Cleveland Browns vs. Ravens Week 6: Winners and losers in a key victory

(Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images The Cleveland Browns against the Baltimore Ravens is a pivotal game. So far, Cleveland hasn’t played a good team. Which means each of their wins has been against weak to mediocre teams. So, here is a good team in the Ravens. Can the Browns probably beat the division’s best team? A Cleveland win would prove they can stay with talented clubs and perhaps get a playoff seed this year. But it starts with Baltimore. The Browns came into the game with a 3-2 record while the Ravens were 4-1. Prior to kickoff, both rosters had plenty of players listed on their injured list, so new players would dot both sides of the ball for each team.In the end, Cleveland was dominated by Baltimore for most of the contest, but came back and won the game on a 37-yard Andre Szmyt field goal to make it a 13-10 Browns win. The victory put Cleveland in a first-place tie for the lead in the AFC North Division, although the Browns hold the tie breaker over both the Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers.So, who played well for the Browns? Who didn’t?BROWNIESPersistence – The Ravens dominated the game, yet in the fourth quarter, Cleveland was still just one score down. That is because Baltimore scored all of their points in the first quarter and then their offense was shut down. The Browns were able to score the game-tying touchdown off of a rare Derrick Henry fumble, and then got into field goal range to win the game late. Back in the 1980s, the Browns parlayed similar games and were crowned the “Kardiac Kids.” With four wins that were all come-from-behind victories this year, we now call this group the “Myocardial Vascular Adolescents.”Plays that won the game – Baltimore kicker Tyler Loop missed a 49-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter. Ravens running back Henry fumbled on their next possession. The fourth-and-two delay-of-game penalty against Baltimore with 2:08 remaining that became a punt instead. The third-and-five miscommunication between safeties Jaylinn Hawkins and Malachi Starks about who was supposed to pick up the crossing route of Browns wide Jerry Jeudy with 42 ticks left in the game, which became a 33-yard gain into field goal range. What do all of these things have in common? They are all Baltimore mistakes.33 YARDS down the field!#BALvsCLE on Fox pic.twitter.com/OToiJ0J6fZ— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 18, 2026WR Jerry Jeudy – All week, Browns media and fans alike debated whether to trade Jeudy before next month’s trade deadline. Back and forth the subject went. Jeudy not only balled out against Baltimore, but he also bailed out the Browns. In the second quarter, on a second-and-four with 8:32 left before the half, quarterback Deshaun Watson hit Jeudy for a 14-yard gain when the Browns offense wasn’t moving at all. With 4:36 left in the game, Watson again found Jeudy for 13 yards to convert a third-and-six into Baltimore territory. Then came the clincher on the final drive. Jeudy led all receivers with 69 yards on four catches, and caught all four of hit targets. Nice work.LB Carson Schwesinger – The kid was everywhere. He was a bit slack on coverage of the tight ends, but his tackling skills were on full display. Early in the first quarter, he collided with Henry for a three-yard gain that shook the stadium. Rhino against Ram. As the opening quarter was winding down, Baltimore quarterback Tyler Huntley found Henry for an outlet pass, but Schwesinger nailed the talented back for just a two-yard gain. In the second quarter, Henry was bottled up inside and took to the corner, only to have Schwesinger take him down for no gain. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Huntley was facing a third-and-22 and found tight end Josh Cuevas as Schwesinger tackled him for an 11-yard gain instead of moving the sticks. The Henry fumble was caused by Schwesinger, which proved to be a pivotal play in the contest. Then, with 2:57 remaining, Huntley was flushed out of the pocket and took off needing eight yards, but instead found Schwesinger after gaining six. Baltimore then was going for it on a fourth-and-two, but a delay-of-game penalty set them back and forced a punt. Schwesinger finished with a game-high 13 total tackles.Defense – Baltimore appeared to be a runaway train early in this one. They built a 10-0 lead during their first two possessions. But as the second quarter began, and Cleveland’s offense was struggling, the defense put a brisket on to cook and was smoking for the duration of the game. As outlined, Schwesinger played a terrific game, but so did his partner in crime, linebacker Quincy Williams, who had six tackles, a second-quarter sack, and two quarterback hits. Defensive tackle Sam Kamara nailed Henry for a two-yard loss in the second quarter and minus one late in the third quarter. Cornerback Denzel Ward broke up a pass to wide receiver Zay Flowers early in the second quarter. Defensive tackle Maliek Collins dropped Henry for a one-yard loss before halftime, then had a second-quarter sack.Defensive end Adin Huntington had back-to-back pass rushes that forced Huntley to throw early as the half was winding down, which became incompletions. Defensive end Jared Verse caught Henry for a one-yard gain early in the third quarter. Defensive end Isaiah McGuire had a sack with 57 seconds left on the clock in the third quarter. Then, lastly, the Browns needed a defensive stop when Baltimore got the ball back with 3:40 left, an eternity in the NFL. Williams tackled Cuevas for just two yards; safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren stuck it to Flowers for an incompletion, but dropped a sure interception late in the fourth stanza. As time was getting sparse, Huntley scrambled and was forced out of bounds by Schwesinger, needing eight yards and gaining only six. A Baltimore penalty forced a punt, and the Browns offense trotted on the field one more time..@denzelward: the best of the best 🙂‍↕️#BALvsCLE on Fox pic.twitter.com/6LFsQlUcEb— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 18, 2026The defense came to play. After Baltimore’s offense built a 10-point cushion, the Browns’ defense shut them down. On their third possession and until the end of the game, the Ravens: punt, punt, punt, punt, punt, missed FG, lost fumble, punt, punt. FROWNIESCB Myles Harden – Too many times, Harden was getting juked and faked out. Then, how many balls could he have batted away or even intercepted if he had just turned his head around and found the ball in flight? Had two batted balls and could have had double digits. Three tackles.Third-down efficiency – Any time an offense struggles to convert third downs, it becomes more of a punt team. The defense needs the offense to stay on the field longer. Five of 16 is absolutely atrocious. Use of tight ends – This was a game that was tailor-made for the talents of tight end Harold Fannin, yet he had just three targets all game, with one reception for nine yards. Figure that out. Then tight end Blake Whiteheart had only one target and grabbed it for eight yards. That was it. Wasn’t this offense supposed to be 12 and 13 personnel heavy?TREY HENDRICKSON SACK!!! Tune in on FOX. pic.twitter.com/g1kdly9oo9— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) October 18, 2026Offensive line – These sacks and penalties are killing any momentum the offense generates. Name a time/quarter when Watson was not flushed from the pocket on passing downs. The Ravens defense just came in rain sheets for the majority of the game, except in the final quarter for whatever reason. Rookie right guard Austin Barber is outmatched on most passing downs. Most of the pressure was coming up the gut, but both left tackle Spencer Fano and right tackle Tytus Howard had issues with blitzing linebackers. Stunts were the giant killers in this game. Several times, the Browns O-Line was blocking three men on two defenders, with a guy looping around with a free shot at Watson, who faced heavy pressure in the first half. The Ravens’ defense had five sacks, three QB hits, and 13 pressures. Watson ran for his life repeatedly on most passing downs.Pass rush – Where is this? The Ravens began under center for the majority of the game. The pass rush was minimal at best, although Cleveland did get three sacks. But Huntley had plenty of time and did not throw any interceptions. all tied up with the TD!#BALvsCLE on Fox pic.twitter.com/xshvNtm0Uk— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 18, 2026Running game – OK, we get it. The top three running backs for the Browns are all out, which required Cleveland to start Jaleel McLaughlin, who started the year on the practice squad, and Audric Estime, whom Cleveland claimed off the Minnesota Vikings’ practice squad. Both players give it their all, but it still doesn’t mean that the Browns have any sort of a running game. 93 total yards gained, and 29 of that was the quarterback running for his life.Milk Bones – How do we still have chickens when every bar and restaurant offers a chicken dish?FB Michael Burton – One carry, two yards, and a converted first down on the fourth-and-one early in the third quarter. If you have one job to do, best get it done. QB Deshaun Watson – Magnificent on the final drive of the game to get into field goal range. And to be fair, Watson’s pedestrian 164 passing yards were a result of him being flushed repeatedly and trying to find an open man on the run instead of a clean pocket where he could survey the field. He had eight rushes for 29 yards, but it seems like he was running for his life quite a bit. Went 16 for 26 with zero TDs and zero picks. QB rating of 79.6.ELECTRIC ANDRE SZMYT#BALvsCLE on Fox pic.twitter.com/j2so7EjRD9— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 18, 2026K Andre Szmyt – The missed 48-yard field goal would have given Cleveland a good cushion, but he pushed it left as he struck the outside of the ball instead of the center. Nailed another 48-yarder in the third quarter for the Browns’ first points of the game, and then, of course, the game-winner.Penalties – Wasn’t the worst this game, but several were just at the most inopportune time. Six penalties accepted for 45 yards is actually an improvement. 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