Such kicks are always a long shot even if you have Justin Tucker as Baltimore does and for all the potential that Cade York has shown, he's not Justin Tucker and former Ohio State linebacker Malik Harrison deflected the kick to give Baltimore a 23-20 win at home.
Nick Chubb rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown to lead the Cleveland offense.
Jacoby Brissett threw for 258 yards without a touchdown or interception.
The loss was the fourth in a row for the Browns, who are now 2-5 on the season and will host the Cincinnati Bengals next Monday on Monday Night Football.
Brownie Bits
1) The two controversial calls on the next to last drive will be remembered by Browns fans and media for quite a while.
The first of the pair saw Amari Cooper hand-fighting with Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters down the sideline with Cooper gaining the advantage, grabbing the pass from Jacoby Brissett on a third and two for what appeared to be a thirty-four-yard touchdown to give Cleveland the lead.
The flag came out with Cooper being called for offensive pass interference.
2) I had a problem with the call but not for the reason that you might think.
Cooper did push off on Peters and Peters was grabbing at Cooper in part of his coverage, so on the contact side of the play, I wouldn't have had a problem with either player being called for a penalty.
My issue with the call was this- I hate, in any sport, when the officials move from calling the game loosely and then begin to call the game tight ( or vice versa) with the game in the balance.
It's not fair to the players or the fans.
3) It was the later penalty that had me steaming as Cade York prepared for a fifty-five-yard field goal attempt to tie the game.
Baltimore's Calais Campbell and Travis Jones clearly move across the line and replays show no movement from any of the Cleveland offensive linemen but after a lengthy conference, the Browns were called for a false start, and York's task moved from difficult but with a chance to very slim and resulted in the block.
A call that was beyond awful, it was so bad that it looked scripted by Vince McMahon.
4) The Browns defense did improve after recent games that were disappointing, to say the least.
Cleveland allowed under three hundred yards of total offense to Baltimore and held long-time nemesis, Mark Andrews, without a catch, so there was progress today.
5) Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah played his best game of the season and was allowed to roam around the field and use his speed to run to the ball rather than read and react.
JOK batted down passes, made one tackle for a loss, and made the key play that gave the Browns a chance late in the game.
6) That play came as Baltimore was driving down the field for at least a field goal that would have moved their lead to six or even a touchdown that would have placed the game in the win column at ten points.
Owusu-Koramoah stepped into the gap and punched the ball out of the grasp of Baltimore running back Justice Hill.
It is the type of play that top players make and while Owusu-Koramoah has been a little disappointing this season, the capability of making plays in the clutch that he possesses makes him worth the developmental process.
7) Once again, an argument can be made that the offense didn't play to its strength- running the football.
Cleveland marched down the field on its opening drive with Nick Chubb carrying the ball five times with a touchdown carry but Chubb would carry the ball only three other times in the half and only eight times in the second half.
Kareem Hunt did score the other Cleveland touchdown but Hunt would only total five carries.
8) David Njoku had an excellent game as he caught all seven passes thrown to him for seventy-one yards but he left the game with an ankle injury and did not return.
After another injury to Pharoah Brown, Cleveland finished the game with only one tight end, Harrison Bryant.
9) Jacoby Brissett avoided the end-of-the-game turnover that has plagued him of late but he was stripped of the football on the first drive of the second half with Baltimore recovering at the Cleveland 35.
The Ravens would take advantage of the short field and quickly scored on an eight-play drive to boost their lead to ten points at twenty to ten.
10) The Athletic's Browns beat writer Zac Jackson is reporting that after the game and before Kevin Stefanski's post-game press conference voices could be heard from the locker room with loud voices talking about lack of leadership and problems in the locker room.
Although the voices couldn't be identified, it shows the problems that exist inside the franchise and inside the locker room that seem to be ready to spin out of control and appear to set the stage for another wasted Cleveland Browns season.
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