'Humbilization!' Baltimore Ravens Learn From Heartbreaking Loss to Cleveland Browns
The Baltimore Ravens' defensive letdown on Sunday afternoon was so shocking that its representatives created new words to describe it.
"It’s a little bit of a humbilization, if that’s a word,” safety Kyle Hamilton said, per The Baltimore Banner. “It might be a bit of a hyperbole, but if we could play tomorrow, I feel like everybody would want to. I feel like we want to just get back out here and make it right.”
Fortunately for Hamilton and Co., the Ravens will immediately return to action on Thursday night in another crucial divisional duel against the Cincinnati Bengals. But the aftershocks of Cleveland's visit will undoubtedly sting, both literally and figuratively: in the former case, Baltimore lost star secondary defender Marlon Humphrey to an ankle injury during the first half of Sunday's defeat.
As the victims of a 33-31 loss to the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore (7-3) missed out on a prime opportunity to separate themselves from the jam-packed AFC North. The Ravens will also have to rely on the kindness of strangers if they have any intention of chasing down idle Kansas City for the AFC's top playoff seed and the first-round bye that comes with it.
The Ravens knew that a similar shutdown akin to the 28-3 shellacking bestowed to Cleveland six weeks prior would be hard to duplicate, especially with quarterback Deshaun Watson back in tow. But Baltimore couldn't have asked for a better start, as Hamilton ended the Browns' opening drive prematurely with an 18-yard scoring runback of a Watson interception.
“I think I can speak for everyone," linebacker Justin Madubuike said, per Han. "When Kyle got that interception on the second play of the game, we thought we were going to win it."
The early lead, which reached as high as 15, literally lasted the rest of the game ... but Dustin Hopkins' game-winning triple from 40 yards out hit the scoreboard after time expired, continuing a magic season for the historically woebegone Browns (6-3).
Jadeveon Clowney (in purple) drags down Deshaun Watson during Sunday's AFC North tilt
Tommy Gilligan, USA TODAY SPORTS
Sunday's game was drastically different from the prior two showcases a M&T Bank Stadium, which saw the Ravens dispose of NFC division leaders from Detroit and Seattle by a combined 75-9 margin. Baltimore's offense proved more than capable of meeting the task against a formidable Browns defense but the defense lost its way to the tune of a season-worst 178 rushing yards, most of it coming from Jerome Ford (107).
The failure to stop a run was particularly glaring in the immediate lead-up to Hopkins' victorious boot. After Watson throws to David Njoku and Amari Cooper got Cleveland to the cusp of midfield, Ford converted a two-yard third down with a gain of six. Watson then broke loose for a 16-yard gain before a bulldozing run by Ford, which carried several members of the Ravens and Browns with him, officially entered Hopkins' range. Bereft of timeouts, Baltimore could do nothing but bide its time before its heartbreaking fate played out.
“It kind of bothers me a little bit, a lot, really,” Baltimore defender Jadeveon Clowney said. “We take pride in not giving up a lot of rushing yards in the run game ... These games you’re supposed to win. When your offense gets 30 points, you’re supposed to win this game.”
To Clowney's point, Sunday marked only the 13th time in Ravens history that the team lost a game when scoring at least 30 points, previously doing so last September against Miami.
If anything, the Ravens can take solace in two lingering truths: they got a dire defensive effort out of the way in November and they had at least something of a cushion to buy themselves a mulligan. With another crucial divisional match looming, it's last until the regular season closer against Pittsburgh in January, the Ravens know they can ill afford another letdown.
"It's all about responding now," cornerback Brandon Stephens said, per Ryan Mink of the official team site. "This one is over with. We'll learn from it. We know that wasn't our best performance, but it's still a long season, and we just have to go win next week."
