The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Browns hope to get underdog victory against Ravens

Mesoraco's slam sends Reds over Braves
7:38 a.m.
Lost chances cost Cougars
5/25/12
Badin advances to regional final
5/25/12
West hopes to keep winning
5/25/12
Is third time the charm for senior?
5/25/12
> More sports headlines

By TOM WITHERS, Associated Press Updated 12:12 AM Sunday, December 4, 2011

CLEVELAND — Because they played on Thanksgiving, the Baltimore Ravens enjoyed a long holiday weekend and got to rest last Sunday.

They can't afford to take another one off.

Baltimore's three losses this season have followed the same pattern. All of them have come on the road, all of them have come against a weaker opponent and all of them have come the week after an impressive win.

So don't think for a second that a trip to Cleveland has the Ravens (8-3) feeling overconfident. They know the Browns (4-7) are always ready to brawl.

"If you were a fighter, this is the fighter you avoid at all costs because he is always going to fight you hard, and he is always going to fight you for the 12 rounds," Ravens defensive end Terrell Suggs said. "If you look at just the matchups between the two teams in the past, they have always brought it against us. They have always had a special thing to play us.

"They are going to bring it. Our work is cut out for us."

Tied atop the AFC North with Pittsburgh, the Ravens can't afford any letdown against the Browns, who despite losing four of their past five games and falling back to their familiar spot at the bottom of the division, have the NFL's top-ranked pass defense and are showing signs of improvement.

Cleveland doesn't have playoff hopes, but nothing would ease the pain more than beating the Ravens, who have already shown a tendency to ease up against lesser teams.

Baltimore opened the season by blowing out Pittsburgh 35-7, and followed it with a loss in Week 2 at Tennessee. After thrashing Houston on Oct. 16, the Ravens were shocked in a Monday night game the next week by Jacksonville. Then, after Baltimore completed a season sweep by winning at Pittsburgh, the Ravens were beaten at Seattle the following week.

Coach John Harbaugh is confident his team knows better than to take anyone lightly. They've lived the "any given Sunday" — or Monday — cliche this season.

"Our guys, even in the games we haven't played well and lost on the road, I don't believe we had an emotional letdown," he said. "We just have to play well. Every single team in this league is really good and I think the Browns are exceptionally good — much better than their record would indicate. We've always had tough games against them. Our guys understand the Browns, they understand the division rivalry and they understand what they're getting into, so I don't think there's any possibility of any kind of emotional letdown.

"We respect everybody and we really respect the Browns."

Baltimore may again be without linebacker Ray Lewis, the heart, soul and conscience of the Ravens' nasty defense. Lewis missed practice this week with a toe injury that has kept him out of the previous two games. If Lewis can't play, Jameel McClain will fill in for the third week in a row.

McClain had eight tackles in Baltimore's recent win over San Francisco, but he's not about to call himself Lewis' replacement.

"Nobody can be Ray Lewis' replacement," he said. "Ray Lewis is someone phenomenal."

But just because Lewis could be out, that doesn't make things any easier for Cleveland. Browns coach Pat Shurmur must design a game plan that accounts for all of the Ravens' defensive stars.

"You'll go into the game knowing this is a certain guy you need to block, this is a certain guy that you don't want to wreck the game," he said. "The challenge for them is they've got about three or four of them up front."

For the Browns to pull an upset, they'll need to be able to run the ball and stay out of obvious passing situations. It's on those 2nd- and 3rd-and-long plays when the Ravens turn their pass rush loose with Suggs and Co. playing a diabolical game of "meet me at the quarterback."

Baltimore leads the league with 38 sacks, including nine to tie a franchise record in the Ravens' 16-6 win over the 49ers on Thanksgiving.

Browns quarterback Colt McCoy expects to be under pressure from the first snap until the last. He's counting on Cleveland's line to protect his back, front, side and whatever other direction the Ravens might be flying at him from.

"You have to trust your guys," said McCoy, who threw three interceptions last season in his first matchup with Baltimore. "You have to trust your running backs. You have to trust your offensive line to pick up the protection and you have to trust your guys to get open. That's how it is week to week. This week they are really good up front. They've pressured more than anybody we've seen. We've got a lot on our plate, a lot to handle, but we're excited about the challenge."

Peyton Hillis may be the one who can help the Browns most.

After missing five straight games with a hamstring injury, Hillis came back and gained 65 yards last week in a loss to Cincinnati. Hillis ran hard and with purpose, a positive sign that's he's trying to finish strong after being hurt and becoming a distraction this season.

Hillis had a breakout performance the first time he played Baltimore last year. He gashed the Ravens for 144 yards, the most by a back against their defense since 2005. However, the second time he faced them, Hillis, playing with broken ribs, gained just 35 yards.

"They're a good defense," Hillis said. "They're big up front, their front seven is great and you really have to prepare well for 'em if you're going to run the ball on 'em."

The Ravens are expecting the Browns to feed them a heaping portion of Hillis.

"He's a really aggressive runner," Suggs said. "Everybody knows he is Peyton Hillis; he has the Madden cover. He likes to have good games against good defenses. I expect for the juggernaut to be up in there and try to run down some walls."

Share this article