Field Level Media
Oct 1, 2023
Lamar Jackson passed for two touchdowns and also rushed for two to help the Baltimore Ravens cruise to a 28-3 victory over the host Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Brandon Stephens, Geno Stone and Kyle Hamilton had interceptions and the Ravens (3-1) limited a Cleveland offense missing Deshaun Watson to 166 total yards. Mark Andrews caught two touchdown passes and Jackson completed 15 of 19 passes for 186 yards.
Watson missed the game with a sore throwing shoulder that he injured during the Week 3 victory over the Tennessee Titans. He attempted to throw before the game before being ruled out.
Fifth-round draft pick Dorian Thompson-Robinson started in Watson's place and was 19-of-36 passing for 121 yards and three interceptions. The former UCLA star appeared too hyped up at the outset and struggled to find a comfort zone in his first NFL start.
Myles Garrett had a sack for the Browns (2-2) to raise his season output to 5.5.
Cleveland converted just 4 of 16 third-down conversions.
The Ravens had 296 total yards against the Cleveland defense that led the NFL in both scoring defense and total defense entering the contest. Andrews had five receptions for 80 yards.
Baltimore received a big break in the opening quarter when Stephens picked off a deflected Thompson-Robinson pass and returned it 52 yards to the Cleveland 10-yard line. On the next play, Jackson ran through a big hole up the middle for a 10-yard scoring run with 6:38 remaining.
Dustin Hopkins kicked a 53-yard field goal with 2:21 left in the quarter to get Cleveland on the board before the Ravens scored two touchdowns in the second quarter.
First, the Ravens drove 93 yards on eight plays with Jackson capping it with a 2-yard run with 4:18 left in the half. Baltimore later put together a 10-play, 74-yard drive that saw Jackson pinpoint a high pass to the right back corner of the end zone in which Andrews leaped to grab and make it 21-3 with 11 seconds to go in the half.
Stone nabbed an interception with 9:35 remaining in the contest when a heavily pressured Thompson-Robinson badly overthrew Donovan Peoples-Jones. Stone returned it 36 yards to the Cleveland 38. Six plays later, Jackson tossed an 18-yard touchdown pass to Andrews with 5:56 left.
--Field Level Media