CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns entered Sunday's game desperate for a win, with the tough task going against the 4-5 Baltimore Ravens. While they held a lead for most of the game, amid quarterback changes and turnover battles, Cleveland fell to the Ravens 23-16.
It's been a rough go all season for the Browns' offense and Sunday's game didn't start any different. On their opening drive, the Browns couldn't move the sticks, going for it on 4th and 1. While running back Quinshon Judkins was able to get the yard they needed, left tackle Cam Robinson's illegal formation penalty negated the first down and forced the Browns to punt.
Baltimore wasted no time getting downfield, going 72 yards in 15 plays. However, Myles Garrett's third-down sack of Lamar Jackson set records while also holding the Ravens to a field goal. Garrett would go on to break more records with his four quarterback takedowns.
Cleveland got back in the game on their next drive, driving 55 yards downfield thanks to three big runs from their rookie running backs Judkins and Dylan Sampson. The offense couldn't get it into the end zone, settling for an Andre Szmyt 30-yard field goal to tie it up at three.
After the Ravens muffed a punt and safety Grant Delpit recovered the fumble, the Browns had impeccable field position on the six-yard line. However, the offense failed to gain a single yard. The Browns took a 6-3 lead in the second quarter courtesy of a second Szmyt field goal, this one a 24-yarder.
While the offense has struggled this season, the defense certainly has not, and its high level of production continued Sunday. Linebacker Devin Bush put points on the board for the Browns with a pick-six on Jackson, taking the ball away at the 23-yard line and fighting for each yard into the end zone. That play made it a 13-3 game.
The Ravens answered back on their next drive, gaining 63 yards capped off by a quick one-yard rushing touchdown by Derrick Henry, making it a 13-10 game.
As halftime neared, the Browns were able to extend their lead to 16-13 with an eight-play drive that ended with another Szmyt field goal, a 46-yarder with less than a minute left.
Coming out of the locker room after halftime, the Browns were forced to make a major change at offense.
At the end of the first half, quarterback Dillon Gabriel was pulled to be evaluated for a concussion. That meant the Browns turning to their QB2, rookie Shedeuer Sanders, for his first regular-season action.
Sanders took the field to a crowd of cheers, with fans hopeful for a spark on offense with Sanders under center.
Unfortunately, it was a tough go for Sanders. On his first drive, Sanders completed his two passes, but an illegal formation and an 11-yard sack forced the Browns to punt.
After Cleveland's defense forced the Ravens to punt, Sanders' next drive went even worse. After a no-gain rush and an incomplete pass, Sanders threw an interception.
Luckily, the Ravens failed to capitalize on that turnover and on Jackson's first pass, threw a ball that was tipped up and intercepted by linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
The Browns' offense also failed to capitalize, forced to punt after six plays that ended with Sanders being sacked for a 14-yard loss.
Baltimore fought back against the deficit and with back-to-back field goals to tie it, and then regaining the lead on a direct snap to tight end Mark Andrews on 4th-and-1 that he took 35 yards into the end zone for a 23-16 lead.
The Browns had a little over two minutes to get downfield and try to score. With Sanders at the helm, Cleveland's drive started with two incompletions but then extended with a pass to Jerry Jeudy, who fought for his extra yards and the first down.
After Sanders scrambled for a gain of five, his next pass was incomplete, bringing up third down. What looked like a touchdown pass from Sanders to Gage Larvadain was broken up in tight coverage by the Ravens.
With the Browns facing 4th-and-five, Sanders looked to tight end David Njoku, and despite the Browns looking for a penalty against Baltimore, didn't get one and turned the ball over on downs to wind the clock down to zero.,
Cleveland kept it a close game, but ultimately lost their eighth game of the season.
The Browns are now 2-8 on the year. They'll take on the Las Vegas Raiders on the road in one week.
