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No matter who you root for, whether you bleed brown and orange or purple and black, there is no denying it: this was one of the best games of the year. Some viewers may have received intense whiplash from this back-and-forth matchup of AFC North rivals. But in the end, it was the Baltimore Ravens securing a huge win over the Cleveland Browns, 47-42.
The game started off hot. Both teams went down the field easily for touchdowns on their opening drives. The Browns looked well-balanced on offense and the Ravens were running the ball well as usual. For most of the first half, the differences in both teams were slim. Cleveland was able to both run the ball and pass through the air. Baltimore couldn’t get anything done in the passing game but were running all over the place, with huge contributions coming from Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards, and rookie running back J.K. Dobbins. All in all, it was a 21-14 Baltimore advantage going into halftime.
The second half also started out hot. Out of the locker room, Gus Edwards scored on a 19 yard touchdown to give Baltimore a 28-14 lead. On the next Browns possession, Kareem Hunt had a huge catch and a five yard rushing touchdown to bring them within 8 (Cody Parkey missed the PAT.) Towards the end of the quarter, Baker Mayfield threw a crucial interception deep in Brown’s territory that set up a one yard Dobbins touchdown, once again pushing Baltimore’s lead to 34-20....
….Then the fourth quarter happened. Cleveland was on the good end of a well needed momentum shift. Their defense made a couple stops and they scored two touchdowns on back-to-back drives, thanks to Baker Mayfield and Rashard Higgins, to give them a 34-35 advantage. Lamar Jackson exited the game due to “cramps”, and left the field in the middle of the quarter. Backup Trace McSorley was able to do just enough to get the Ravens within striking distance late in the game. On a 4th down play, and right after Jackson returned to the game, Lamar was able to roll to his right and find Hollywood Brown for a touchdown, giving the Ravens a 42-35 lead with just under two minutes to play. In just under a minute, the Browns responded with a touchdown by Kareem Hunt to tie the game 42-42. And just as quickly as the Browns responded, the Ravens came back with a score of their own. Justin Tucker nailed a 55-yarder with two seconds left. As crazy as this game was, it’s only fitting the game ended in a safety, and secured the 47-42 win for Baltimore.
Both teams had offensive gameplans that put them in good positions to win. For Baltimore, it was all about the run. Baltimore ran for 231 yards, with Lamar Jackson accounting for 124 of them and two touchdowns. The Browns’ defense could not stop the dynamic trio of Jackson, Edwards, and Dobbins. Missed tackles in the open field were killer for Cleveland, and they couldn’t seem to find a stop when they needed it most at the end. For the Browns, they were all about the air game. Baker Mayfield threw for 355 yards and two touchdowns. He spread it all around the field, giving six receptions each to Jarvis Landry, Kareem Hunt, and Rashard Higgins. When Baker got the ball out fast and accurately, Baltimore had no chance of stopping their passing attack. In the end, Baltimore was just able to make a couple more plays, including a huge kick from their weapon in soccer cleats, Justin Tucker.
Regardless of the outcome, fans of both teams should be excited. Baltimore is still a talented team and is still in the playoff hunt. Cleveland is still a talented team and is playing extremely meaningful football in December. We should be so lucky if these two teams meet again in the playoffs. NFL football isn’t always this good, so it’s best to relish in the moments when it is. The game tonight in Cleveland was special.
Cleveland will look to bounce back next week on a Sunday Night Football game with the New York Giants. Baltimore will face Jacksonville this coming Sunday afternoon.
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