CLEVELAND — It happened again.
For the second time this season, the Ravens couldn’t hold a fourth-quarter lead, this time against the Browns.
Leading 10-3, running back Derrick Henry fumbled, and Cleveland methodically marched 35 yards in seven plays, with Audric Estime scoring on a 2-yard run to tie the game. Two possessions later, with under two minutes remaining, quarterback Deshaun Watson drove the Browns to Baltimore’s 27-yard line and set up kicker Andre Szmyt for a 37-yard game-winning field goal as time expired, giving Cleveland a 13-10 victory.
It was sweet redemption for Szmyt, who earlier missed wide left from 48 yards on a possession, ending a 25 for 25 streak.
This time, he made it with ease.
With the win, Cleveland (4-2) moved to first place in the AFC North under first-year coach Todd Monken, formerly the Ravens’ offensive coordinator. It’s the latest in the season that the Browns have led the division since Week 10 of 2014.
Since the start of 2019, Baltimore (4-2) has blown 17 leads of at least 10 points, most in the NFL in that span. It was also the 16th loss since 2021 when leading after three quarters.
With Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson sidelined with an ankle injury for a second straight game, backup Tyler “Snoop” Huntley was anything but efficient in his second straight start, unlike a week ago in an overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
After leading the Ravens on scoring drives on each of Baltimore’s first two possessions for a 10-0 lead, Huntley and the offense struggled to move the ball most of the afternoon.
Huntley completed just 5 of 10 passes for 58 yards in the second half, and Henry had only 17 yards on six second-half carries.
The Ravens managed just 72 yards, compared to the Browns’ 191, over the final 30 minutes.
Huntley finished 19 of 31 for 165 yards and a touchdown but was sacked three times. Henry tallied just 58 rushing yards on 17 carries.
Tyler Loop also missed a 49-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter that would have pushed the lead to two scores.
Despite sacking Watson five times, Baltimore couldn’t stop him or the Browns when it mattered most. Watson finished 16 of 26 for 164 yards, while receiver Jerry Jeudy had four catches for 69 yards, including a key 33-yard catch-and-run on third-and-5 that set up the winning field goal.
It was a stark turnaround to a fast start for the Ravens’ defense.
On the Browns’ first four possessions, they managed just four first downs and 51 yards. They were also 1 for 5 on third down and punted four times.
Cleveland crossed midfield only once, and only reached the 40-yard line — and not until nearly midway through the second quarter.
Along the way, the Ravens also sacked Watson twice, with Campbell getting one. In doing so, he became just the third player age 40 or older since 1982 to register a sack, joining legends Bruce Smith and Clay Matthews.
The Browns’ fifth possession didn’t go any better, either.
They went three-and-out, with cornerback Keyon Martin recording a sack on the second play. Cleveland managed just 46 yards on 22 plays, their lowest total through the first 30 minutes this season, and the boo birds were out as they trotted into the locker room.
Huntley, meanwhile, picked up where he left off in Atlanta, where he’d completed 11 straight passes at the end of regulation and overtime.
Against the Browns, he completed all four pass attempts in the opening series for 27 yards. Henry also helped, with five carries for 30 yards.
And then on a fourth-and-goal from Cleveland’s 1-yard line, Huntley hit a wide-open Josh Cuevas in the back of the end zone for the rookie tight end’s first career touchdown.
One possession later, Cuevas sparked a 29-yard catch-and-run on the first play, but a late hit on Huntley padded the gain by 15 yards. The drive stalled at the Browns’ 16, though, and the Ravens settled for a 34-yard field goal.
But after an efficient start, Baltimore had its share of problems, too, and it cost them.
Following 111 yards on the Ravens’ first two scoring drives, they totaled just 57 on their next four possessions.
Clock management was at times a struggle, with the play clock often ticking to its final few seconds. They burned a timeout in the first quarter and took a delay-of-game penalty in the second.
It was a sign of things to come.
____