They kept the Baltimore Ravens in the thick of the race for the AFC North title and a spot in the playoffs, but the Cleveland Browns weren’t in the mood to accept any thanks from their division rivals after upsetting the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.
The Browns beating the Steelers 13-6 at Huntington Bank Field on Sunday, December 28 means the Ravens can claim the division crown and seal a return to the postseason by winning on the road in Pittsburgh next week.
Although they had already done their part by battering the Green Bay Packers with a run-first offense on Saturday, the Ravens still needed a vital assist from the Browns.
A simple message of “PERFECT Timing S/O @Browns” was posted on the Ravens’ X account shortly after Aaron Rodgers’ fourth -down pass into the end zone fell incomplete in Cleveland.
The Browns swiftly retorted by telling the Ravens, “don’t think we did this for you.”
Nobody connected to the Ravens is going to be bothered about what motivated a 3-12 Browns team to knock off the playoff-chasing Steelers. All the Ravens and head coach John Harbaugh ought to care about is winning at Acrisure Stadium in seven days.
Their chances of doing so will be improved if star quarterback Lamar Jackson is able to recover from the back injury that kept him out against the Packers. The Ravens also received an unexpected boost when the Steelers lost a key weapon late on in Cleveland.
Ravens Appreciate Favor from the Browns
There was no way the Browns would ever intentionally do the Ravens a solid, but the motivation to beat the Steelers is always strong for Cleveland’s NFL franchise. The team was rebooted in 1999 after the original Browns had left for Baltimore and become the Ravens three years earlier, so it’s hardly surprising any gratitude from those who call M&T Bank Stadium home would be less than welcome with members of the Dawg Pound.
None of that history could stop certain Ravens players from openly celebrating the Browns earning a hard-fought victory. Among the revellers was tight end Charlie Kolar, who openly admitted to having “never even been that nervous playing a game. Thank you Browns.”
The experience of having to watch and wait for a familiar foe to do them a favor was an uncomfortable one for the Ravens. Yet, any tension was the price to pay for a team that had stumbled through most of the last month before steamrolling the Packers.
Winning at Leambeau Field put the postseason back in play for these Ravens, and the stakes were higher for some than others. Particularly for edge-rusher Dre’Mont Jones, who joined in a mid-season trade from the Tennessee Titans, with whom he was never going to sniff the playoffs this season.
Jones, who has been a useful disruptor since donning a Ravens uniform, couldn’t contain his joy. He posted simply, “Let’s GO BROWNS!!!!” after the latter had essentially saved his season.
The salvage job isn’t complete just yet. Next, Jones and Baltimore’s defense must stop Rodgers and end a barren run for the Ravens in The Steel City.
Steelers Hold Edge in Recent Rivalry, but Face Injury Issue
It’s fair to say the Steelers have had the Ravens’ number in recent matchups, especially at home. As ESPN’s Jamison Hensley noted, “The Ravens have lost four of their last five trips to Pittsburgh since 2020. All four losses were by 7 points or fewer. All four losses by a combined 15 points. Baltimore’s last win there was 2022 (a 16-14 win).”
All four losses were by 7 points or fewer.
All four losses by a combined 15 points.
Baltimore’s last win there was 2022 (a 16-14 win).
Harbaugh’s men also dropped a controversial 27-22 game at home to the Steelers back in Week 14. The contest featured some contentious overturned calls that left the Ravens fuming at the officials.
Reversing a dire trend against their rivals will require the Ravens standing up to a physical Steelers offense. Much like the Ravens, the Black and Gold also lean on a bruising running game powered by heavy personnel, with 6-foot-7, 264-pound tight end Darnell Washington a key figure.
Unfortunately for Washington and the Steelers, the third-year pro broke his arm against the Browns, according to head coach Mike Tomlin, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
If the Steelers can’t muscle the Ravens on the ground without Washington, then Jones and Co. will get to tee off on 42-year-old Rodgers. It’s how the Ravens can complete their unlikely late dash to the playoffs.
Ravens Get 7-Word Reply After Shoutout to Browns for Playoff Boost