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(Sports Network) – The Baltimore Ravens have had trouble this season following up big victories when they face a team below .500. They have a chance to buck that trend this Sunday with a matchup with the last-place Cleveland Browns.

The Ravens look to win a sixth straight divisional game and seventh in a row over the Browns this weekend at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

With an 8-3 record, Baltimore is not only tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the AFC North, but for the best record in the conference along with New England and Houston. The Ravens could be in an even better position, but all three of its losses this year have come against teams that were under .500 at the time.

Baltimore followed up a big Week 1 win over Pittsburgh with a loss in Tennessee, knocked off first-place Houston on Oct. 16 one week before an ugly defeat in Jacksonville and then followed up a road win over the Steelers with a setback in Seattle.

The Ravens hope those woes, which seem to creep up on the road, don’t follow them to Cleveland after they knocked off San Francisco by a 16-6 score in the “Harbaugh Bowl” on Thanksgiving. Baltimore used a club record-tying nine sacks and a touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to tight end Dennis Pitta to give head coach John Harbaugh a victory over the Niners and their sideline general, little brother Jim Harbaugh.

“It’s just a big win for us,” said John Harbaugh afterward. “It’s an opportunity going forward. It positions us really well. Now we have to conquer a game in Cleveland, one that’s been plaguing us all year.”‘

Harbaugh was referring to the Ravens’ issues against losing teams following big wins. Baltimore needs to shake the trend quickly, as its next four games are all against teams under .500, a stretch that is book-marked with games versus the Browns.

Baltimore’s head coach shook off the notion that his team just wasn’t ready for those games, saying that the Ravens just didn’t play well. He also stressed the challenge of this game given that the Browns are in the same division and are coming off a solid showing.

“We’ve got to turn over every stone,” Harbaugh said. “We certainly acknowledge that those three losses, coming off of big wins, against teams with sub-.500 records, were not good performances. They are team losses the way we look at it — coaches, players, all of us.”

The Browns certainly seem capable of pulling off the upset considering their performance last weekend in a 23-20 loss to Cincinnati. Cleveland, though, failed to hold leads of 17-7 and 20-10 as the Bengals’ Mike Nugent hit a 26- yard game-winning field with 38 ticks left.

That came after Cleveland’s Phil Dawson missed a 55-yard attempt at the other end following a bad snap. He had already hit a season-long 54-yarder earlier in the game, but long snapper Ryan Pontbriand’s toss back to the holder was low.

Pontbriand fell on the sword Tuesday, getting released.

“We didn’t finish it off,” said Browns head coach Pat Shurmur. “The Bengals did a good job of coming back on us. Just like if we had won the game it’d be a team victory, we lost the game and it was a team loss.”

Cleveland has lost four of its last five games and does not have an easy road to the end of its season. Four of its final five tests are against AFC North co-leaders Baltimore and Pittsburgh, including a meeting at the Ravens on Dec. 24.

The Ravens, meanwhile, have won two in a row despite playing both games without linebacker Ray Lewis, whom Harbaugh said has a chance of returning for this game.

Baltimore, which has won seven of its last eight versus AFC North opponents, can reach 9-3 for the second time in team history with a victory over Cleveland, joining the 2006 club.

SERIES HISTORY

The Ravens own a commanding 17-7 lead in their all-time series with the Browns, whose first edition of the franchise moved to Baltimore to become the Ravens prior to the 1996 season before re-entering the NFL as an expansion team in 1999, and have won each of the last six bouts between the rivals. Baltimore recorded its third straight home-and-home sweep of the Browns by following up a 24-17 home victory during Week 3 of the 2010 season with a 20-10 triumph in Cleveland last December, and also left Ohio with wins in both 2008 (37-27) and 2009 (16-0). The Browns last bested the Ravens via a 33-30 overtime decision at M&T Bank Stadium on Nov. 18, 2007 and topped Baltimore at home by a 27-13 count that same year as well.

Harbaugh is 6-0 lifetime against the Browns as a head coach, while Shurmur will be facing both the Ravens and Harbaugh in his current position. The two sideline bosses previously worked together on the staff of the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2007, with Shurmur then the team’s quarterback coach and Harbaugh the special teams coordinator and later in charge of defensive backs.

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BALTIMORE — An uncharacteristic performance by the Baltimore Ravens defense was offset by an uncommonly effective outing by Joe Flacco and the team’s oft-criticized offense.

Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards, and Baltimore moved into first place in the AFC North with a nerve-racking 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday.

Playing without middle linebacker Ray Lewis for the first time in 58 games, the Ravens (7-3) nearly blew a 17-point lead in the final 14 minutes, yielded 483 yards and let rookie quarterback Andy Dalton throw for 373.

But Baltimore got 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns from Ray Rice, and the defense made big plays when it counted most. After Rice was stuffed on a third-and-1 with just over two minutes left, he remained confident.

“I just looked at the clock and I said, ‘Our defense will get it done,’” he recalled. “That’s the faith I have in our guys.”

Even without Lewis, who watched from the sideline after being placed on the inactive list with a toe injury. The Ravens’ spiritual leader and leading tackler saw his unit pick off three passes and turn in a game-saving goal-line stand in the final minute.

Down 31-24, Cincinnati reached the Baltimore 7 before Terrell Suggs collared Dalton, who was called for intentional grounding. On fourth-and-goal, Dalton was sacked by Pernell McPhee.

The Bengals (6-4) needed seven points because on the previous series, an apparent 9-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Jermaine Gresham was overturned by a replay that determined the receiver didn’t hold onto the ball at the end of a juggling catch. The Bengals settled for a field goal with 5:32 remaining.

“When the receiver went to the ground, he had the ball in his right hand,” referee Ron Winter said. “The ball touched the ground and his hand came off the ball.”

Baltimore is locked in a first-place tie with Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but the Ravens own the tiebreaker by virtue of their two wins over the Steelers.

“No. 1 in the division, that’s huge,” Suggs said. “Now we’re the master of our destiny.”

Even though it wasn’t a banner day for the defense, the three interceptions set up two touchdowns.

“Whenever we can get turnovers, it definitely makes everybody’s job easier,” cornerback Cary Williams said. “It’s just being able to capitalize on opportunities, and we did that today.”

Dalton went 24 for 45 with a touchdown. Cincinnati was without standout rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, who hurt his right knee a week earlier in a loss to Pittsburgh.

But the Bengals gave Baltimore all it could handle.

“We’ve won six games to this point and we’ll win some more,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons, lick our wounds and go.”

One week earlier, the Bengals came up short in rallying from a 14-0 deficit against Pittsburgh. It was more of the same against the Ravens.

“It comes down to the fourth quarter. That’s how every game’s been for us,” Dalton said. “We’ve got to start faster. We can’t wait around until the end of the game to pick it up, come out and get back in it. It’s definitely going to be a focus for us.”

Baltimore took a 24-14 lead on a 2-yard run by Rice late in the third quarter. The score came after Ravens rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith picked off a pass and returned it 16 yards before fumbling. The loose ball was recovered at the Cincinnati 2 by teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo in a pile that included Winter.

The Bengals’ following possession ended with an interception by Lardarius Webb. On the next play, Torrey Smith split the Bengals’ two-deep zone and caught a 38-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to make it 31-14.

The Bengals responded with a five-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Andre Caldwell, who slipped behind Jimmy Smith down the right sideline.

But the Ravens held on, rebounding after a 22-17 loss at Seattle last week. Baltimore has won 12 straight following a defeat.

“It’s good to bounce back,” Suggs said, “but let’s not take any more steps back.”

The Bengals punted six times in the first half, two short of their season high for an entire game. Cincinnati’s offense managed only 143 yards before halftime, 47 of those on one play.

On the Bengals’ second possession, wide receiver Jerome Simpson made a juggling catch for a 47-yard gain to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Cedric Benson.

The Ravens didn’t get past midfield until early in the second quarter, following a 15-yard punt by Kevin Huber. Starting at its 45, Baltimore picked up a first down before Flacco tossed a short pass to Anquan Boldin, who ran the final 20 yards for a 35-yard touchdown.

Notes

• Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony.
• Ravens LB Jarret Johnson made his 74th consecutive start, breaking the franchise record previously held by Michael McCrary and Jamie Sharper.
• Baltimore has won seven straight at home and 15 of 16.

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All those stirring comebacks and down-to-the-wire finishes won’t mean a thing if the Cincinnati Bengals can’t find a way to play a complete game against a tough opponent.

They didn’t do it against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, absorbing a 31-24 defeat and squandering an opportunity to move into a first-place tie in the AFC North.

Instead, the Bengals were again left wondering what went wrong. One week after rallying from a 14-0 deficit before losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cincinnati came up short in an effort to climb out of a 17-point hole against Baltimore.

And now, the Bengals (6-4) are in third place behind the Steelers (7-3) and Ravens (7-3).

“In my mind, we’re better than those teams,” tight end Jermaine Gresham said. “They’re great teams and everything, but I think big mistakes killed (us) in some areas. We just have to get better. We will get better.”

The need to play a full 60 minutes against elite competition was a constant refrain in a quiet Cincinnati dressing room, where players lamented their inability to compensate for untimely mistakes and voiced a sense that they could perform at a higher level.

“It comes down to the fourth quarter,” said rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, whose would-be game-tying drive stalled at the Baltimore 17. “That’s how every game’s been for us. We’ve got to start faster. We can’t wait around until the end of the game to pick it up, come out and get back in it. It’s definitely going to be a focus for us.”

Bengals defensive tackle Domata Peko added, “We played a good game today, but we didn’t finish. Usually, we finish. We need to finish.”

Joe Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Torrey Smith had six catches for 165 yards, and the Ravens won despite playing without injured middle linebacker Ray Lewis, who was inactive with a toe injury.

Baltimore yielded 483 yards and let Dalton throw for 373, but the defense picked off three passes made big plays when it counted most. After Ravens running back Ray Rice was stuffed on a third-and-1 with just over two minutes left, he remained confident.

“I just looked at the clock and I said, ‘Our defense will get it done,’” he recalled. “That’s the faith I have in our guys.”

Down 31-24, Cincinnati reached the Baltimore 7 before Terrell Suggs collared Dalton, who was called for intentional grounding. On fourth-and-goal, Dalton was sacked by Pernell McPhee.

The Bengals needed seven points because on the previous series, an apparent 9-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Jermaine Gresham was overturned by a replay that determined the receiver didn’t hold onto the ball at the end of a juggling catch. Cincinnati settled for a field goal with 5:32 remaining.

“When the receiver went to the ground, he had the ball in his right hand,” referee Ron Winter said. “The ball touched the ground and his hand came off the ball.”

Baltimore is locked in a first-place tie with Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but the Ravens own the tiebreaker by virtue of their two wins over the Steelers.

“No. 1 in the division, that’s huge,” Suggs said. “Now we’re the master of our destiny.”

Dalton went 24 for 45 with a touchdown. Cincinnati was without standout rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, who hurt his right knee last week.

But the Bengals gave Baltimore all it could handle.

“We’ve won six games to this point and we’ll win some more,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons, lick our wounds and go.”

Baltimore took a 24-14 lead on a 2-yard run by Rice late in the third quarter. The score came after Ravens rookie cornerback Jimmy Smith picked off a pass and returned it 16 yards before fumbling. The loose ball was recovered at the Cincinnati 2 by teammate Brendon Ayanbadejo in a pile that included Winter.

The Bengals’ following possession ended with an interception by Lardarius Webb. On the next play, Torrey Smith split Cincinnati’s two-deep zone and caught a 38-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to make it 31-14.

Dalton responded with a five-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass to Andre Caldwell, who slipped behind Jimmy Smith down the right sideline.

The Bengals punted six times in the first half, two short of their season high for an entire game. Cincinnati’s offense managed only 143 yards before halftime, 47 of those on one play.

On the Bengals’ second possession, Jerome Simpson made a juggling catch for a 47-yard gain to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by Cedric Benson.

The Ravens didn’t get past midfield until early in the second quarter, following a 15-yard punt by Kevin Huber. Starting at its 45, Baltimore picked up a first down before Flacco tossed a short pass to Anquan Boldin, who ran the final 20 yards for a 35-yard touchdown.

NOTES: Former Ravens kicker Matt Stover was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. … Ravens LB Jarret Johnson made his 74th consecutive start, breaking the franchise record previously held by Michael McCrary and Jamie Sharper. … Baltimore has won seven straight at home and 15 of 16. … Cincinnati has lost two straight following a five-game winning streak.

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BALTIMORE (AP) — An uncharacteristic performance by the
Baltimore Ravens
defense was offset by an uncommonly effective outing by
Joe Flacco
and the team’s oft-criticized offense.

Flacco threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns, rookie
Torrey Smith
had six catches for 165 yards, and Baltimore moved into first place in the AFC North with a nerve-racking 31-24 victory over
the
Cincinnati Bengals
on Sunday.

Playing without middle linebacker
Ray Lewis
for the first time in 58 games, the Ravens (7-3) nearly blew a 17-point lead in the final 14 minutes, yielded 483 yards and
let rookie quarterback
Andy Dalton
throw for 373.

But Baltimore got 104 yards rushing and two touchdowns from
Ray Rice
, and the defense made big plays when it counted most. After Rice was stuffed on a third-and-1 with just over two minutes
left, he remained confident.

“I just looked at the clock and I said, `Our defense will get it done,”‘ he recalled. “That’s the faith I have in our guys.”

Even without Lewis, who watched from the sideline after being placed on the inactive list with a toe injury. The Ravens’ spiritual
leader and leading tackler saw his unit pick off three passes and turn in a game-saving goal-line stand in the final minute.

Down 31-24, Cincinnati reached the Baltimore 7 before
Terrell Suggs
collared Dalton, who was called for intentional grounding. On fourth-and-goal, Dalton was sacked by
Pernell McPhee
.

The Bengals (6-4) needed seven points because on the previous series, an apparent 9-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to
Jermaine Gresham
was overturned by a replay that determined the receiver didn’t hold onto the ball at the end of a juggling catch. The Bengals
settled for a field goal with 5:32 remaining.

“When the receiver went to the ground, he had the ball in his right hand,” referee Ron Winter said. “The ball touched the
ground and his hand came off the ball.”

Baltimore is locked in a first-place tie with Pittsburgh in the AFC North, but the Ravens own the tiebreaker by virtue of
their two wins over the Steelers.

“No. 1 in the division, that’s huge,” Suggs said. “Now we’re the master of our destiny.”

The Ravens won in part because of Smith, whose 165 yards were third-most by a receiver in Ravens history. He might have had
more if
Adam Jones
didn’t grab hold of Smith’s long dreadlocks at the end of a 28-yard completion in the second quarter.

Jones was initially flagged for a horse-collar tackle, but officials corrected themselves and did not mark off any yardage
because it’s legal to tackle a runner by pulling his hair.

Even though it wasn’t a banner day for the Baltimore defense, its three interceptions set up two touchdowns.

“Whenever we can get turnovers, it definitely makes everybody’s job easier,” cornerback
Cary Williams
said. “It’s just being able to capitalize on opportunities, and we did that today.”

Dalton went 24 for 45 with a touchdown. Cincinnati was without standout rookie wide receiver A.J. Green, who hurt his right
knee a week earlier in a loss to Pittsburgh.

But the Bengals gave Baltimore all it could handle.

“We’ve won six games to this point and we’ll win some more,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “We’ve just got to circle the wagons,
lick our wounds and go.”

One week earlier, the Bengals came up short in rallying from a 14-0 deficit against Pittsburgh. It was more of the same against
the Ravens.

“It comes down to the fourth quarter. That’s how every game’s been for us,” Dalton said. “We’ve got to start faster. We can’t
wait around until the end of the game to pick it up, come out and get back in it. It’s definitely going to be a focus for
us.”

Baltimore took a 24-14 lead on a 2-yard run by Rice late in the third quarter. The score came after Ravens rookie cornerback

Jimmy Smith
picked off a pass and returned it 16 yards before fumbling. The loose ball was recovered at the Cincinnati 2 by teammate
Brendon Ayanbadejo
in a pile that included Winter.

The Bengals’ following possession ended with an interception by
Lardarius Webb
. On the next play,
Torrey Smith
split the Bengals’ two-deep zone and caught a 38-yard touchdown pass in the back of the end zone to make it 31-14.

The Bengals responded with a five-play, 80-yard drive capped by a 49-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to
Andre Caldwell
, who slipped behind
Jimmy Smith
down the right sideline.

But the Ravens held on, rebounding after a 22-17 loss at Seattle last week. Baltimore has won 12 straight following a defeat.

“It’s good to bounce back,” Suggs said, “but let’s not take any more steps back.”

The Bengals punted six times in the first half, two short of their season high for an entire game. Cincinnati’s offense managed
only 143 yards before halftime, 47 of those on one play.

On the Bengals’ second possession, wide receiver
Jerome Simpson
made a juggling catch for a 47-yard gain to set up a 7-yard touchdown run by
Cedric Benson
.

The Ravens didn’t get past midfield until early in the second quarter, following a 15-yard punt by
Kevin Huber
. Starting at its 45, Baltimore picked up a first down before Flacco tossed a short pass to
Anquan Boldin
, who ran the final 20 yards for a 35-yard touchdown.

NOTES: Former Ravens kicker
Matt Stover
was inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor during a halftime ceremony. … Ravens LB
Jarret Johnson
made his 74th consecutive start, breaking the franchise record previously held by Michael McCrary and Jamie Sharper. … Baltimore
has won seven straight at home and 15 of 16.

© 2011 STATS LLC

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There is the quick update of the day.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) got just what they needed to jump back into first place in the AFC North. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals (6-3) on their home field (again) and then watched the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) fall apart (again). Heading into a much-needed bye week, the Steelers are looking down at the rest of the AFC North, holding a half game lead on the two contenders. (The 3-6 Cleveland Browns are out of this race.)

Fending off hungry tigers

The Bengals came into the game as one of the good surprises of the first half of the season. With a tenacious defense and the “Rookie Connection” of QB Andy Dalton(notes) and WR A.J. Green(notes), the Bengals had done enough to win five straight. At 6-2, even their often-disappointed fans might have felt a glimmer of hope. But the Bengals had not played either the Steelers or the Ravens.

The Steelers showed no ill effects from the last second loss at home against the Ravens. The offense took the ball into the end zone on the their first two possessions, displaying their wide array of weapons. Although a tipped ball interception and a revival of the Rookie Connection got the Bengals back into the game, the Steelers did not fold or crumble. They just kept to business. In the third quarter, the Bengals tied the game at 17 when Dalton made a great, under-pressure TD throw to Jermaine Gresham(notes). But the Steelers drove 81 yards on their next possession, and Rashard Mendenhall(notes) scored his second TD of the day, a 9 yard romp that showed a tired defense. The Bengals had four chances to score in the fourth quarter, but punted twice and threw two interceptions. After the last interception, the Steelers earned two first downs and ran out the clock. No last second heroics allowed. The Bengals were not laughable, but they were not in the Steelers’ class either.

Ravens fall flat

The Baltimore Ravens are too psychologically weak to be champions. They crumbled again a week after winning an emotional game against their arch-rivals, the Steelers. In week two, they were whipped by the physical, but mediocre Tennessee Titans. This time, they lost to the lousy Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens signature defense looked average again, letting Marshawn Lynch(notes) run through them for 167 all-purpose yards. Instead of stepping up to control the AFC North, the Ravens let the Steelers back in. The Ravens will now have to fight to keep pace with the Steelers. They own the head-to-head tie-breaker against the Steelers, but they just used up their margin for error.

Now the schedule gets interesting! The AFC North race will be featured even as the Steelers take their Thanksgiving bye week. The Bengals travel to M&T Bank Stadium to face the humiliated Ravens on Sunday, November 20. The winner will keep pace with the Steelers (the Ravens would lead by virtue of their tie-breaker; the Bengals would be behind the Steelers). But the Ravens/Bengals loser will fall off the pace and face a tough uphill battle to make the playoffs. The Steelers don’t play until after Thanksgiving. For now, I will sit back, be thankful for first place, and enjoy the desperate struggle between the Ravens and Bengals. I hope they beat the stuffing out of each other.

Sean Durity is a Terrible Towel twirling Steelers fan living in Atlanta. He grew up cheering the 1970s dynasty and appreciates the organization’s excellence even more as an adult.

More from this contributor:

Preview of the three game gauntlet the Steelers just completed

My pre-training camp predictions had the Steelers at 8-2 at this point. 7-3 is pretty close!

SOURCES

Steelers at Bengals recap, espn.go.com

Ravens at Seahawks recap, espn.go.com

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