Flacco, aggressive defense lifts Ravens past Browns
The Sports Xchange
Sep 17, 2017
BALTIMORE -- Joe Flacco threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Baltimore Ravens forced five turnovers for the second straight game in a 24-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Flacco completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 217 yards and an interception. He has thrown for at least one touchdown pass in 11 consecutive games against the Browns and improved to a 16-2 all-time against them.
The Ravens are 2-0 for the second straight year, while Cleveland fell to 0-2.
Cleveland rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer was sidelined with a migraine midway through the second quarter. Kevin Hogan, a second-year player from Stanford, entered and orchestrated a scoring drive.
Kizer returned in the third quarter, but could not lead a comeback. He completed 15 of 31 passes for 182 yards with three interceptions and was sacked twice.
The Ravens' defense came up with a big play when Terrell Suggs had a strip sack on Kizer and Matt Judon recovered on the Browns' 33 midway through the opening quarter. Suggs has 18 sacks and nine forced fumbles against Cleveland -- the most against any one team during his career.
Cleveland linebacker Christian Kirksey also had a personal foul penalty on the next drive that gave Baltimore the ball on the 4. Terrance West scored on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
Cleveland had four penalties last week in the opener against Pittsburgh. The Browns had four in the first quarter in Baltimore.
The Ravens boosted the lead to 14-0 with 7:17 left in the half on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Javorius "Buck" Allen.
Cleveland got a spark from Hogan, who completed a 49-yard pass to Seth DeValve with his first attempt. He then pulled the Browns to within seven points with a 25-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku. That was the first points Baltimore allowed this season.
Hogan was 5 of 11 for 118 yards with a touchdown. He had a costly interception with just under a minute left in the half when Ravens rookie linebacker Tyus Bowser jumped a route and returned the ball to the Cleveland 40. Allen had a 37-yard run and Flacco threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin.
The teams traded a pair of short field goals in the second half. The Browns advanced to the Ravens' 3 early in the fourth quarter, but Kizer was intercepted in the end zone by Lardarius Webb. Kizer threw another costly interception to Brandon Carr with 6:09 left in the game.
NOTES: Ravens CB Brandon Carr made his 146th consecutive start -- the longest streak in the NFL among defensive players. He was acquired as a free agent in the offseason and also had an interception in the opener ... Browns WR Rashard Higgins, who was signed from the practice squad Saturday, caught seven passes for 95 yards. ... Baltimore improved to 15-2 at home in the month of September under head coach John Harbaugh.
Sep 17, 2017
BALTIMORE -- Joe Flacco threw a pair of touchdown passes and the Baltimore Ravens forced five turnovers for the second straight game in a 24-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium.
Flacco completed 25 of 34 pass attempts for 217 yards and an interception. He has thrown for at least one touchdown pass in 11 consecutive games against the Browns and improved to a 16-2 all-time against them.
The Ravens are 2-0 for the second straight year, while Cleveland fell to 0-2.
Cleveland rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer was sidelined with a migraine midway through the second quarter. Kevin Hogan, a second-year player from Stanford, entered and orchestrated a scoring drive.
Kizer returned in the third quarter, but could not lead a comeback. He completed 15 of 31 passes for 182 yards with three interceptions and was sacked twice.
The Ravens' defense came up with a big play when Terrell Suggs had a strip sack on Kizer and Matt Judon recovered on the Browns' 33 midway through the opening quarter. Suggs has 18 sacks and nine forced fumbles against Cleveland -- the most against any one team during his career.
Cleveland linebacker Christian Kirksey also had a personal foul penalty on the next drive that gave Baltimore the ball on the 4. Terrance West scored on the next play for a 7-0 lead.
Cleveland had four penalties last week in the opener against Pittsburgh. The Browns had four in the first quarter in Baltimore.
The Ravens boosted the lead to 14-0 with 7:17 left in the half on a 9-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Javorius "Buck" Allen.
Cleveland got a spark from Hogan, who completed a 49-yard pass to Seth DeValve with his first attempt. He then pulled the Browns to within seven points with a 25-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku. That was the first points Baltimore allowed this season.
Hogan was 5 of 11 for 118 yards with a touchdown. He had a costly interception with just under a minute left in the half when Ravens rookie linebacker Tyus Bowser jumped a route and returned the ball to the Cleveland 40. Allen had a 37-yard run and Flacco threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin.
The teams traded a pair of short field goals in the second half. The Browns advanced to the Ravens' 3 early in the fourth quarter, but Kizer was intercepted in the end zone by Lardarius Webb. Kizer threw another costly interception to Brandon Carr with 6:09 left in the game.
NOTES: Ravens CB Brandon Carr made his 146th consecutive start -- the longest streak in the NFL among defensive players. He was acquired as a free agent in the offseason and also had an interception in the opener ... Browns WR Rashard Higgins, who was signed from the practice squad Saturday, caught seven passes for 95 yards. ... Baltimore improved to 15-2 at home in the month of September under head coach John Harbaugh.
