Ravens-Browns Week 14: What We Learned

Baltimore falls short against Cleveland.

The Ravens lost Lamar Jackson to a sprained ankle and still managed to push the Browns to the brink before losing 24-22.

Here's what we learned:

— Jackson was carted off the field early in the second quarter with an ankle injury against the Browns. He was injured when Cleveland linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah hit the back of his lower right leg. Jackson fell to the ground and grabbed his ankle. He was listed as questionable to return before being ruled out after halftime. His status for next week's game against the Packers is uncertain. Even if he can play, the ankle will be a concern.

— Tyler Huntley showed he is a capable backup and got more comfortable as the game wore on. Huntley pulled the Ravens to within two points with an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Mark Andrews. Safety Chuck Clark then recovered the onside kick to give the Ravens a chance to win the game. However, Cleveland's defense managed a sack and Huntley's pass to rookie Rashod Bateman was short on a fourth-and-6. Huntley was 27 of 38 for 270 yards with the score. He also lost two fumbles. But the Ravens are in capable hands when he's in the game.

— Coach John Harbaugh opened another debate when he decided to go for a 2-point conversion after Latavius Murray's 1-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to 24-15. Huntley threw an interception in the end zone and the Ravens only got the six points. They scored late in the game, but the 2-point conversion was a moot point. Some of the critics said he should have kicked the extra point to keep the game to one score. 

“Well, it’s pretty much a standard non-decision," Harbaugh said. "You do it at that point in time because you’re going to have to win a two-point conversion [at some point]. So, you understand if you get it or won’t get it early, where you’re at and go from there – how many possessions you’re going to need and what you’re going to have to do. If you wait until the last two-point conversion, and you don’t get it, the game’s over. You’ve lost. So, you try it early. We’re in a 7-point game, and we know where we stand. If we don’t get it, we’re in a 9-point game, and we know that we need two possessions.”

— The Ravens secondary played fairly well despite missing three starters. They had some struggles early with pass interference penalties but played better down the stretch. Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield consistently picked on cornerback Chris Westry, who had trouble covering the Browns wide receivers before finishing the game strong. 

 —  The Ravens are 8-5 with tough games against the Packers and Rams sandwiched around a trip to Cincinnati before ending the season against the Steelers. The Ravens probably need to win three of those games for a spot in the postseason. The Ravens have lost back-to-back games for the first time since last December.