NFL Game Summary - Baltimore at Cleveland
(Sunday, December 4th)
Final Score: Baltimore 24, Cleveland 10
Cleveland, OH (Sports Network) - Ray Rice ran for a career-high 204 yards with
a touchdown as the Baltimore Ravens took a 24-10 victory over the Cleveland
Browns.
"I have to give it all to my offensive line," Rice said about his performance.
"I think it was my first 200-yard game. It felt good to get it against a
divisional opponent."
The win allowed Baltimore (9-3) to keep pace with the Pittsburgh Steelers for
the top spot in the AFC North. With both teams having identical records,
Baltimore sits in first place of the division because it holds the tiebreaker
over the Steelers with two wins in the head-to-head meetings this year.
Joe Flacco completed just 10-of-23 passes for 158 yards in the win.
Colt McCoy threw for 192 yards with a touchdown and an interception on 17-
of-35 passing for Cleveland (4-8).
Peyton Hillis carried the ball 12 times for 45 yards while adding one catch
for 52 yards in defeat.
"I think we ran up against a good team that played well," Browns head coach
Pat Shurmer said. "We got beat. We didn't play well."
Baltimore took its first touch of the game down to the Cleveland 26-yard line,
but the Ravens decided to go for it on 4th-and-1 and Rice was stopped for no
gain, turning the ball over on downs.
After forcing a Browns punt, the Ravens saw themselves in the same situation
at the Cleveland 21. But this time they were able to convert when Flacco
pushed his way up the middle for a first down.
Rice completed the 12-play drive early in the second quarter with a six-yard
rush up the middle for a score.
Baltimore then took over at their own six after another Cleveland punt. The
Ravens reeled off seven straight runs to move the ball to midfield before
Flacco floated a pass to Dennis Pitta for a 26-yard gain.
The Ravens would not record another first down, though, and Billy Cundiff
missed a 34-yard field goal attempt wide right.
Cundiff was also off the mark on a 41-yard attempt late in the second quarter,
but Jimmy Smith's interception set up a 21-yard kick with 13 seconds left in
the half to make it a 10-0 game at the break.
A Flacco fumble midway through the third quarter gave the Browns the ball at
the 50. McCoy found Hillis down the left sideline for a 52-yard gain after a
sack, but Cleveland could not push the ball into the end zone and had to
settle for a 21-yard field goal by Phil Dawson.
Baltimore then quickly answered with a three-play scoring drive set up by
Rice's 67-yard run and finished by Ricky Williams' one-yard plunge into the
end zone for a 17-3 lead.
"That was the key to the game," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. "When
you come back and answer like that."
The Browns would only manage one first down through their next three
possessions and Baltimore put the game away with a 68-yard punt return for a
touchdown by Lardarius Webb.
A 22-yard touchdown grab by Evan Moore brought the Browns back within two
touchdowns with 4:22 left in the fourth, but Baltimore recovered the on-sides
kick attempt and ran out the remainder of the clock.
Game Notes
Baltimore leads the all-time series 18-7 and has won the last seven
meetings...The Ravens have won six straight games against division
opponents...Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin caught two passes for 32 yards,
giving him 700 career receptions...Baltimore linebacker Terrell Suggs recorded
a sack to give him 10 sacks on the year, marking his fourth career season with
double-digit sacks.
12/04 21:12:12 ET
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