SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 27, 2012
Ravens 23, Browns 16: Joe Flacco passed for 356 yards and a touchdown and added a score on the ground as Baltimore turned the game with a big defensive play and held on to beat AFC North rival Cleveland.
Rookie Brandon Weeden drove the Browns down the field after taking over at their own 10 with 1:05 left and no timeouts. Cleveland advanced to the Baltimore 18 after a personal foul penalty kept the drive alive, but Weeden's pass on the final play of the game sailed through the back of the end zone.
Flacco hooked up with Torrey Smith for an 18-yard touchdown to open the scoring in the second quarter, and he scored on a bootleg run on third-and-goal from the 1 for a 16-7 lead in the third quarter.
The Browns appeared to be driving for a potential go-ahead score late in the third quarter, but Cary Williams jumped an out route on third down to intercept a Weeden pass and returned it 63 yards up the right sideline for a score. Weeden was 25-for-52 for 320 yards.
Phil Dawson helped keep Cleveland in it with field goals of 51, 50 and 52 yards, matching an NFL record with three field goals of 50 yards or more. Cleveland has lost 10 straight dating to last season.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Dawson has made 11 field goals from 50 yards or longer since the start of last season, the most in the NFL. … The Ravens have won nine straight against the Browns, and only three games during the streak have been decided by a touchdown or less. … Anquan Boldin had a huge second half for the Ravens and finished with 131 yards on nine receptions, his 33rd career 100-yard game.