Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.BALTIMORE, MDInstant takeaways from Browns 33-31 win over the Baltimore Ravens …1. Staying alive: The Browns were a study in perseverance and resilience in overcoming two deficits of 14 points, a fumbled punt return and a missed PAT. They had a makeshift offensive line and their quarterback was beat up all day. And yet they beat the Ravens, 33-31, on a Dustin Hopkins 40-yard field goal as time expired. Hopkins had missed his first PAT of the season with a chance to tie the game with 8:16 to play. But the Browns got the ball back and drove 58 yards in 12 plays to set up the game-winner. It keeps the Browns division title hopes very much alive. They are 6-3. The Ravens fell to 7-3 and face the Bengals in Baltimore on Thursday night. The Browns play the Steelers in Cleveland on Sunday. Pittsburgh, 6-3, also won.
2. Psycho stuff: The Browns were on their way to making up a 31-17 deficit in 41 seconds on an Elijah Moore 10-yard touchdown reception and a Pick 6 by Greg Newsome – the first interception of his career. Except for one thing: Dustin Hopkins missed the PAT wide left. It was his first PAT miss of the year. So it was 31-30, Baltimore, with 8:16 to play.
3. Self-inflicted: Two sacks by Myles Garrett at the close of the third quarter gave the Browns hope. They were down by 24-17 and Baltimore punted. But James Proche, the ex-Raven who had energized the Browns’ return game, fumbled and Baltimore recovered at the Browns’ 12. That was only the start of the Browns’ errors. On a third-down incompletion, cornerback Greg Newsome was called for holding, giving the Ravens first down at the 6. Three plays later, Jackson was chased into a bad throw intercepted in the end zone by safety Rodney McLeod. But Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was called for holding, giving Jackson another set of downs. They scored two plays later on a Gus Edwards 2-yard run for a 31-17 lead.
4. Battling: Watson was beat up at the end of the first half, but came out the second half and engineered a 17-play drive eating up 10:02 with a variety of short completions and short-yardage conversions. Kareem Hunt’s 3-yard run behind fullback Nick Harris and a heavy formation was the Browns’ first touchdown. Rather than cut the Baltimore deficit to 2 points, Stefanski chose to go for two. Watson converted it on a delayed quarterback draw from empty formation to bring the Browns to within 24-17 with 2:20 left in the third quarter.
5. Incredible: Remember Game 2 in Pittsburgh when the Browns fell behind, 7-0, on a Pick 6 by Alex Highsmith on the first scrimmage play of the game? Well, it took the Browns two plays to fall behind here. On second down from the Browns’ 29, Watson threw for tight end David Njoku and it was deflected, intercepted and ran back 18 yards for a touchdown by safety Kyle Hamilton.
6. No words: A Mike Ford interception gave the Browns one last possession with 43 seconds left in the first half. They were able to move only 12 yards to the Ravens’ 42 after Watson barely got a throwaway to avoid a sack. He got up under his own power and walked slowly to the sideline. The Browns sent out their field-goal team for an apparent 60-yard try. Baltimore called timeout. Then the Browns burned a timeout. After that, something bizarre happened. With :07 on the clocker and Watson on his way to the locker room, Kevin Stefanski put his offense on the field with P.J. Walker at quarterback. Walker pumped out a wobbly Hail Mary attempt that floated down lamely at the 10-yard line and was almost intercepted. Apparently, the Browns felt 60 yards was out of range for Dustin Hopkins. Hopkins’ career long of 58 yards was made earlier this season in Cleveland.
Jordan Elliott's block of a Justin Tucker 55-yard field goal try helped keep the game close for the Browns in the first half. (Cleveland Browns)
The Browns blocked a field goal for the second time this year. Defensive tackle Jordan Elliott blocked Justin Tucker’s 55-yard try with outstretched arms in the middle of the line. Linebacker Anthony Walker picked up the ball and returned it 27 yards to the Ravens’ 38 with 2:14 to play in the first half. Despite a 28-yard completion to Amari Cooper, the Browns couldn’t punch it in for a touchdown. They were stopped at the Ravens’ 6-, 7- and 5-yard lines. Stefanski correctly opted for a 23-yard field goal on fourth-and-goal from the 5 to close the Baltimore lead to one score, 17-9.
8. Who dat?: Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell, who had a breakout game of 138 yards and one TD against Seattle last week, made two splash plays in the first quarter to help build Baltimore’s early lead. The undrafted free agent from East Carolina scored on a 39-yard run on a delayed handoff. The delay froze safety Grant Delpit for an instant, enabling Mitchell to beat cornerback M.J. Emerson to the left edge. On the next series, Mitchell took a short pass in the left flat and raced 32 yards to the Browns’ 24. Mitchell would drop a perfect pass from Jackson in the end zone, though, which led to a Baltimore field goal.
9. Not again: Cornerback Denzel Ward, who is believed to have suffered concussions four times in his Browns career, left the game in the first quarter to be evaluated for a head injury. Ward cleared the concussion check but remained out with a neck injury the rest of the game. Mike Ford took his place.
10. What’s the hurry?: After falling behind, 14-0, in the first 3:47 of the game, the Browns’ offense needed to settle things down. It looked like they would do that by calling on their running game. Runs of 7 and 5 yards by Jerome Ford gained a first down. Then, they took a shot deep to Amari Cooper, who was double covered. The Browns threw on five of the next six downs, completing only one, and settled for a field goal. Later in the second quarter, the Browns were down, 17-3. Same thing. Ford begins with runs of 5 and 7 yards. After two first downs, Ford ripped off a run of 28 yards to the Ravens’ 13. Then: A James Hudson holding penalty on a Watson incompletion, a screen pass for 2 yards, a Watson keeper for 2 yards and a Watson pass for 4 yards nullified by illegal formation. Field goal, 17-6.
11. As expected: The Browns normally announce lineup changes along with their inactive list. This time, they didn’t, so it took until the first play to confirm that Bill Callahan’s reshuffling of the line concluded with James Hudson at right tackle and Geron Christian at left tackle. Christian just joined the team’s practice squad on October 31.
12. Pre-game notes: There were no surprises on the Browns’ inactive list, as cornerback Greg Newsome (groin) and running back Pierre Strong (hamstring) were made active. The inactives were: receiver Marquise Goodwin, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, receiver David Bell, safety Ronnie Hickman, defensive end Isaiah McGuire, defensive tackle Siaki Ika and right tackle Dawand Jones. The only starter inactive for the Ravens was right tackle Morgan Moses.
