❚ Ravens hold on, sneak in,
BALTIMORE – They flirted with disaster again, but this time the Ravens survived.
C.J. Mosley’s fourth-down interception with a little more than a minute remaining not only clinched the AFC North title for Baltimore, but it also prevented another embarrassing meltdown that could have cost the Ravens a playoff spot — as was the case last year.
The linebacker’s big play preserved a 26-24 victory against the Cleveland Browns, who rallied in the second half to present a possible nightmare for the Ravens and the crowd at M&T Bank Stadium.
After all, it happened last year when the Ravens blew their win-and-you’re-in scenario against the Cincinnati Bengals, when Andy Dalton connected with Tyler Boyd for a 49-yard touchdown on 4th-and-12 with 44 seconds remaining.
This time, Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, who passed for 376 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions, had a chance on 4th-and-10 from the Ravens’ 39yard line. But Mosley saved the day by leaping to snag a pass over the middle intended for Duke Johnson.
It gave Baltimore (10-6) its first playoff berth since 2014 and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs.
And it was a familiar script for the Ravens, now 6-1 since rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson took over for Joe Flacco as Baltimore rushed for a seasonhigh 293 yards.
But the run-heavy strategy backfired, too.
Cleveland got the football for its last-gasp drive after Jackson was credited with a 6-yard loss on a toss play that went awry on 3rd-and-5.
Jackson rushed 20 times for 90 yards, while Kenneth Dixon ran for 117 yards.
But ultimately, Jackson and the Ravens were saved by the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense.