The Browns' aggressive defense made life miserable for Lamar Jackson in one quarter before he was knocked out of the game by Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (not this play). (Cleveland Browns)
Browns stay alive, take out Lamar Jackson in nervous win over Ravens
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Instant takeaways from Browns’ 24-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens …
1. Stayin’ Alive: Cue up the BeeGees’ 1977 No. 1 disco hit. The Browns stayed alive in the hunt for the AFC North division title with a nerve-wracking, 24-22 win over the Baltimore Ravens. The Browns nearly blew a 24-3 lead to Ravens backup QB Tyler Huntley, who orchestrated two touchdowns in the fourth quarter. After the second one, the Ravens recovered an onside kick. with 1:17 to play. But on fourth down, Denzel Ward stopped Rashod Bateman four yards short of a first down. Baker Mayfield had two touchdown passes and Myles Garrett had a strip-sack, recovery, and touchdown return, and the Browns’ defense continued knocked out quarterback Lamar Jackson with an ankle injury in the second quarter. The win moved the Browns to 7-6, 2-2 in division games. The Ravens are 8-5 and 1-3 in division games after consecutive losses. The Browns host the Las Vegas Raiders Saturday in FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.
2. Playing dangerous: Kevin Stefanski called the game as if he were trying to rack up CFP ratings points. He kept dialing up pass against the Ravens’ depleted secondary. It was a little too aggressive, perhaps. Mayfield was intercepted throwing for Jarvis Landry with a 17-0 lead in the second quarter. Then in the third quarter with a 24-6 lead, Mayfield was hit from behind by lineman Broderick Washington. Mayfield left the game and was evaluated for a concussion in the medical tent, but was cleared and returned to play after one series.
4. Lamar taken out: Jackson was knocked out of the game on the first play of the second quarter when Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah blitzed and took Jackson to the ground after a short completion. It appeared that Jackson’s right ankle was twisted on the play. He limped to the medical tent on the sideline, then was carted to the locker room. Jackson was ineffective moving the ball in essentially his one quarter of action. The Ravens had 32 yards on 9 offensive plays and trailed, 10-0. Browns fans wary of another out-of-the-locker room heroic comeback win exhaled when Jackson was declared out for the game prior to the second half kickoff.
5. Stefanski, Mayfield back on track: Without his beloved 13 personnel grouping available, Stefanski used a variety of formations to open things up for Mayfield in the passing game, and the result was a whopping 24-6 halftime lead for the Browns. Before Kareem Hunt’s injury, Stefanski fielded Chubb and Hunt on the field for four plays, used Chubb and/or Hunt with Demetric Felton, sprinkled in some tackle-eligible formations with Blake Hance, and also had some 12 formations with TE2 Miller Forristall.
6. Oh, that secondary: But Stefanski was not shy in attacking Baltimore’s porous defensive secondary. Defensive pass interference penalties on cornerbacks Anthony Averett and Chris Westri accounted for 48 yards on Mayfield’s first field goal drive, and another on cornerback Tavon Young contributed to a touchdown drive.
7. Mr. Efficiency: As a result, Mayfield was an efficient 16 of 20 in the first half for 143 yards. He tossed TDs of 9 yards to Landry – his first scoring catch of the season – and 1 yard to Austin Hooper. Stefanski only run the ball 13 times in the first half. Even with a 17-0 lead, he allowed Mayfield to throw, and that’s when Mayfield was intercepted by Averett on a pass behind Landry in the second quarter.
8. Hat trick: Garrett did it all on a play with :49 left in the first half. He stripped the ball when Huntley reared back to throw, picked up the ball after it was nearly intercepted, and then trundled 15 yards to the end for the first touchdown of his Browns career. The sack was Garrett’s 15th of the season, eclipsing the unofficial franchise record of 14 by Reggie Camp in 1984. Before the sack was recognizede as an official statistic, Browns defensive end Bill Glass had 16.5 in 1965 and 15.5 in 1962.
9. Kareem out again: Hunt left the game with 1:20 to go in the first quarter when a low hit by safety Geno Stone after a reception injured Hunt’s ankle. Hunt was on the field for only 11 plays. He and Chubb were together for four of them, each time Hunt lining up or motioning into a receiver position.
10. Almost right: Browns special teams coordinator Mike Priefer said during the week that the Browns had to make all their kicks (to win) because the Ravens would make all theirs. He was half-correct. Baltimore’s Justin Tucker made field goals of 50, 42 and 55 yards. The Browns had no issues with new holder/punter Dustin Colquitt, but Chase McLaughlin’s second field goal try from 41 yards bounced off the right upright. McLaughlin opened the scoring
11. Aw, muff: Demetric Felton muffed Baltimore’s first two punts and was replaced by JoJo Natson.
12. Slow start: Stefanski surprised everybody by electing to receive after winning the coin toss. The Browns promptly punted after a dropped pass by Hooper, a pass to Chubb for minus-1, and a pass to Hunt short of the first down. As the Browns offense slinked off to the sideline, the crowd booed.
13. Pre-game notes: Safety Ronnie Harrison was a surprise inactive for the Browns. He was questionable with an ankle injury during the practice week. Harrison increased the list of Browns starters from two weeks ago out for the game: Cornerback Greg Newsome (concussion), tight end Harrison Bryant (high ankle), tight end David Njoku (COVID), linebacker Anthony Walker (COVID), punter/holder Jamie Gillan (COVID), and right tackle Jack Conklin (elbow). Rookie James Hudson replaced four-game starter Blake Hance as the replacement right tackle.
14. Godspeed, Mac: Browns Hall of Fame receiver Mac Speedie was formally inducted in the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime. Speedie’s name and number was unveiled at the northeast corner of the inside ring of FirstEnergy Stadium, right next to Ozzie Newsome’s name. Speedie became the 17th Cleveland Browns player inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020 when he was selected in the special Centennial Class.
