Spokesman-Review
National Football League
Baltimore 28, Cleveland 7
When: 8:25 PM ET, Thursday, November 10, 2016
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
Temperature: 54°
Head Official: Jerome Boger
Attendance: 70921

BALTIMORE -- The confidence for Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco didn't waver after two interceptions stalled potential scoring drives.

Instead, Flacco and the rest of the Ravens' offense bounced back with their most impressive outing of the season.

Flacco threw three touchdown passes and Baltimore kept the Cleveland Browns winless with a 28-7 victory on Thursday night.

Cleveland is 0-10 for the first time in its 66-year history. Baltimore (5-4), meanwhile, has won two straight and extended its lead atop the AFC North.

"We're in a building process with our team, especially on offense, which has the longest to go," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "Maybe at the end of the season, we'll look back on this as the turning point."

Flacco completed 30 of 41 passes for 296 yards. He was also picked off twice inside the red zone. Terrance West had 65 of the Ravens' 119 yards on the ground.

The 28 points were a season high for Baltimore.

"When you put the ball in the end zone, it gets everybody excited and gets the crowd back into it," Flacco said. "It's just good for the whole team. Our defense is playing awesome, too, so that really helps."

The Ravens took a 13-7 lead when Flacco found Darren Waller on a 4-yard pass with 9:36 left in the third quarter. Baltimore had gone 17 consecutive drives without a touchdown before that score. It was also the first career touchdown for Waller, a second-year player from Georgia Tech.

Cleveland quarterback Josh McCown took over for rookie Cody Kessler on the next possession and threw an interception to Baltimore cornerback Jerraud Powers. Flacco could not take advantage as Joe Haden got his second interception of the game in the end zone.

"Obviously, I made a change at quarterback because I thought we needed a spark," Browns coach Hue Jackson said. "I didn't think we were doing some things in the first half that I thought we could do. Nothing against Cody, it's tough when you're a young player."

Flacco, however, redeemed himself with a 11-yard touchdown pass to Steve Smith. A two-point conversion on a slant to Kyle Juszczyk boosted the margin to 21-78 with 2:05 left in the third quarter.

On the Ravens' next possession, Breshad Perriman caught his first career touchdown pass on a 27-yard lob from Flacco that was upheld after a review.

Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs, who is playing with a torn biceps, forced a fumble on the Cleveland 30 to continue the misery for the Browns. Cleveland has been outscored 157-51 in the second half this season, including an overtime loss to Miami.

"You just have to stay positive," Browns left tackle Joe Thomas said. "We're going to get a win here. We have a few days off before we come back. I think we have Pittsburgh next, so we can refresh a little bit. Refocus and see if we can get a win against Pittsburgh."

The Ravens now lead the all-time series 27-9. Baltimore, which relocated from Cleveland in 1996, has also won five of the past six games, including a 25-20 victory on Sept. 18.

The Ravens hope to maintain their momentum next week against Dallas.

"This is a building block for the team and gives us momentum heading into a game against one of the best teams in the league," said safety Eric Weddle, who had an interception.

The Ravens threatened near the end of the first quarter, but Flacco was intercepted by rookie cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Baltimore then drove to the Browns' 7-yard line with 10:29 left in the half but could only manage a 25-yard field goal by Justin Tucker.

Cleveland took advantage and grabbed a 7-3 lead on the next possession with a 25-yard pass from Kessler to Seth DeValve, a rookie tight end from Princeton. Baltimore cut the margin to 7-6 at the half on a 40-yard field goal by Tucker as time expired.

NOTES: Baltimore All-Pro RG Marshal Yanda (shoulder) was out of the lineup for the third time in four games. Vladimir Ducasse, who was signed Oct. 11 after being one of the final cuts in training camp, started in his place. ... Cleveland suffered a huge blow when CB Jamar Taylor (groin) was ruled out. Backup Tramon Williams took over the starting spot opposite Joe Haden. ... The Ravens wore their all-purple "Color Rush" uniforms. The Browns simply wore white instead of brown, so it would be easier to differentiate the teams. ... Hundreds of people protesting Donald Trump's presidential victory converged at M&T Bank Stadium, but the game was not disrupted.
Top Game Performances
Rushing
Cleveland   Baltimore
Isaiah Crowell Player Terrance West
9 Attempts 21
23 Yards 65
2.6 Avg Yards 3.1
0 Touchdowns 0
9 Long 17
Receiving
Cleveland   Baltimore
Terrelle Pryor Sr. Player Breshad Perriman
5 Receptions 3
48 Yards 64
9.6 Avg Yards 21.3
0 Touchdowns 1
18 Long 27
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Cleveland 144 33 111 1 0 2 2.0 0
Baltimore 396 119 277 3 2 2 4.0 2
Upcoming Games
  • Baltimore will play their next game on the road against Dallas. The Ravens have a W/L % of .800 after a win and .250 after a loss.
  • Cleveland will play their next game at home against Pittsburgh. The Browns have a W/L % of .000 after a win and .000 after a loss.