Ravens Win North

They flirted with disaster again, but this time the Ravens survived.

C.J. Mosley’s fourth-down interception with just over a minute remaining not only clinched the AFC North title for Baltimore but also prevented another embarrassing meltdown that could have cost the Ravens a playoff spot – as was the case last year.

The linebacker’s big play preserved a 26-24 victory against the Browns, who rallied in the second half to present a possible nightmare for the Ravens and the crowd at M&T Bank Stadium.

After all, it happened last year when the Ravens blew their win-and-you’re-in scenario against the Bengals, when Andy Dalton connected with Tyler Boyd for a 49-yard touchdown on fourth-and-12 with 44 seconds remaining.

This time, Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, who passed for 376 yards with three touchdowns and 3 interceptions, had a chance on fourth-and-10 from the Ravens’ 39-yard line. But Mosley saved the day by leaping to snag a pass over the middle intended for Duke Johnson.

It gave Baltimore (10-6) its first playoff berth since 2014 and the fourth seed in the AFC playoffs.

And it was a familiar script for the Ravens, now 6-1 since rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson took over for Joe Flacco. Baltimore rushed for a season-high 293 yards. But the run-heavy strategy backfired, too. Cleveland got the football for its last-gasp drive after Jackson was credited with a 6-yard loss on a toss play that went awry on third-and-5.

Jackson rushed 20 times for 90 yards, while Kenneth Dixon ran for 117 yards.

But ultimately, Jackson and the Ravens were saved by the NFL’s No. 1-ranked defense.

Cleveland fell behind early but never quit. That’s a credit to interim coach Gregg Williams, who should get serious consideration for the permanent job on the basis of how the team responded after he replaced Hue Jackson at midseason. His group scrapped to the end against the Ravens and produced their best record (7-8-1) since 2007, when they posted the franchise’s last winning season at 10-6.

The Ravens cornerback collected his first two interceptions of the season in the first half, picking off Baker Mayfield’s first pass and later staying with a deflected pass that he pinned against his shoulder pad while crashing to the turf. It was a critical moment for him after starting the season with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He makes for an important asset in a secondary alongside crafty vet Brandon Carr and another, younger former first-rounder in Marlon Humphrey. As he demonstrated against the Browns, Smith’s presence is a reason Baltimore heads into January with arguably the deepest collection of cornerbacks in the playoffs.