Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs still remembers feeling devastated as he walked off the M&T Bank Stadium field following a 33-30 overtime loss to the Cleveland Browns in a controversial game that ultimately changed the NFL.
Cleveland kicker Phil Dawson’s 51-yard, game-tying field goal as time expired was ruled no good. But as the Ravens retreated to their locker room, officials reviewed the kick on instant replay. They saw the ball had struck the field goal’s support bar behind the crossbar, which caused it to riccochet to the ground in front of the goal post.
The call was reversed, and after the season, the NFL instituted rules allowing field goals to be challenged via instant replay.
“Yeah, I talked about it in the offseason,” Suggs said. “You can do that when you don’t have any playoffs. I was like, ‘What about in basketball when a shot goes in and then it rolls out? It’s no good, right?’ That’s just what I thought happened.”
Ten months later, the Ravens have a chance to put that game behind them when the Browns return this afternoon at 4:15. The Ravens (1-0) are tying to go 2-0 for the third time in team history after losing twice to Cleveland last season. As for the Browns, they are trying to avoid going 0-3 following losses to Pittsburgh and Dallas.
The poor start for the Browns, who have the 28th-ranked defense (384 yards per game) and the league’s worst scoring offense (8 ppg), has been surprising for a team that went 10-6 last season and returns a roster with several Pro Bowl players, including quarterback Derek Anderson and tight end Kellen Winslow. The Browns also tried to bolster their defense by trading for defensive lineman Shaun Rogers.
“We expected more from the team, period,” Browns coach Romeo Crennel said. “We expected the team to be improved, and we’re not where we need to be. But we are continuing to work on it, trying to get it right.”
The Browns’ terrible start adds to the intrigue of what expects to be an intense game between bitter rivals, as former Ravens’ executive Phil Savage has turned the Browns into one of the league’s most improved teams after arriving in 2005.
Savage signed Jamal Lewis after the Ravens released the Pro Bowl running back after the 2006 season, when he rushed for 1,132 yards and nine touchdowns. Lewis, however, has just 100 rushing yards on 32 carries this season after running for 1,304 yards and nine scores last year.
“I’ve been in this league for awhile, and I know it’s not time to panic,” said Lewis, who will try to become the first player to rush for 100 yards against the Ravens in 21 games. “I went to a Super Bowl with [the Ravens when] we didn’t score any points for five games. We lost a couple of games early, too, and we went on a nice winning streak.”
Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis believes the Browns are better than their record, as their losses — to the Steelers and Cowboys — were against Super Bowl contenders.
“They have a lot of pieces over there if you look at those guys” he said. “They’re a capable team and they won 10 games last year and are back this year. They started out with two of the hardest teams in the NFL.”
NOTES
Coach John Harbaugh said nose tackle Kelly Gregg will miss the next two games recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery he had during training camp. He will be replaced by Justin Bannan. NFL referee Ed Hochuli, who admitted he should have ruled Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler fumbled in Denver’s win over the San Diego Chargers last week, will be a part of the crew for Sunday’s game.
