Getty Images Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger prior to a 2020 game.
On Sunday the Cleveland Browns beat the Houston Texans 10-7 at FirstEnergy Stadium to raise the team’s record to 6-3. More notably, the win upped Baker Mayfield’s record as a starting quarterback at FirstEnergy Stadium to 12-7-1, allowing him to pass Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (11-2-1) as the winningest quarterback in the history of the venue.
Until earlier this season Roethlisberger had more wins at Cleveland’s home stadium (which opened on September 12, 1999), than any Cleveland Browns quarterback in the past two decades. But Mayfield was able to tie Roethlisberger on October 11th by virtue of a 32-23 win over the Indianapolis Colts.
Mayfield will have a chance to extend his lead over Roethlisberger next week against the Philadelphia Eagles, and also on December 14th against the Baltimore Ravens. But if he fails to win either of those starts, Roethlisberger could conceivably pull back into a tie with Mayfield on January 3, 2021, as the Steelers are scheduled to close out the regular season at Cleveland.
Anyway, it’s remarkable that Roethlisberger maintained the record as long as he did, considering that he hasn’t won in Cleveland since 2017, before the Browns made Mayfield the first overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. (Recall that the 2018 game ended in a tie and he missed the 2019 game as a result of his season-ending elbow injury.)
It’s even more remarkable that he’s been that much more successful against the Browns at home, with a career mark of 13-0 against Cleveland at Heinz Field, including a 38-7 win on October 18th.
In case you’re wondering, FirstEnergy Stadium opened on September 12, 1999, as Cleveland Browns Stadium. On that night, Bill Cowher’s Steelers defeated Chris Palmer’s Browns 43-0 in front of 73,138 fans. The venue took on its current name in 2013, when Browns ownership announced a long-term naming rights partnership.
Former Browns quarterback Derek Anderson is third in FirstEnergy Stadium wins with 10.
Patriots 23, Ravens 17
In another notable development on Sunday, the New England Patriots (4-5) defeated the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) by a score of 23-17 on Sunday Night Football, giving the Steelers a three-game lead in the AFC North over both the Ravens and Browns. It’s the first time in the last 32 games that Baltimore has scored fewer than 20 points.
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson finished the game 24 of 34 for 249 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception. He also fell to 0-6 in his career when trailing by 10 or more points.
Ravens Tight End Suffers ‘Major’ Knee Injury
During the game Ravens tight end Nick Boyle suffered a gruesome looking knee injury. After the contest, Ravens coach John Harbaugh described it as a “major” injury and that Boyle would be out for the remainder of the 2020 season. Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams also suffered an ankle injury during the contest.
Coming into the Patriots game the Ravens already had nine players on injured reserve, including offensive tackle Ronnie Stanley, who signed a five-year contract extension just days before suffering a season-ending ankle injury against the Steelers. Others on IR include cornerback Khalil Dorsey, guard Tyre Phillips and cornerback Tavon Young.
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