Josh Alper ,
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When the Ravens lined up with Mark Andrews under center on a fourth-and-1 on the Cleveland 35-yard line with just over two minutes to play and the score tied 16-16, just about everyone in the building thought they were set to have the tight end sneak the ball for a first down.
The Ravens had other ideas, however. Andrews took the snap, spun to his right and ran for a 35-yard touchdown that gave the Ravens their first lead since the first quarter. It also set the stage for Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders to try to lead a game-tying drive in his first regular season game.
Andrews also became the Ravens’ all-time leader in receiving yards on Sunday, so it was a memorable day for the longtime Raven.
Sanders opened the drive by hitting tight end Harold Fannin for a 25-yard gain and then connected with wide receiver Jerry Jeudy on a third down. Jeudy juked and dodged Ravens defenders to pick up a first down, but there would not be a magical ending for the fifth-round pick. After a five-yard scramble on first down, Sanders threw three incompletions as the Ravens pressured him and Baltimore was able to take a knee to close out a 23-16 win.
It’s the fourth straight win for the Ravens and they’re now 5-5 after starting the year 1-5. They’re also one game behind the Steelers with both games against their AFC North rivals ahead of them on the schedule. They’ll play the Jets and Bengals in the next two weeks, so they could find themselves in first place before the first meeting between the teams in Week 14.
For that to happen, they’ll need to play a cleaner game than they did on Sunday. Lamar Jackson threw a pair of interceptions — one bounced off running back Keaton Mitchell’s hands and the other was batted by Browns defensive lineman Mike Hall Jr. at the line — and they also gave the ball away on a muffed punt. Browns linebacker Devin Bush returned the first pick for a touchdown and the Ravens also had an offside penalty on a Browns punt that gave Cleveland a first down on their way to a field goal.
On top of the turnovers, the Ravens also gave up three Myles Garrett sacks in the first half. He added a fourth in the second half to give him 15 for the season and make him the fourth player in league history with multiple four-sack games in the same season.
Those scores helped the Browns to a 16-10 halftime lead and Sanders entered the game in the third quarter when Dillon Gabriel went for a concussion evaluation. Gabriel was ultimately ruled out of the game and Sanders was 4-of-16 for 47 yards and an interception. Sanders was also sacked twice, but he did show more of an ability and willingness to throw the ball down the field than Gabriel has since entering the starting lineup in Cleveland.
The Browns will be in Las Vegas next Sunday and Sanders will likely get the start with Gabriel now in the concussion protocol. If he can hit on a few more of those throws, he could wind up with the job after Gabriel is cleared to get back on the field.
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