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Browns stun Ravens on last-second field goal in Baltimore

Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal
·16 min read

BALTIMORE — The start Sunday at the Baltimore Ravens was everything you wouldn't dream of drawing up for the Browns. The ending was one of dreams, both for Cleveland and for kicker Dustin Hopkins.

The Browns trailed all day, right up until Hopkins booted a 40-yard field goal as time expired to knock off the Ravens 33-31.

For the Browns, it was retribution for spending all day in a two-score hole after having been beaten 28-3 in their first meeting with Baltimore. For Hopkins, it was sweet justice after he had missed what would've been a game-tying PAT with 8:16 remaining that left the Browns in a 31-30 hole.

Deshaun Watson, who threw a pick six on the second play, limped to the locker room right before halftime The Watson who came out of the locker room completed all 14 of his second-half passes to help lead Cleveland to a 6-3 record and a massive AFC North road win.

Watson finished 20-of-34 passing for 213 yards with a touchdown and an interception. His passer rating was 74.8.

At halftime, Watson was 6-of-20 passing for 79 yards with an interception and a 22.7 passer rating.

Follow along here for updates throughout the crucial AFC North game in Charm City.

Browns defense gets stop to provide a chance late in the fourth

The Browns defense did its part to get the ball back for the offense. After the Ravens made it to their 39, a delay of game penalty pushed them back to their own 34, where it was third-and-14.

Za'Darius Smith was able to get enough of Lamar Jackson's foot to trip him up before he could get going on third down. That set up a punt that went into the end zone for a touchback with 4:55 remaining.

Greg Newsome II's first pick is a pick six, but Dustin Hopkins misses tying PAT

Greg Newsome II picked the perfect time for his first career interception. Newsome pulled down a Lamar Jackson pass that had been deflected by Ogbo Okoronkwo's helmet and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to pull the Browns within 31-30 with 8:16 remaining.

However, Dustin Hopkins missed the point-after kick wide left, leaving the Browns trailing.

Deshaun Watson to Elijah Moore to provide Browns with answer

The Browns didn't allow the Ravens' two-score lead to last too long. All it took was six plays and 2:37 of game time to go 75 yards, with Deshaun Watson finding Elijah Moore for a 10-yard touchdown to pull Cleveland within 31-24 with 8:57 remaining.

Penalties help Ravens push lead back out to two touchdowns

James Proche II's fumble almost didn't hurt the Browns. What hurt them as much as the fumble was two holding penalties that helped extend the Ravens possession until they pushed the lead out to 31-17 with 11:34 remaining on Gus Edwards' 1-yard touchdown run.

The first flag came when Greg Newsome II was flagged for holding on third-and-9 from the Browns 11. The Ravens eventually got to third-and-10 from the 10, where Lamar Jackson threw a pick while under pressure by Anthony Walker Jr.

However, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was flagged for holding to give Baltimore new life. Two plays later it was a two-score game.

New Browns punt returner James Proche II muffs punt to give his former team ball

James Proche II spent his first three NFL seasons with the Ravens organization. He showed his appreciation by muffing a punt to open the fourth quarter and Baltimore recovered at the Browns 12.

Myles Garrett comes up clutch to end the third quarter

When the defense needs a big play, that's when you look to your Defensive Player of the Year candidate. The Browns looked to Myles Garrett late in the third quarter, and the All-Pro came through.

It started with combined sack with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah of Lamar Jackson for a loss of 9 on second-and-8 from the Browns 37. The bigger one was a 9-yard loss on a solo sack for Garrett on the next play, which took the Ravens out of Justin Tucker's field goal range as the third quarter ended.

Kareem Hunt gets TD, Deshaun Watson gets 2-pointer as Browns stay alive

The Browns took a long time getting down the field, but they made their patience pay off at the end of a 17-play, 75-yard drive that took 10:09 off the clock. Kareem Hunt capped the drive with a 3-yard run to give him a touchdown in five consecutive games.

Deshaun Watson dropped back to pass on the subsequent 2-point conversion play. However, seeing open field in front of him, Watson ran it up the middle untouched for the conversion to pull the Browns within 24-17 with 2:20 remaining in the third quarter.

Browns defense getting hurt by injuries

The Browns secondary lost one key starter for the rest of the game, while they may have lost another one as well. Denzel Ward was officially ruled out with a first-half neck injury.

Juan Thornhill suffered a calf injury on the Ravens' first third-quarter possession. The safety was ruled out.

OBJ with a little payback on former team with 40-yard TD

Odell Beckham Jr. didn't have a catch in his first half playing against his old team. He changed that on third-and-6 from the Browns 40 on Baltimore's first possession of the third quarter.

Beckham took a slant pass after he beat Mike Ford Jr. in coverage and easily pulled in Lamar Jackson's pass. From there, Beckham just ran the rest of the way into the end zone for a 40-yard touchdown and a 24-9 Ravens lead.

Deshaun Watson warming up as Ravens open second half with ball

Deshaun Watson ended the first half by limping to the locker room, leaving P.J. Walker to try and fail at a Hail Mary to end the half. Watson was the last person to come out to the locker room before the third quarter.

However, Watson immediately started warming up. He appears like he's going to start the third quarter at quarterback.

Halftime: Baltimore Ravens 17, Cleveland Browns 9

The Ravens, despite their own late-half struggles finishing drives, led the Browns 17-9 after two quarters. Cleveland has a 174-168 edge in total yards.

Lamar Jackson is 8-of-13 passing for 111 yards and a interception, plus a 56.9 passer rating for the Ravens. Deshaun Watson is 6-of-20 for 79 yards with an interception and a 22.7 passer rating for the Browns.

Deshaun Watson limps to locker room, P.J. Walker fails at half-ending Hail Mary

Deshaun Watson limped to the locker room with seven seconds remaining in the half, right after he took a hit on a third-down incompletion. The Browns initially looked like they were going to try a 60-yard field goal by Dustin Hopkins, which is when Watson went to the locker room.

After both teams used time outs, the Browns offense came back on the field. P.J. Walker was the quarterback, and his Hail Mary attempt came well short of the end zone and was broken up.

There's been no official word on Watson, who was 6-of-20 for 79 yards with an interception and a 22.7 passer rating.

Mike Ford Jr. interception gives Browns late-half chance

Mike Ford Jr. may have gotten away with a near late hit on Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on a 9-yard run with just under a minute left in the half. No flag was thrown on the play.

The next play, Ford caught an underthrown pass from Jackson at the Browns 37. He returned the pick to the Browns 47, with 43 seconds remaining.

Dustin Hopkins hits chip-shot field goal as Browns claw to one-score deficit

The Browns only have a one-score deficit with 1:02 remaining in the first half. However, that one score deficit could've been a 4-point one, instead of the 17-9 deficit they actually faced.

After Amari Cooper took a pass 18 yards down to the Ravens 6, the Browns had to settle for a 23-yard Dustin Hopkins field goal. Watson lost a yard on first down, Jerome Ford gained two and third down was an incompletion with Baltimore declining a holding penalty on the play.

Denzel Ward clears concussion exam, but questionable with neck injury

The good news for Browns cornerback Denzel Ward is that he cleared the concussion exam. Considering his four previous concussions during his NFL career, it would have raised serious long-term questions about his career.

However, Ward is still questionable to return with a neck injury.

Massive field goal block by Jordan Elliott turns Ravens away

The Browns defense finally started to make some game-altering plays in the first half. It started when Za'Darius Smith and Greg Newsome II sacked Lamar Jackson at the Browns 37 on a third-and-11 play.

On the next play, Justin Tucker lined up for a 55-yard field goal. The kick never had a chance, with Jordan Elliott getting the block.

Anthony Walker Jr. picked up the loose ball and returned it to the Ravens 38.

Dustin Hopkins providing points for Browns offense, which has no rhythm

Dustin Hopkins' 28-yard field with 7:30 remaining in the second quarter pulled the Browns to within 17-6 of Baltimore. However, those points show the struggles the Browns have had on offense.

Deshaun Watson is just 4-of-13 passes for 42 yards and a passer rating of 9.1

End 1st quarter Baltimore Ravens 17, Cleveland Browns 3

The Ravens took a 17-3 lead into the second quarter. They held a 127-55 edge in yards.

The quarter took 50 minutes to play.

Justin Tucker adds to Ravens lead as Denzel Ward leaves with injury

The Ravens made it 17-3 on Justin Tucker's 37-yard field goal with 3:20 remaining in the first quarter. More importantly for the Browns was the fact cornerback Denzel Ward left the game and went to the locker room with with an injury.

The Browns announced Ward was being evaluated for a concussion.

Ravens penalty, David Njoku drop lead to Dustin Hopkins

The third Browns possessions featured two things their first two didn't have. There was a completion by Deshaun Watson to a Browns receiver — in this case, a 19-yard third-down conversion to Elijah Moore — and points on the scoreboard for them.

Dustin Hopkins' 36-yard field goal with 7:27 remaining in the first quarter put the Browns on the board, down 14-3 to the Ravens. A chance for more points was taken away two plays earlier when tight end David Njoku drop a sure-fire first down at the Baltimore 8.

The drive was also aided by a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct flag on Baltimore's Kyle Van Noy after he bumped into Browns receiver Cedric Tillman after the play. Tillman had knocked down Van Noy on a blind-side block on the play.

Ravens offense gets into the scoring act with Keaton Mitchell run

You think the Ravens offense was going to just let their defensive teammates have all the scoring fun? The first time Baltimore went on offense, it went to the end zone for a 14-0 lead with 10:13 remaining,

Rookie Keaton Mitchell, by the way, is fast. The Ravens running back took the handoff, bounced to the outside to the left and was never touched running 39 yards for the touchdown.

Mitchell ran for 138 yards on just nine carries in Baltimore's win this past week over Seattle.

Browns come out in base defense with Martin Emerson Jr. as second cornerback

The Browns defense took the field for the first time with 12:51 left in the first quarter. However, instead of Greg Newsome II at the second cornerback spot in the base look, it was Martin Emerson Jr.

  • DE: Myles Garrett

  • DT: Jordan Elliott

  • DT: Dalvin Tomlinson

  • DE: Za'Darius Smith

  • LB: Anthony Walker Jr.

  • LB: Sione Takitaki

  • LB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

  • S: Grant Delpit

  • CB: Denzel Ward

  • CB: Martin Emerson Jr.

  • S: Juan Thornhill

Kyle Hamilton gives Ravens lead on second-play pick-six

Unlike the Browns' Monday night loss in Week 2 at the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Ravens defense didn't score on the first play. They waited until the second play for Kyle Hamilton to come in untouched, tip the Deshaun Watson pass to himself and return it 18 yards for a Baltimore lead.

Hamilton was completely untouched blitzing from the left of Watson.

Geron Christian at LT, James Hudson III at RT to open the game for Browns

The Browns received to open the game. They came out with three tight ends, Geron Christian at left tackle and James Hudson III at right tackle.

  • QB: Deshaun Watson

  • RB: Jerome Ford

  • TE: David Njoku

  • WR: Amari Cooper

  • WR: Elijah Moore

  • TE: Jordan Akins

  • TE: Harrison Bryant

  • LT: Geron Christian

  • LG: Joel Bitonio

  • C: Ethan Pocic

  • RG: Wyatt Teller

  • RT: James Hudson III

Greg Newsome II active for Browns, expected to play cornerback

The Browns will have cornerback Greg Newsome II back in the lineup for a critical game they need to win.

Newsome came into Sunday's key AFC North matchup at the Baltimore Ravens as essentially a game-time decision. He's been battling a groin injury since he originally sustained it during the second half of the Browns' Week 8 loss at the Seattle Seahawks.

The fact Newsome was not inactive is a positive sign that he will at least try to go against the Ravens. The Browns started Martin Emerson Jr. in base coverage while Newsome was out last Sunday against Arizona, while rookie Cameron Mitchell filled in for Newsome as the slot corner in three-corner looks.

Mitchell, though, was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, which left the Browns even more short-handed at corner. A.J. Green was elevated from the practice squad to the gameday roster Saturday to help with that depth concern.

The other cornerbacks on the active roster are Mike Ford Jr. and Kahlef Hailassie.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson is No 3 QB for Browns among inactive players

The Browns' inactive list was comprised mostly of players already ruled out — receivers Marquise Goodwin (concussion) and David Bell (knee), as well as right tackle Dawand Jones (knee, shoulder) — or rookies in quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, safety Ronnie Hickman, defensive end Isaiah McGuire and defensive tackle Siaki Ika. Thompson-Robinson has been designated as the No. 3 quarterback.

Marlon Humphrey, Keaton Mitchell both active for Baltimore Ravens

Two key Ravens will also be active, despite being questionable. Running back Keaton Mitchell and safety Marlon Humphrey will both play against the Browns despite hamstring injuries.

The Ravens' inactive list includes: OT Morgan Moses (shoulder), CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (illness), G Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, WR Tylan Wallace and QB Josh Johnson (third QB).

How to watch, stream and listen to the Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens

  • TV channel: FOX WJW-TV (Channel 8).

  • Stream: Fox Sports, Fubo (free trial).

  • Announcers: Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Jonathan Vilma (analyst) and Shannon Spake (sideline reporter).

How to listen to the Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens on the radio

  • The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Tom McCarthy (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Je'Rod Cherry (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5.

  • The Compass Media Networks will be carrying the game on select national affiliates. Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Brian Baldinger (analyst) will be on the call.

  • The Browns have also started a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael “Rafa” Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland, as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.

Browns-Ravens odds, money line, over/under

Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens injury report

  • Browns: Cornerback Greg Newsome II (groin), questionable; receiver David Bell (knee), out; receiver Marquise Goodwin (concussion), out; offensive tackle Dawand Jones (knee, shoulder), out.

  • Ravens: Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (illness), questionable; cornerback Marlon Humphrey (hamstring), questionable; running back Keaton Mitchell (hamstring), questionable; offensive tackle Morgan Moses (shoulder), questionable

Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens in Week 10

The Browns improved to 5-3 on the season with a 27-0 win over the Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Deshaun Watson played his first full game at quarterback since September, throwing for 219 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns defense limited Arizona to just 58 total yards.

The Ravens improved to 7-2 on the season by steamrolling the Seattle Seahawks 37-3 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Baltimore led 17-3 at halftime and 30-3 after three quarters. The Ravens defense held Seattle to 151 total yards and just six first downs, the former a season low for the Baltimore defense and the latter the second fewest first downs allowed in franchise history.

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens series

Sunday's game will mark the 50th meeting between the Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, which have existed since the original Browns were moved out of Cleveland by owner Art Modell following the 1995 season. The series between the current and former Browns started in 1999 when the expansion Browns franchise started playing.

  • Overall: Ravens 36-13

  • In regular season: Ravens 36-13

  • In playoffs: N/A

  • In Cleveland: Ravens 17-8

  • In Baltimore: Ravens 19-5

  • Streak: Ravens won last meeting

  • Last meeting: Ravens won 28-3 in Cleveland on Oct. 1, 2023

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns stun Ravens on last-second field goal in Baltimore