarter, including five turnovers in the final 3:04.
The Ravens used 8:41 from the clock on a 17-play drive, but settled for a field goal & a 6–0 lead when guard Kevin Zeitler made a false start from 1 to fourth & on goal. Brown drove into the Baltimore area, but gave the ball to trick play. Receiver Jarvis Landry took a shotgun snap & turned around as if to throw, but was hit & staggered.
Brown quickly replied with a takeaway of his own, when a pass by Jackson reached Denzel Ward for an interception. Cleveland converted that turnover into a field goal.
Jackson was stopped again, giving Brown the ball at the Baltimore 28 with 56 seconds to go. After two plays, Mayfield lost the ball – no one was credited for a forced fumble – or the Ravens recovered near midfield.
Jackson threw his third interception of the quarter with 21 seconds left in the half.
“The defense, I thought, played very well,” Mayfield said. “We need to play better, make more plays, create complementary football.”
Cleveland’s mistakes were not confined to the end of the first half. Chase McLaughlin missed a 46-yard field goal in the first quarter, & then the Browns kept the Ravens drive alive when they called for too many men on the field as Baltimore lined up for it to go fourth & -2. Did. Own 33.
What was remarkable about it was that Cleveland called a timeout just after that fourth-place finisher displayed replacement issues. Then Brown came out of the timeout & called for too many men on the field anyway.
“That’s coaching,” Stefansky said. “it’s upMileston
Tucker scored a 52-yard kick at the end of that possession to give the Ravens a 3-0 lead.
Milestone
Miles Garrett caught Jackson early in the game for his league-leading 14th sack, breaking Brown’s single-season record set by Reggie Camp in 1984.
Injuries
Cleveland tee Jack Conklin, who returned from an elbow injury for the game, hurt his knee in the first quarter. He tried to walk awkwardly, but then his right knee was giving up. … Hunt was back in his first game with a calf injury. … Ravens DT Calais Campbell (concussion) missed the game. … Brown te Harrison Bryant has an ankle injury. He and Conklin will both have an MRI.
Next
Browns: Next weekend, then face the Ravens again in their next game in a scheduling quirk. That game is December 12 in Cleveland.
Ravens: Play another division rival next Sunday in Pittsburgh.