Lamar Jackson passed for 225 yards and four touchdowns to help spoil Joe Flacco’s homecoming as the Baltimore Ravens notched a 41-17 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns in an AFC North battle on Sunday afternoon.
Devontez Walker caught two touchdown passes and DeAndre Hopkins and Tylan Wallace each added one as Baltimore (1-1) rebounded from a disappointing collapse against the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. Jackson completed 19 of 29 passes.
Roquan Smith returned a fumble 63 yards for a touchdown and had 15 tackles, including three for losses, for the Ravens. Nate Wiggins returned an interception 60 yards to set up a Ravens’ touchdown and Jake Hummel blocked a punt to set up a field goal.
Flacco, 40, completed 25 of 45 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his first visit to Baltimore since his stint with the Ravens ended with the 2018 season. Flacco played 11 seasons with Baltimore and was Super Bowl MVP when the Ravens won the 2012 season championship.
Cedric Tillman and Dylan Sampson caught touchdown passes and Myles Garrett had 1.5 sacks for the Browns (0-2).
Baltimore led by seven at the break but quickly pushed their lead to 20-3.
Tyler Loop’s 32-yard field goal gave the Ravens a 10-point lead with 10:09 left in the third quarter.
On Cleveland’s ensuing possession, Flacco was picked off by Wiggins at the Ravens’ 35. Browns offensive tackle Joel Bitonio made a touchdown-saving tackle at the Cleveland 5.
Baltimore cashed in on Jackson’s 2-yard scoring pass to Walker to make it 20-3 with 10:09 left in the third quarter.
The Browns then received a break on fourth-and-2 from the Ravens’ 18. Marlon Humphrey was in position to intercept Flacco’s pass but the ball went through his hands and into those of Tillman for a Cleveland touchdown that left the Browns down 10 with 5:02 left in the third quarter.
The Ravens pushed the lead back to 17 on Jackson’s 24-yard scoring pass to Walker with 13:26 left in the contest.
Things got worse for Flacco when he was sacked by Tavius Robinson and lost the ball. Smith picked it up and ran it back for his second career score to make it 34-10 with 8:19 remaining.
Jackson’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Hopkins pushed the lead to 31 with 4:43 left.
Cleveland’s Dillon Gabriel threw his first career touchdown pass, an 8-yarder to Sampson, with 1:50 to go.
The Ravens led 3-0 early in the second quarter when Hummel broke in and blocked the punt of Cleveland’s Corey Bojorquez. Sanoussi Kane recovered to give Baltimore the ball at the Browns’ 24-yard line.
Two plays later, Jackson tossed a 15-yard scoring pass to Wallace to make it 10-0 with 11:13 left in the half.
Cleveland later received Andre Szmyt’s 38-yard field goal with 29 seconds remaining in the half.
–Field Level Media
