On the Cleveland Browns' final drive, the one that would decide yesterday's winner, Ravens linebacker Peter Boulware knew he would not have the same one-on-one luxury he had much of the game.
Boulware was right, and Browns quarterback Tim Couch took advantage.
With Boulware being blocked by tackle Ross Verba and running back Jamel White, none of the Ravens' defensive linemen got pressure on Couch.
Couch, who had time to throw, led his team on an eight-play, 92-yard drive to score the final touchdown with 29 seconds left in the Browns' eventual 14-13 victory.
"They were chipping with the back a little bit, and that was frustrating," Boulware said. "But at the same time, he moved the ball down the field. But if we could have got pressure on the quarterback and sacked the quarterback, then that stops the drive."
Boulware got two sacks earlier in the game, his first multi-sack game of the season. Boulware now leads the Ravens with seven on the year.
"I got two sacks; other games I've gotten after him and not got the numbers," Boulware said. "But it was great to get to the quarterback a couple of times."
Wind holds Stover down
Disdaining a 52-yard Matt Stover field-goal attempt, the Ravens chose to punt on a fourth-and-two from the Browns' 35 with just over two minutes left in the game.
Had the Ravens been on the other end of the field, that decision may have been different. A strong wind gust helped Stover send two kickoffs into the end zone when the Ravens were defending that goal.
Stover also made a 43-yard field goal with the wind, but said the Ravens would have needed to get the ball to at least the 22 (for a 40-yard field-goal try) with the wind going against him.
"No question, the wind was a factor," Stover said. "It would have been tough to make anything over a 40-yard field goal."
The Browns scored the game-winning touchdown on the ensuing possession.
McAlister's blunder
Unhappy with a 14-yard unnecessary roughness penalty by cornerback Chris McAlister on the Browns' game-winning touchdown drive, Ravens coach Brian Billick was relatively restrained in criticizing his best cornerback.
McAlister's penalty, which came after a 28-yard reception by White, gave the Browns the ball at the Ravens' 13-yard line. McAlister hit White well after the running back had stepped out of bounds.
"You've got to be smart," Billick said. "That single play, you don't know what happens beyond that. It's unfortunate to do that at that time."
Untouched Taylor
NFL rules benefited Travis Taylor, who, after making a diving catch at the Browns' 7-yard line, was not touched by a defender. Taylor got up and dived into the end zone.
In college, Taylor would have been down at the 7.
"The defensive back fell down, and if you are not touched, you aren't down in the NFL," Taylor said. "My first reaction was to get up and go to the end zone. That was my main thing."
Offense clicks
The Ravens' offense played error-free for more than 59 minutes. Quarterback Jeff Blake, who completed 16 of 28 passes for 143 yards, liked the mix he had with running back Jamal Lewis, tight end Todd Heap and wide receiver Taylor, who began the team's first possession with consecutive end arounds that went for a total of 20 yards.
"We're not far at all," Blake said of the Ravens being a contender. "We win this game, and we're playing for a playoff slot going to Pittsburgh. We aren't that much off."
Blake is willing to air it out at Heinz Field.
"I'm definitely going to have some fun next week," Blake said of playing the spoiler at Pittsburgh. "I'm going to throw the ball down the field as much as I can, so back up."
Billick thought Heap had eight catches, not just a career-high seven, but officials upheld the bobble call that the Ravens challenged with 9:38 left. That lost timeout could have helped inside the last two minutes.
Turnover happy
When Anthony Mitchell intercepted Couch on Cleveland's first possession of the second half, it was the Ravens' 23rd forced turnover of the season. That tied the franchise record set by the Super Bowl XXXV team. That was the only turnover of the game. Mitchell, who again started at free safety over Will Demps, collided with linebacker Bernardo Harris, his only competition on a bad read by Couch.
"We were in two-man coverage, with everybody locking down and safeties over the top," Mitchell said of his second interception of the season. "A dude ran an X [crossing pattern], I stayed on the underneath route and broke on it. The side I was running to was open for a return, but Bernardo didn't see me and we collided. Good play, but I would have been happier with a win."
Redemption for Couch ...
In the aftermath of a disappointing loss at home to the Ravens earlier this year, Couch aimed an obscenity-laced tirade at Cleveland fans who booed him.
But after yesterday's effort, both coach Butch Davis and the quarterback felt Couch had redeemed himself.
"Obviously you have to recognize Tim Couch. He was horribly crucified in the first Baltimore game. And to come back today and go 92 yards with no timeouts and score the game-winning touchdown, I think he deserves an awful lot of credit," Davis said. "This was his 10th come-from-behind victory in the fourth quarter. It shows poise and leadership that he exhibited today."
Couch was 6-for-7 for 78 yards passing and the touchdown over the game-winning drive. He used four different receivers - Andre King, Quincy Morgan, White and Mark Campbell.
"I think that's a sign that a quarterback wants to be known for being able to bring his team back when everything is against you, and that's what you have to be able to do in this league," Couch said. "So many times you'll be behind in those last two minutes, and you've got to be able to pull those things out. I have had my share of comeback wins, and I just want to keep that going."
... and two other Browns
Cleveland running back White and tight end Campbell redeemed miscues with their critical touchdowns.
White dropped an uncontested pass in the end zone two plays before scoring a 3-yard touchdown for an early 7-0 lead, and, later, made a 28-yard reception to sustain the game-winning drive. Campbell's game-winning touchdown catch made up for his being penalized for taunting - an infraction that turned his 6-yard reception into an 8-yard loss.
"This was a really weird game for me. It's very uncharacteristic of me to get a taunting penalty," Campbell said. "It felt good to get the touchdown. I did make up for that [penalty] a little bit. I'll sleep better, I'll tell you that."
Practice makes perfect
With their penchant for playing in close games, two-minute drills are a constant during Browns' practices.
"I think on the sidelines, I don't think there was one threat of panic," Davis said. "We do it every Thursday, go out and do two-minute drills, and you win 50 percent of those, and we've won our share of those in games, so I don't think there was anybody in a panic situation."
End zone
The Ravens' inactive players were Anthony Wright, Robert Tate, Dameon Hunter, Tom Knight, Mike Collins, Damion Cook, Lawrence Smith and Jeff Ogden. ... Defensive end Michael McCrary and linebacker Ray Lewis were introduced before the game. Both players are on injured reserve, and it was likely Mc- Crary's final game as a Raven. McCrary received a standing ovation from the crowd.
Sun staff writers Paul McMullen and Lem Satterfield contributed to this article.