Raven Country

Ravens React to Browns Keeping Playoff Hopes Alive

That Baltimore Ravens and several current and former players thanked their division rivals for helping the team stay in contention for the postseason.
Josh Reed|
Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) celebrates with defensive tackle Mason Graham after a second-half stop, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cleveland.
Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) celebrates with defensive tackle Mason Graham after a second-half stop, Dec. 28, 2025, in Cleveland. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Baltimore Ravens

After taking care of business on the road with a vindicating bounce-back win over the Green Bay Packers, the Baltimore Ravens and their fans turned in their purple and black for brown and orange for a day as they needed the Cleveland Browns to come up clutch at home to stave off elimination from the playoffs for at least another week.

Three days after Christmas, they all got a good old-fashioned holiday miracle when the Browns pulled out a dramatic upset win over what had been a Pittsburgh Steelers squad that had rattled off three straight wins and were in firm control of their playoff destiny entering the pivotal. The Ravens' archrivals needed to win to secure their first AFC North title since 2020, but instead set up a winner-take-all Week 18 matchup between them after falling 13-6 on the road.

The Browns got off to a hot start, jumping out to an early 10-0 lead after the first quarter, and scored the only points of the second half on an insurance field goal that forced the Steelers to need a touchdown and extra point just force a tie in the game. Even after allowing four-time league MVP and future Aaron Rodgers march Pittsburgh to the Cleveland 7-yard line, the home team stood tall with a goal-line stand to seal the win and give the Ravens and their fans hope of still making the dance heading into the new year.

Ravens past and present show the Browns much love

Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton and outside linebacker Dre'Mont Jones celebrate a sack against the Cleveland Browns.
Nov 16, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton (14) and cornerback Marlon Humphrey (44) celebrate a sack during the third quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Unsurprisingly, in the immediate aftermath, players who currently and formerly suited up for the two-time reigning division champions took to social media to express their tremendous gratitude to Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders and his team's elite defense for keeping their hopes of being the first franchise to three-peat alive.

"I’ve never even been that nervous playing a game," fourth-year tight end Charlie Kolar posted on Twitter. "Thank you Browns."

Veteran hybrid pass rusher Dre'Mont Jones, who is a Cleveland native and grew up rooting for his home team, simply posted "Let’s GO BROWNS!!!!" for doing his current team a huge favor by giving him a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in his seven-year career.

Undrafted rookie Keyon Martin, who was inactive for the Packers game but has played a lot of meaningful snaps for the Ravens this year, just posted the title of Sanders' rap single 'Perfect Timing' with a fitting emoji of a watch.

Ravens all-time sack leader and 2026 Hall of Fame semifinalist, Terrell Suggs, posted a GIF of Academy Award-winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio from his famous film 'The Wolf of Wall Street' clapping with "GOOD JOB CLEVELAND" as the accompanying text.

Pro Bowl pass rusher Kyle Van Noy had perhaps the best reaction, perfectly encapsulating what this upset meant for the Ravens, who, prior to beating the Packers, had playoff chances ranging from 7.1% to as low as less than 1% according to several major oddsmakers. He aptly posted a GIF of legendary WWE superstar The Undertaker performing his iconic rising from the dead bit.

Rising back from the dead is exactly what his team did over the span of the last week, with some help after losing control of their own destiny following another blown double-digit lead to the New England Patriots in Week 16 at home in primetime.

Even the Ravens social media team got in on the fun by posting close-up photo of All Pro safety Kyle Hamilton doing Sanders' imaginary wrist watch celebration he mimicked after making a play in a Week 11 win over the Browns with the caption "PERFECT TIMING" and giving a shoutout to the Browns who responded by quote-tweeting the post with the caption "don't think we did this for you" with an emoji.

Make sure you bookmark Baltimore Ravens On SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published
Josh Reed
JOSH REED

Josh is a writer for Baltimore Ravens On SI focusing primarily on original content and reporting. He provides analysis, breakdowns, profiles, and reports on important news and transactions from and about the Ravens. His professional resume as a sports reporter includes covering local events, teams, and athletes in his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska for Anchorage Daily News. His coverage on the Ravens and other NFL teams has been featured on Heavy.com/sports, Maryland Sports Blog and most recently Baltimore Beatdown from 2021 until 2025.

Home/News