Ravens outlast Browns, 47-42, in game for the ages

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.

Instant takeaways from Browns' 47-42 loss to the Baltimore Ravens …

1. Wow: Like heavyweight boxers throwing haymakers at each other, the Browns and Ravens traded big plays and breath-taking touchdown drives to set Monday Night Football scoring records. In the end, Baltimore’s Justin Tucker made a 55-yard field goal with :02 on the clock to put the Ravens ahead, 45-42. The Ravens scored a safety to win the game, 47-42, when the Browns tried to lateral their way downfield and ended up losing the ball in their own end zone. The loss did not affect the Browns’ spot as the AFC fifth playoff seed. They are 9-4 and ahead of the Colts (9-4) based on the tie-breaker, but it probably ended hopes of catching Pittsburgh (11-2) for first place. It also kept alive the Ravens at 8-5 and was as deep a heart-breaking loss as the Browns have suffered in this season. The game featured nine rushing touchdowns and 878 yards of offense, 493 put up by the Browns.

2. Miracle worker: Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had a heroic night. He rushed for 124 yards and two touchdowns, and then came back from cramps to pull out the game after the Browns had battled back with two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to take a 35-34 lead. Jackson retreated to the Ravens locker room to be treated for cramping during the Browns’ possession ending the third quarter. After the Browns scored twice in the fourth quarter to take a 35-34 lead, Jackson trotted back into the game at the two-minute warning when backup quarterback Trace McSorley injured his left ankle. On fourth-and-2 from the Browns’ 41, Jackson completed a pass to Marquise Brown in the middle of the field and Brown raced to the end zone. J.K. Dobbins’ 2-yard run through Andrew Sendejo at the goal line made it a 42-35 Ravens lead. Sendejo suffered a concussion on the play. Baker Mayfield, however, tied the game with a 47-second touchdown drive. Kareem Hunt lunged over the left pylon after a 21-yard catch-and-run with 1:04 left.

3. Good and lucky: The Browns closed the deficit to 34-28 on a drive on which they converted two fourth downs, successfully challenged the Ravens having 15 men on one play, scored the TD on a 22-yard pass to Rashard Higgins when Marcus Peters tripped and fell, and then converted the 2-point conversion when Mayfield’s pass deflected off Kareem Hunt and into the hands of Donovan Peoples-Jones. And then it was announced the Lamar Jackson was suffering from cramps and was replaced by Trace McSorley.

4. Take that: McSorley’s throws didn’t make a difference to Marquise Brown, who suffered a third drop in the game to force a Baltimore punt. That’s when the Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb ground attack took over, powering the way for a 70-yard touchdown drive. Mayfield’s 5-yard run and slide into the end zone and Cody Parkey’s PAT put the Browns ahead, 35-34 with 6:30 to play.

5. Worked for them: The Ravens deferred the opening kickoff and fell behind, 7-0. But they were able to score the “double dip” intention of the deferral by scoring touchdowns at the end of the first half and beginning of second half. Jackson came up big on both opportunities. His 40-yard throw-it-up completion to tight end Mark Andrews while escaping a sack set up his own 17-yard touchdown run for a 21-14 lead at halftime. Then Jackson went over 100 yards on the ground with a 44-yard keeper run on third-and-3 to open the second half, followed by a 19-yard touchdown run by Gus Edwards.

6. Not again: The Browns responded with a fast touchdown drive capped by a 27-yard completion to Kareem Hunt and then Hunt’s 5-yard TD run. But Cody Parkey missed the PAT wide right. Parkey missed a 39-yard field goal wide left in the first quarter.

7. Bad to worse: After a rare defensive stop, the Ravens reopened a 14-point lead when Mayfield was intercepted on first down by linebacker Tyus Bowser, who returned it to the Browns’ 1. J.K. Dobbins scored the Ravens’ fifth touchdown on the ground. Justin Tucker’s PAT was blocked by Vincent Taylor, holding the Ravens’ lead to 34-20. The interception was Mayfield’s first in 187 pass attempts.

8. Oops: The Browns had a secret 12th defender in the first half – a slippery grass surface. Wearing short cleats, Jackson slipped on at least six occasions, causing two of his four sacks. Until his last possession in the final 1:01 of the half, Jackson had more sacks than pass attempts (three). Jackson changed cleats at halftime.

9. Take a recount: Reserve cornerback M.J. Stewart, who was selected Browns game captain, had a bad first half. He lost coverage of Andrews on the Ravens’ biggest offensive play and drew holding and pass interference penalties on Baltimore’s first offensive possession leading to Jackson’s 5-yard TD run.

10. Run, Lamar, run: Jackson had 78 yards on the ground (and the two TDs) and only 53 in the air in the first half. Gus Edwards also had an 11-yard TD run as the Ravens rolled up 134 rushing yards, and a 7.9 average, in the first half.

11. Touchy feely: Jarvis Landry said the Ravens’ cornerbacks liked to grab and they lived up to his scouting report. Marlon Humphrey punched the ball loose on two occasions (Browns recovered both) and also punched out a pass breakup. Pass interference penalties on safety Chuck Clark and cornerback Jimmy Smith helped advance one Browns’ possession, but Cody Parkey missed a 39-yard field goal wide left.

12. Finally: Browns receivers were failing to defeat the physical Baltimore cornerbacks until Mayfield whipped a completion of 37 yards to Donovan Peoples-Jones over cornerback Marcus Peters, who was caught looking at tight end Harrison Bryant. Mayfield’s longest pass play of the half resulted in Nick Chubb’s 14-yard touchdown run. Chubb also scored from 7 yards on the game’s first possession after the Ravens deferred the opening kickoff. On that opening drive, Mayfield threw seven times, completing six, and Landry completed a double pass originating with Mayfield, for 12 yards to Chubb.

13: Myles OK: Myles Garrett left the game in the second quarter clutching his right elbow after linebacker Jacob Phillips accidentally hit him from behind. Garrett missed three defensive snaps, but returned on the next series.

14. Greedy update: Cornerback Greedy Williams, who has been out since suffering an injury to his right shoulder on the first tackling of drill of training camp on Aug. 24, gave an update on his status on social media. Williams tweeted that he suffered “axillary nerve damage in the shoulder.” He added: “This what I’ve been fight this season this just takes time to recover. I’ll be back ASAP.” According to mountsinai.org, treatment can range from rehabilitation exercises and anti-inflammatory medicines to surgery. “Depending on the cause of the nerve disorder, some people do not need treatment,” the Website says. “The problem gets better on its own. The rate of recovery can be different for everyone. It can take many months to recover.” Williams has not had surgery on the shoulder, per the Browns, and remains on the injured reserve list.

15. Pre-game notes: Among Browns made inactive were tight end Austin Hooper, receiver KhaDarel Hodge and safety Tedric Thompson. Hooper suffered a neck injury on Friday. His starting spot was taken by rookie Harrison Bryant. Hodge has now missed two games with a hamstring injury. Thompson was recently added via waivers but was deemed not ready to contribute. Backup cornerback M.J. Stewart was named game captain. For the Ravens, the big news was defensive tackle Calais Campbell made active. Campbell, 34, missed practice all week with a calf injury suffered in last week's win over the Cowboys.