Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns isn’t sitting well with Baltimore Ravens players — nor should it.
The Ravens, legitimate Super Bowl contenders, suffered a 29-24 road loss to their AFC North rival, which had backup quarterback Jameis Winston under center. The defeat snapped a five-game win streak for Baltimore and left players scratching their heads after a disappointing performance.
Why Did the Ravens Lose to the Lowly Browns?
Well, the simplest answer is that stuff happens in the NFL, especially in divisional games. Regardless of the talent differential (which isn’t that wide, anyway), the Ravens and Browns know each other well and always should’ve played a close, competitive game.
However, Baltimore also was complicit in its own demise.
The Ravens took the opening kickoff and drove to Cleveland’s 7-yard line before turning it over on downs. The Browns responded by chewing up eight minutes and eight seconds on a 14-play, 91-yard drive that resulted in a field goal.
The Ravens recovered with a touchdown and field goal to hold a 10-6 lead at halftime. If they could prevent Cleveland from scoring on the opening drive of the second half, they’d be well on their way to victory.
But Winston, filling in for Deshaun Watson, drove the Browns 70 yards and found tight end David Njoku for a 23-yard TD that gave Cleveland a 13-10 edge.
The two teams exchanged leads four more times, with Winston’s 38-yard TD to Cedric Tillman in the final two minutes — and Baltimore’s failed response — accounting for the final score.
You only get one shot
Do not miss your chance to blow
This opportunity lasts once in a lifetime– @Eminem
– JAMEIS WINSTON@Browns QB ELECTRIC in his postgame talk with @Amanda_Balionis pic.twitter.com/LC9hH7rCip— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 27, 2024
It was a needed win for the reeling Browns, made possible by the infamously turnover-prone Winston fumbling once but throwing zero interceptions. Cleveland also equaled Baltimore in first downs (22 apiece) and penalties (seven) and gained 14 more total yards (401 to 387).
When the dust settled, Winston had completed 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards and three touchdowns in his first start of the season. Nick Chubb added 16 carries for 52 yards, and Tillman, Elijah Moore, and Jerry Jeudy all topped 79 receiving yards.
On the other side, Lamar Jackson completed 23 of 38 passes for 289 yards and two scores while adding eight carries for 46 yards. Derrick Henry posted 73 yards and a TD on 11 carries, while Zay Flowers led all pass catchers with seven receptions for 115 yards.
The 2-5 Ravens will host the Denver Broncos this Sunday, while the 2-6 Browns will host the Los Angeles Chargers.
Nnamdi Madubuike Fired Shot at Browns While Reacting to Loss
Jackson and star defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike reacted to the loss in different ways. The former gave the Browns their flowers, while the latter took a subtle dig at one of the league’s worst teams.
“[The Browns defense] were triggering,” Jackson told reporters after the game via Cleveland.com’s Irie Harris. “They had the safeties all down [and] linebackers. They were switching it up; they were doing a good job of switching it up, but the read was still the same. They did a good job though.
” … People will probably look at the Browns record and [say], ‘Oh, that’s a sorry team,’ but this is the NFL. I always say that ‘This is the NFL,’ and any given Sunday, a team can be good. Any given Sunday, a team can wake up, and it could be their day.”
Now let’s look at Madubuikie’s response.
“We’re the Ravens, we pride ourselves on defense,” he said. “This is a game we should have won, and we didn’t, so it’s very frustrating. And I know a lot of guys feel the same way I feel.
“ … The fact that we didn’t [stop the Browns from scoring], it hurts a little bit; it hurts a little bit. But hey, what can you do? The game is over. Kudos to the Browns; they played a good game and they won, congratulations to them. But we know who should have really won that game.”
Nnamdi Madubuike: “This is a game we should have won but we didn’t so it’s very frustrating.” #RavensFlock pic.twitter.com/sKHFs5VI9H
— Carita Parks (@CaritaCParks) October 27, 2024
Again, these kinds of games happen between division rivals. Football games are played in real life, not on paper.
Still, the Ravens probably need to win out to have any chance of finishing ahead of the currently undefeated Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC standings. Having lost to the Chiefs in the season opener, Baltimore would lose the tiebreaker if both teams finished with the same record.
As for the Browns, they’re talented enough to go on a run if Winston can play relatively mistake-free. The two teams will meet again in the season finale.