Here’s what The Baltimore Sun staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 47-42 win over the host Cleveland Browns on Monday night:
C.J. Doon, editor: Game of the year in the NFL? It at times felt like a badly scripted movie, with star quarterback Lamar Jackson leaving in the fourth quarter only to return and throw the go-ahead touchdown pass in the final minutes. The Browns fought back during Jackson’s extended absence with cramps to overcome a 14-point deficit and tied the game with just over a minute to go, but of course, that was too much time for Jackson and Co. as Justin Tucker nailed the game-winning 55-yard field goal. The teams tied an NFL record with nine combined rushing touchdowns, the first time that’s happened since 1922, and somehow that feels like a distant footnote.
Daniel Oyefusi, reporter: It’s hard to put into words what just happened at FirstEnergy Stadium. Almost everything possible tried to derail a must-win game for the Ravens on Monday night: Cleveland. Cleats. And even cramps. But the Ravens won even when it seemed nothing would go their way late. On a macro-level, this might the most impressive win of Lamar Jackson’s young career. But the job isn’t done. The Ravens have three very winnable games left on the schedule to put themselves in position for a playoff berth.
Childs Walker, reporter: We’ll be talking about this one for the decades. The Ravens’ playoff hopes seemed on life support on a night that epitomized their entire bizarre season. Their tattered secondary ran out of gas as Baker Mayfield drove the Browns down the field for three touchdowns in the fourth quarter. After three quarters of brilliant running, Lamar Jackson left the field with cramps, the latest injury to devastate the Ravens over the last two months. Marquise Brown dropped a pass from Jackson’s replacement, Trace McSorley, that could have extended a vital fourth-quarter drive. The Ravens built a second-half lead, much as they did in earlier losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans. And again, they could not hold it. But then Jackson came running out of the tunnel just as McSorley went down with his own injury. He hit Brown of all people for a miraculous touchdown. After Mayfield answered, he drove the Ravens back into field-goal range, allowing Justin Tucker to do his thing from 55 yards. Instant classic. Playoff hopes alive. What else can you say?