ExtremeRavens Posted 7 hours ago Posted 7 hours ago Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the NFL season on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter: The first half felt like a game from another era, an unintentional homage to the Baltimore Colts of old in attendance for the 30th anniversary celebration of the Ravens’ existence against the city from which they came. Perhaps it was further evidence of the strength of the Browns’ defense, which stifled the high-octane Bengals in a squeaker of a loss last week. But an offense that was the best in the NFL last season can only be locked up for so long and unsurprisingly the Ravens found enough of their footing amid Cleveland’s own offensive ineptness to pull away. Unlike last week, this one never felt in danger of another big lead blown. The final dagger came courtesy of a Tavius Robinson strip-sack of 40-year-old Joe Flacco midway through the final quarter with Roquan Smith scooping up the bouncing ball and racing 64 yards for the touchdown. Then, for good measure, Lamar Jackson hit DeAndre Hopkins with the Ravens already up 34-10 inside five minutes remaining in an effort to not take their foot off the gas. As woeful as Cleveland is, Baltimore’s defense deserves a good bit of credit for not letting Flacco to find a rhythm and return a conquering hero. He was harassed all day and when Cleveland turning to its running game found little room against the defensive line and a surging Smith, who finished with 15 tackles. The line, linebackers and secondary answered the call after getting pushed around a week ago. Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens toyed with Cleveland for nearly a half before finally taking control of the game in the third quarter. The Ravens still play either up or down to the level of their opponents, and it showed against the Browns. This Cleveland offense is the worst since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999. The Browns were one-dimensional on offense, throwing basically nothing but short passes, and they had virtually no running game. At least on defense, the Ravens got quarterback Joe Flacco to move in the pocket and he was under constant duress. The best news for the Ravens were that they won a game, and that’s important at this point. It’s a big relief to win the first game of the year after the Ravens failed last week in the season opener against Buffalo. There were no last-minute comebacks Sunday, just a Ravens team that turned up the heat on the Browns in the second half. Josh Tolentino, columnist: Cleveland backed up its week-long trash talk by bottling up running back Derrick Henry (11 carries, 24 rushing yards). Yet Lamar Jackson still distributed the ball plenty as the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player threw four touchdown passes, tallying 225 yards across 19 completions. Defensively, the Ravens swarmed old friend Joe Flacco, recording its first two takeaways of the young season. Nate Wiggins came down with an arrant Flacco pass, while linebacker Roquan Smith’s touchdown return off Tavius Robinson’s strip-sack put the game out of reach in the second half, a signature performance for Zach Orr’s group. DeAndre Hopkins’ big-catch ability has been on display in consecutive weeks; he had two explosive catches, including his 23-yard touchdown reception, against the Browns. The accomplished veteran wideout will only continue to build up his rapport and chemistry with Jackson as the season progresses. The home opener served as the perfect get-right spot for Baltimore (1-1), which is now scheduled to play four straight 2024 playoff opponents. Ravens vs. Browns, September 14, 2025 | PHOTOS Sam Cohn, reporter: This was a prime example of how versatile Baltimore’s offense can be. When Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman were all nonfactors, Lamar Jackson found DeAndre Hopkins, Tylan Wallace and Tez Walker — all of whom made massive contributions in small sample sizes. The Ravens were sluggish to start. Neither side of the ball showed much firepower. Even against what is considered an impressive Browns defense, Jackson found a way to cut them up in the second half. It was exactly the kind of blowout win the Ravens needed after a crushing blow in Buffalo. C.J. Doon, editor: This performance didn’t do much to quell any fears that arose in last week’s collapse. The Ravens’ defense certainly played much better, but when considering the opposition, it wasn’t that impressive. Joe Flacco gave Baltimore a homecoming gift with his third-quarter interception that Nate Wiggins nearly returned for a touchdown. He should have thrown another pick near the goal line, but his pass inexplicably bounced off Marlon Humphrey’s hands and into the waiting arms of Cedric Tillman in the end zone. Then Flacco sealed the game with a fumble that Roquan Smith returned for a touchdown. He might not be wearing purple anymore, but he helped the Ravens almost as much as any player on the Baltimore sideline Sunday. The Browns’ top offensive threats are Jerry Jeudy, who catches the ball about as well as he talks trash; rookie running back Qunishon Judkins, who’s had one padded practice since June; and rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who played in his second career game. Baltimore still allowed more than 300 total yards. The Ravens might not be so fortunate against Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Stroud and Matthew Stafford over the next few weeks. Until they face another elite offense, we just don’t know how good the defense can be. The Ravens’ offense, based on its own lofty standards when Lamar Jackson is healthy, was disappointing. The offensive line struggled to keep Jackson clean, allowing three sacks. The Ravens went three-and-out on three straight possessions to end the first half. Baltimore took advantage of some good field position before turning it on in the second half. The running game was surprisingly nonexistent, totaling just 16 carries for 48 yards before garbage time. Jackson was his usual efficient self, Zay Flowers continued to stand out, DeAndre Hopkins turned back the clock and Devontez Walker announced himself as a big-play threat with two TD catches, but it was far from a complete performance. Mark Andrews looked shaky and Zaire Mitchell-Paden had a rough sequence near the goal line early in the game. Isaiah Likely and Pat Ricard can’t come back soon enough. Tim Schwartz, editor: I didn’t learn much from this one, aside from two things: The Ravens will have no problem pressuring stationary quarterbacks, and their wide receiver depth behind Zay Flowers is about as good as it’s been in franchise history. Baltimore’s defense nearly outscored Cleveland — Nate Wiggins will surely hear from teammates after falling a few yards shy of a pick-six — but this is the Browns with a 40-year-old Joe Flacco under center. And they still outgained the Ravens, who could not establish their rushing attack with the game still within reach in the first half. This went about as expected. The Lions on “Monday Night Football” will be a great barometer for good this team really is right now. Bennett Conlin, editor: A win is a win in the NFL, even against the lowly Browns. A season ago, the Ravens suffered a stunning Week 2 home loss to the Raiders. They avoided that fate this year against a Cleveland team expected to lose in bunches. It was far from perfect offensively, though. The offensive line struggled to protect Lamar Jackson, and the running game wasn’t as dynamic as usual with Jackson and Derrick Henry in the backfield. Still, Jackson made plays when the pocket collapsed and Zay Flowers looked amazing yet again. Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace and DeAndre Hopkins contributed, too. It was more than enough to win the home opener, as the Ravens dominated defensively — aside from Marlon Humphrey dropping an interception that fell into the arms of Cedric Tillman for a Browns touchdown. He’ll want that play back. A blocked punt helped create a first-half double-digit lead, and the Ravens’ defense handled the rest. A week after being embarrassed by Buffalo, the Ravens took advantage of an aging Joe Flacco to boost their confidence. It was a solid win for Baltimore given the defensive dominance, but there’s not a ton to take from this game. The Browns are deeply flawed, and the Ravens face the Lions, Chiefs, Texans and Rams in the next four weeks. The Ravens avoided disaster Sunday, but we’ll learn way more about Baltimore in the coming weeks. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article Quote
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