By: Ella Fowler, Kelsey Bruzek, Tyler Elzholz, and Jaiden Basinger
December 15, 2020
Last night, the Cleveland Browns were looking to create more divisional separation from the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately, they found themselves on the short-end of the scoreboard in a Monday Night Football classic, falling to the Ravens 47-42.
In the first quarter, the Browns were able to get a jump on the Ravens early with a Nick Chubb touchdown run. However, the Ravens did not hesitate in responding with Lamar Jackson faking a handoff and running it into the end zone for a touchdown to knot the game at 7-7.
In the second quarter, after a Browns’ missed field goal, the Ravens answered the Browns defensive mistakes with another touchdown run, this time from Gus Edwards. The Browns then put an impressive drive together, capped by another Chubb touchdown run, tying the score at 14-14. After a couple of changes in possession, Jackson rushed for another touchdown, giving the Ravens a 21-14 halftime lead.
To begin the third quarter, the Ravens once again found themselves in the Browns’ end zone for another seven points, expanding their lead to 28-14.
In their next possession, the Browns responded with Kareem Hunt scoring to cut the deficit to eight points (after a missed PAT by Cody Parkey). Another Ravens touchdown (but a blocked PAT) gave them a two-touchdown lead heading into the fourth quarter.
This is when the game got very interesting. Trailing 34-20, Baker Mayfield threw a strike to Rashard Higgins resulting in a wide-open touchdown. Instead of going for one, Coach Kevin Stefanski went for two points and converted, trimming the deficit to 34-28. After getting the ball back and an ensuing long drive, Mayfield ran it in from five yards out to give the Browns a 35-34 lead with six minutes remaining.
Nearing the two-minute mark, the Ravens marched down the field and scored on a pass from Jackson to Marquise Brown (plus a two-point conversion) giving the Ravens the lead once again, 42-35. In less than a minute, the Browns responded yet again with a Mayfield 22-yard pass to Hunt, who dove into the endzone for the score. After a good PAT, the game was tied at 42-42.
Even with just a minute remaining, Jackson worked his magic and drove the Ravens into Browns’ territory to set up Justin Tucker’s game-winning, 55-yard field goal with only two seconds remaining. {Note: The extra two points came from a lateral-crazy safety as time expired.}
Disappointing loss? Yes! However, the Browns showed fight and offensive firepower, two traits that have not been seen much in the past 20 years.
Even with the defeat, the Browns’ record stands at 9-4, and they still have a really good chance to end their playoff drought, which goes all the way back to 2002.
Some other good news includes Nick Chubb being voted the team’s 2020 Ed Block Courage Award recipient and Myles Garrett winning the team’s 2020 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award.
The Browns are back in action this Sunday (December 20) as they travel to New York to face the Giants. Kickoff is at 8:20 p.m.
Go Browns!
THE RETURN OF THE EYE 