BALTIMORE (AP) — As long as
Terrell Suggs
continues to go harass opposing quarterbacks, and if defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano repeatedly finds the perfect blitzes
to call, the
Baltimore Ravens
will keep on winning without
Ray Lewis
.

Suggs had three sacks and forced three fumbles as part of an overwhelming defensive performance by the Ravens, who kept the

Indianapolis Colts
winless with a 24-10 victory Sunday.

Lewis, Baltimore’s standout middle linebacker and longtime defensive leader, missed a fourth straight game with a right toe
injury. The Ravens (10-3) have won every one of those games.

“Right now I think we’re all just doing our part holding the levee until the general gets back,” Suggs said. “That’s why I
honestly think we’re playing the way we are.”

Baltimore limited the hapless Colts to 167 yards – just 53 through three quarters. Were it not for a touchdown on the game’s
final play, Indianapolis would have been held without a TD for only the second time since the 2003 season opener.

Baltimore didn’t recover any of the three fumbles that Suggs forced, but he harassed Colts quarterback
Dan Orlovsky
throughout the afternoon.

“We shut them down early, and then they had to start passing the ball,” Ravens defensive tackle
Haloti Ngata
said. “That’s when
Terrell Suggs
went crazy.”

Suggs, a movie buff, described the action this way: “It’s chaos out there. A lot is going on more than you see. It’s like
`The Matrix’ out there with a little bit of `Inception’. It’s a little bit crazy.”

Joe Flacco
threw two touchdown passes and
Ray Rice
ran for 103 yards and a score to help the Ravens win their fourth straight and improve to 7-0 at home. Baltimore is tied with
Pittsburgh for the lead in the AFC North, but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker because of their two wins over the Steelers.

“We have control of our own destiny,” Rice said. “We’re in the driver’s seat. As long as we keep winning, we’ll be fine.”

The Ravens had lost eight straight to Indianapolis, but that was when
Peyton Manning
was healthy and at the top of his game. He has yet to play this year because of a neck injury.

Orlovsky, the third Colts quarterback to start this season, went 17 for 37 for 136 yards and an interception. He was sacked
four times and hounded throughout the game by Suggs.

“He’s as good a pass rusher as I’ve played against,” Orlovsky said of Suggs. “I can’t say anything bad about him as a football
player.”

Suggs attributed Baltimore’s success to the schemes set in place by Pagano, in his first season as Baltimore’s defensive coordinator.
To emphasize the point, Suggs sarcastically made Pagano out to be clueless.

“If anybody trying to hire a head coach, if they ask me I’m going to tell them he (stinks),” Suggs said. “He’s a terrible
coach and his players don’t love him. He don’t know what he’s doing when he’s calling a game.”

The game was far more lopsided than the final score would indicate. Baltimore led 17-3 at halftime and 24-3 in the third quarter,
and the Colts drove 76 yards in the final two minutes in a drive that ended with Orlovsky throwing a 13-yard touchdown pass
to
Jacob Tamme
as time expired.

Indianapolis has three games left in the season. If the Colts don’t win, they will join the 2008
Detroit Lions
as the only NFL team to go 0-16 in a season.

“Losing (stinks), no matter what it is,” Orlovsky said. “Whether it’s football, if it’s rock-paper, none of us like to lose.
There’s nothing fun about losing.”

Colts coach Jim Caldwell said, “We need to find a way to get our team better so we can get a victory. And not just one. We’re
running out of time.”

The Ravens needed less than five minutes to take the lead for good. After the Colts went three and out following the opening
kickoff,
Lardarius Webb
returned a punt 27 yards to the Indianapolis 40 and Flacco capped a six-play drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to
Torrey Smith
.

Baltimore’s next march covered 66 yards over 13 plays and ended with a 36-yard field goal by
Billy Cundiff
for a 10-0 lead.

The first quarter ended with the Ravens holding a 111-10 advantage in yardage and an 8-1 lead in first downs.

Nothing changed in the second quarter. Baltimore forced a punt and Flacco went 5 for 7 for 54 yards in a 10-play drive that
ended with a 6-yard touchdown run by Rice.

Indianapolis finally got into Baltimore territory when
Joe Lefeged
returned the ensuing kickoff 51 yards. Orlovsky then completed a fourth-down pass to
Dallas Clark
, and
Adam Vinatieri
kicked a field goal to make it 17-3 late in the half.

Baltimore went ahead 24-3 with 3:41 left in the third quarter. Flacco rolled to his right and was near the sideline when he
threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to
Dennis Pitta
in the middle of the end zone.

Flacco went 23 for 31 for 227 yards and an interception.

NOTES: Suggs has a career-high 13 sacks. … The Colts have only six INTs this season. … Flacco went over 3,000 yards passing
and Rice eclipsed 1,000 yards rushing. … Smith’s TD gave him six, tying Jamal Lewis for most by a Ravens rookie. … Indy’s

Dwight Freeney
had two sacks to go over 100 for his career.

© 2011 STATS LLC

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Pregame scribbles before today’s Ravens-Browns matchup.

1. I keep trying to figure out how the Browns can beat Baltimore — I can’t find a way. There is one possibility: The Out of Nowhere Game. That’s the game most teams win each year that makes no sense. Last season, the Browns won at New Orleans. In 2009, they beat Pittsburgh. In 2008, they embarrassed the New York Jets. Chris Palmer was 2-2 vs. Pittsburgh and 3-25 vs. the rest of the NFL in the 1999-2000 expansion seasons.

2. I still don’t see it happening.

3. At the start of the season, the lack of depth at linebacker worried me. They were counting on D’Qwell Jackson, Scott Fujita and Chris Gocong. Jackson had played only six games in the previous two seasons. Fujita had missed 12 games in the previous two years. Gocong had stayed healthy. Now, Fujita is done for the year with a broken hand, missing the final five games. The Browns are down to Kaluka Maiava and Titus Brown, who has battled high ankle sprains the last two years.

4. Jackson is having a season worthy of Pro Bowl consideration, as he’s played 100 percent of the snaps. Fujita had played 95 percent, Gocong 76 percent. When Gocong left the game, the Browns usually went with five defensive backs and two linebackers. Maiava (76 total snaps) and Brown (22 snaps) had played little this season.

5. This a big day for long snapper Christian Yount, who takes over for the waived Ryan Pontbriand. Yount was considered one of the best snappers in college football last year at UCLA. Draft and college football expert Phil Steele rated him the fourth-best snapper in college football. He was picked up by Tampa Bay (it seems only the Browns actually draft a snapper), and played seven games before being cut. He was filling in for veteran Andrew Economos, who had been injured and has been the Bucs’ snapper since 2007. Yount being dropped from the roster apparently had nothing to do with his performance.

6. Pontribriand will be paid his $825,000 salary this season. It’s the final year of a 5-year, $4.5 million contract that he had signed. He made about $7 million snapping for the Browns since 2003.

7. This from Ken Moll of Scouts Inc. as he wrote about the game with Baltimore: “The Browns’ Colt McCoy is a talented young quarterback who has size limitations. He has adequate arm strength but can be inconsistent when sitting in the pocket and trying to power the ball into tight spaces. To deliver the ball efficiently, McCoy is best on the edges while scrambling, in bootlegs or dash schemes. Look for (the Ravens) to play more base-combination zone coverages with disciplined four-man rush packages to force McCoy to move the chains from the pocket.”

8. While McCoy has made some good throws rolling out, he also has thrown six of his eight interceptions on the right sideline. The coaches have been telling him to either run out of bounds or throw the ball away when on one of those desperate sprints.

9. As Pat Shurmur prepares to face Pittsburgh and Baltimore for the first time, here’s a look back at the record of some recent Browns coaches: Eric Mangini (1-3, beat Pittsburgh); Romeo Crennel (3-13, he was 3-5 vs., Baltimore, 0-8 vs. Pittsburgh); Butch Davis (6-11, he beat Baltimore five times!); Chris Palmer was 2-2 vs. the Steelers, 0-4 vs. Baltimore.

10. Finally, I am curious to see if Peyton Hillis can have a big game. I’d love to see him finish strong just so the Browns have a viable option at running back next season, especially if Hillis continues with his good attitude that has returned the last few weeks.

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.

CBSSports.com wire reports
Nov. 20, 2011

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.

BALTIMORE, MD (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.