Ravens get a major win vs. a meager opponent

Ravens did what championship-caliber teams should do against pathetic teams like the Browns

Mike Preston

September 28, 2009

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Next up, the New England Patriots.

That's about all you can say after the Ravens' 34-3 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. With no apologies to the Washington Redskins or Detroit Lions, the Browns are the worst team in the NFL.

It was a significant win for the Ravens because they did what championship-caliber teams should do against pathetic teams like the Browns. They squashed them from the opening whistle and never allowed them to entertain the slightest idea of an upset.

But against the Browns, there weren't any questions answered about the Ravens. In Cleveland's case, if you have two quarterbacks and neither of them is any good, do you really have a quarterback?

The Browns' offense consisted of 4- and 5-yard passes, most of those out of the backfield to running back Jerome Harrison. Starting quarterback Brady Quinn threw only one pass over 15 yards, and backup Derek Anderson almost completed more passes to the Ravens (three interceptions) than to his teammates.

Down 20-0 at the half, the Browns were still running the ball up the middle in the third quarter and had no sense of urgency. When Cleveland kicked a field goal five seconds into the fourth quarter, the surrender was official.

A lot of answers will come Sunday, when the Ravens travel to Foxborough, Mass. You can bet Patriots wide receivers Wes Welker, Randy Moss and Joey Galloway and tight end Ben Watson will be watching film of the Ravens' win over the San Diego Chargers, and New England quarterback Tom Brady will be throwing more jump balls than an NBA official.

Sunday's was a practice game for the Ravens. Now it's back to preparing for a serious contender - and a quality head coach, not his wannabe.

Browns are a mess

There was a lot of conversation in the Cleveland locker room about whether Browns coach Eric Mangini had lost his team, but I don't think he ever controlled it.

The Browns are a mess, and it started with hiring Mangini. Big mistake. Mangini, a control freak, is like a voice crying in the wilderness. The players don't respect him, and the Ravens didn't respect his team.

Faced with fourth-and-1 at the Cleveland 9-yard line on their first series, the Ravens never hesitated in going for the first down. On the next play, running back Willis McGahee scored on a 7-yard run.

"I think our team took care of business in a way that they had to take care of it in this particular game," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "They understood this game for what it was, and they did it right out of the gate."

Heap takes a hit

Ravens tight end Todd Heap caught back-to-back passes late in the first half, the second for 9 yards. On that reception, Heap had to stretch out for a high pass, and he took a hard shot. Heap might have had a few words for quarterback Joe Flacco.

He might have said this in the huddle: "Look man, I thought your first name was Joe, not Kyle."

Easy as two-hand touch

On all four of the Ravens' touchdowns, they got into the end zone untouched, including runs of 7 and 15 yards by McGahee and a 9-yard run by Ray Rice.

Even if the game had been two-hand touch, the Browns would have lost.

Nice, but wasted play calling

In the third quarter with 7:47 remaining, the Ravens ran a play where Flacco jumped as if the snap went over his head, and Rice took the direct snap for a 6-yard gain.

It was a nice call, but why did the Ravens waste it against Cleveland with the score 20-0? They might need it next week against the Patriots or someone else in the games ahead.

Expect more Oher skirmishes

Look for Ravens rookie right offensive tackle Michael Oher to get into a few more skirmishes before the season is over. It's not that Oher is a dirty player, but he blocks until the whistle blows to end the play.

That doesn't happen a lot in the NFL. Oher plays with a defensive lineman's temperament. He is relentless until it's over. He is a technician who plays with the nastiness of an Orlando Brown.

L.J. Smith sighting

There was an L.J. Smith sighting in the game. Smith, a veteran tight end signed by the Ravens during the offseason, even had a 26-yard reception. We now await the injury list today to see whether he pulled a hamstring, sprained an ankle, strained a knee or had a hangnail.

Washington's next dance

Ravens No. 3 wide receiver Kelley Washington had five catches for 66 yards, and he worked the short and intermediate routes well for the Ravens.

Now that Washington has proven he will be an integral part of the offense this season, the most interesting thing is finding out what dance he will do after each catch. He has already ruled out "The Squirrel," so we'll have to see what he has choreographed next.

Commiserating with J. Lewis

After watching the Browns play, I understand why running back Jamal Lewis was out with a hamstring injury. If I were Lewis, I wouldn't play for that team either.