BALTIMORE (AP) — Eight games, eight wins. The Baltimore Ravens achieved perfection at home for the first time, and now they’re looking to add to that ledger in the playoffs.

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes, and the Ravens beat the bumbling Cleveland Browns 20-14 on Saturday to move one step closer to winning the AFC North.

Ray Rice ran for 87 yards and caught a TD pass for the Ravens (11-4), who led 17-0 at halftime and held on.

“I have never been perfect at home in 16 years of football. That’s amazing,” Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis said. “As good of teams we’ve had here, we’ve always found (a way) to lose one or two here or there. I think this year we really made a focus on taking care at home. This is the result, us being able to go 8-0 and being able to be sitting where you want to sit at the end of the day.”

The Ravens would win the AFC North by defeating Cincinnati on the road next week. That would also give Baltimore a first-round bye and a home playoff game — two if New England loses next Sunday at home against Buffalo.

“It’s big, man,” linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “We are at our best when we are at (home) and our fans are rocking. So we definitely need a home playoff game, by any means necessary.”

Flacco went 11 for 24 with touchdown passes to Rice and tight end Ed Dickson. He also had a 33-yard run.

Josh Cribbs had a career-high 84-yard punt return for a TD for Cleveland (4-11). But the Browns generated very little offense and were guilty of questionable play calling, bad clock management and untimely penalties in their fifth straight loss.

Cleveland saved the worst for last. Having already burned their three timeouts, the Browns lined up on defense after the two-minute warning with the Ravens facing a fourth-and-2 at the Cleveland 37.

It appeared obvious that Flacco and the Ravens were merely hoping to draw the Browns offside.

As the play clock moved close to zero, Cleveland tackle Phil Taylor jumped across the line of scrimmage to give Baltimore a first down.

“It was the first hard count and we stayed onside,” Taylor said. “The second time, I just jumped. Of course you feel bad, but you just got to move on.”

Said Flacco: “I don’t know if I’ve ever been in position for that to happen. It’s never worked.”

The Ravens then ran out the clock on their eighth straight win over the Browns, including two this month.

“We knew this would be quite a challenge for us,” Cleveland quarterback Seneca Wallace said. “We’re playing the Ravens at home, and they’re playing for everything. I should have played better, and I should have made better decisions.”

Wallace went 19 for 33 for 147 yards in place of Colt McCoy, who was out with a concussion. Peyton Hillis ran for 112 yards, but Cleveland’s offense mounted only one decent drive.

The Browns took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 26 to the Baltimore 30 behind the power of Hillis, who gained 30 yards on six carries. But on a third-and-1, Cleveland inexplicably went to the air, and Lardarius Webb intercepted Wallace’s pass for Mohamed Massaquoi.

Flacco immediately threw deep for Torrey Smith, who drew a 60-yard penalty for pass interference on Mike Adams to set up a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dickson.

Later, a 29-yard throw from Flacco to Smith led to a 48-yard field goal by newcomer Shayne Graham, signed in the middle of the week to take over for the injured Billy Cundiff.

After another Cleveland punt, Flacco directed an 82-yard drive that gave Baltimore a 17-0 lead. Rice slipped behind linebacker D’Qwell Jackson on the right sideline, caught a soft pass in stride and sprinted into the end zone to complete a 42-yard scoring play.

That made Flacco 5 for 5 for 94 yards and two touchdowns on third down.

Cleveland moved deep into Baltimore territory late in the first half, thanks in part to a 30-yard pass interference call against Chris Carr. But with the clock inside 10 seconds and the Browns without a timeout left, Wallace handed off to Hillis instead of spiking the ball, and Hillis went nowhere.

Wallace took the blame, and so did Browns coach Pat Shurmur.

“I need to communicate it better, OK?” Shurmur said.

Time expired before Cleveland could get off another play, and the Browns headed to the locker room after being held scoreless in the first half for the second time this season. The other time it happened was also against Baltimore.

Graham kicked a 43-yard field goal in the third quarter to make it 20-0.

The Browns finally scored when Cribbs took a punt on the right sideline, escaped an arm tackle and broke toward the center of the field before outrunning three defenders into the left corner of the end zone late in the third quarter.

“I was wondering where all the defenders were,” Cribbs said. “I saw all the great blocking around me. From there, it was easy. It was just a walk in.”

Cribbs also contributed to Cleveland‘s next touchdown, catching a 23-yard pass from Wallace as part of an 80-yard drive that ended with a 9-yard TD throw to Evan Moore midway through the fourth quarter.

The Browns forced a punt, but on a fourth-and-4 from the Cleveland 45 with 4:03 left, a pass to Hillis did not produce the necessary yardage.

Taylor’s jump across the line of scrimmage soon followed.

NOTES: Ravens KR David Reed hurt his left knee and declared himself out for the season. Also, Baltimore OT Marshal Yanda (chest) and CB Cary Williams (concussion) did not play in the second half. … Shurmur said the Browns sustained no serious injuries. Cleveland closes the season next Sunday against Pittsburgh.

BALTIMORE —

The Baltimore Ravens continue to win without their defensive leader. The Indianapolis Colts are running out of time in their bid to get a single victory without their offensive captain.

Terrell Suggs had three sacks and forced three fumbles, and the Ravens moved closer to securing their fourth straight trip to the postseason by defeating the winless Colts 24-10 Sunday.

Playing a fourth straight game without middle linebacker Ray Lewis, Baltimore (10-3) sacked Dan Orlovsky four times and allowed only 53 yards through the first three quarters. The Ravens are 4-0 while Lewis nurses a sore right toe, and the defense should get even better when he finally returns.

“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.”

Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes and Ray Rice ran for 103 yards and a score to help the Ravens 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 Colts, on the other hand, just keep losing. Indianapolis (0-13) has three games left to nab a victory and avoid joining the 2008 Detroit Lions as the only NFL teams to finish 0-16.

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

The Ravens had lost eight straight to Indianapolis, but that was when Peyton Manning was healthy and at the top of his game. The 11-time Pro Bowl quarterback has yet to play this year because of a neck injury, and his absence has turned a perennial playoff team into a hapless, hopeless crew.

“It’s miserable. It’s not fun,” wide receiver Austin Collie said. “With the few games left, I don’t think we want to end the year on this note.”

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. “I can’t say anything bad about him as a football player.”

Suggs attributed Baltimore’s success to the schemes set in place by Chuck Pagano, who’s 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 asks 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.

It was quite a drop off after Indianapolis scored 21 points in the fourth quarter at New England one week earlier.

“We were hoping to pick up where we left off,” Tamme said. “But their defense is so tough. They always play well.”

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.

BALTIMORE – If Peyton Manning was playing football this season, the Baltimore Ravens would be talking about the importance of ending an eight-game losing streak against the Indianapolis Colts and their esteemed quarterback.

The Colts don’t have Manning, or even a single victory. So the Ravens are approaching Sunday’s game with caution, because they know all about the danger of facing a winless team this late in the season.

In 2007, the Miami Dolphins were 0-13 before Cleo Lemon connected with Greg Camarillo on a 64-yard touchdown pass in overtime for a 22-16 victory. It turned out to be Miami’s only win of the season.

This Baltimore team is far superior to that one, but the memory of that embarrassing defeat still lingers among those Ravens who played that day.

Asked if there was concern about playing the winless Colts, linebacker Terrell Suggs replied, “Yeah, because I lost to an O-fer team. A little slant route got us. This is the NFL, and (the Colts) are professionals. We expect them to line up and come up in here and play. They are just as big a threat to us as if we were playing anybody else.”

That loss to Miami was the lowlight of a season during which the Ravens finished 5-11. Head coach Brian Billick was fired soon after the final game, and owner Steve Bisciotti hired John Harbaugh to bring the team back into prominence.

Harbaugh has done exactly that. Baltimore reached the playoffs in each of his first three seasons, and this year the Ravens (9-3) are poised to capture the AFC North title and perhaps the top seed in the conference.

The absolute last thing the Ravens need is to lose at home against the struggling Colts (0-12).

“We have to win the football game to achieve what we want to do,” Suggs said.

What the Colts want to do is avoid becoming the second team in NFL history to finish 0-16. Playing without Manning, who’s missed the entire season with a neck injury, has been far too big an obstacle to overcome.

“Obviously, you don’t want to ever have a season like this,” Indianapolis defensive end Dwight Freeney said. “Us especially, we are not used to this at all. We are used to making the playoffs nine years straight and all that. Winning records, and all of that. This is definitely a different feeling.”

Making up for the loss of Manning was tough enough, but the Colts also have been without linebacker Gary Brackett (shoulder) since the first week of the season, and safety Melvin Bullitt (shoulder) played in only the first two games.

“We’ve lost a lot of key guys at a lot of key positions,” Freeney said.

If the Colts are to pull off a monumental upset, they must duplicate some of their previous performances against the Ravens. Although Manning was certainly a factor in helping Indy go 8-0 against Baltimore since 2001, the defence was most responsible. The Colts haven’t given up a touchdown to the Ravens in three straight games, the last one a 20-3 win in the 2009 playoffs.

With Freeney on one end and Robert Mathis on the other, Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco knows he won’t have the luxury of dropping back into the pocket and casually surveying the field.

“They have a lot of pursuit,” Flacco said. “They react to the ball quickly, and they’ve kept us out of the end zone because of that.” The Colts have also been tough against the run. Baltimore running back Ray Rice got 23 yards rushing in 2008, 71 in a regular-season game in 2009 and 67 in that aforementioned post-season defeat.

“That defence is very fast. We have not fared well against them,” Harbaugh said. “We’ve turned the ball over, we didn’t run the ball on them, we’ve gotten sacked, we’ve had plays for negative yards. It’s been a theme against that defence. So we’ve got our work cut out for us. We understand that.”

The biggest thing the Ravens have going for them is playing at home, where they’re 6-0 this season and have won 16 of 17. Baltimore will probably play a fourth straight game without injured middle linebacker Ray Lewis (right toe), but the league’s third-ranked defence is still plenty good enough to contain Dan Orlovsky, the Colts’ third different starting quarterback this season.

Most of all, the Ravens know they have to win to stay on course for the post-season.

“We know what we’re playing for. We know what they’re playing for,” Suggs said. “They are trying to get their first win; we are trying to pile these wins up and go on a playoff run. That’s what is most important to us. Here they come. Let’s do it.”

CLEVELAND (AP) — Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis will not play against the Browns, sitting out his third straight game with turf toe.

Lewis did not practice this week. He will be replaced in the lineup by Dannell Ellerbe. Lewis started 57 straight games before missing the Nov. 20 game against Cincinnati. The Ravens are being cautious with Lewis, hoping they can hold onto first in the AFC North while he recovers.

Browns running back Montario Hardesty is active after missing four games with a calf injury. Hardesty was set to make his return last week at Cincinnati but aggravated his injury during warmups. With Hardesty back and Peyton Hillis healthy after missing five games with a hamstring injury, the Browns are as healthy on offense as they’ve been all season.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Written by

The Sports Network

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 – cliché 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.”

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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 defence 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 — cliché 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 defence. 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 defence since 2005. However, the second time he faced them, Hillis, playing with broken ribs, gained just 35 yards.

“They’re a good defence,” 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 defences. I expect for the juggernaut to be up in there and try to run down some walls.”