The AFC's No. 1 seed was up for grabs on Sunday, and the Baltimore Ravens didn't play around securing it, even if the Cleveland Browns put up quite a fight to open the rivals' Week 16 rematch. After a scoreless opening 15 minutes, Baltimore ran away with their 13th victory of 2019, routing Cleveland 31-15.
Freddie Kitchens' squad stayed neck and neck with Lamar Jackson and Co. through the scoreless first quarter of Sunday's rematch, getting an early fourth-down stop and stealing another possession after a fumbled exchange between Jackson and Mark Ingram, then taking a 6-0 lead on a contested touchdown catch by Demetrius Harris while the Denzel Ward-led secondary afforded Baltimore little breathing room.
Everything changed in the final two minutes of the first half, though, with Jackson racking up 138 passing yards and two scores just in that time frame. Tight end Mark Andrews started running wide open through a Cleveland secondary, which inexplicably broke down after a stout opening quarter, and Jackson capitalized by shifting the momentum back in Baltimore's favor -- and handing the team a 14-6 lead following an acrobatic off-balance TD toss to his favorite target.
From there it was all Ravens, as Jackson used his athleticism to pull away from the Browns in the second half.
Let's take a deeper dive into how the Ravens cruised past the Browns to lock up the No. 1 seed.
Why the Ravens won
Lamar Jackson may have been bottled up for more than a quarter to start the afternoon, but then we saw once more why he's MVP material -- and the biggest reason for the Ravens' success. Logging 138 passing yards and two touchdowns in the final two minutes of the first half would've been impressive enough, but then No. 8 piled on as the game wore on, showcasing his elite speed and getting the ball out quickly to rewrite the time-of-possession battle.
Without an injured Mark Ingram for the final stretch of action, Jackson even led his club in rushing with 105 (!) yards on the ground, but both Gus Edwards and Justice Hill also stepped up in "closer" roles during the waning minutes. Mark Andrews was reliable as usual, keeping the chains moving, while both Marcus Peters and Jimmy Smith made up for some crucial third-down penalties with solid coverage, particularly against Odell Beckham Jr., who had four catches.
Why the Browns lost
It wasn't for lack of first-quarter effort. While Kitchens still got too cute with a few play calls and Mayfield was far from precise during Cleveland's opening 15 minutes, the Browns looked like a legitimate spoiler to start the day, keeping every Ravens play in front of them, forcing a pair of turnovers (including one on downs) and doing just enough offensively to set up a 6-0 lead.
Then everything returned to normal. The secondary started letting Ravens run wide open in space, Mayfield forced a couple important throws and was fortunate not to have thrown three picks instead of one, and Kitchens seemed intent on wiping away any of his club's late energy, calling a failed two-point try in the fourth quarter after the Browns pulled within nine. Only Nick Chubb looked consistent for Cleveland, and even he was limited to 15 carries for 45 yards on the afternoon.
Turning point
The Browns were seriously blanking Baltimore, at least with their strong secondary play, into the second quarter. But after the Ravens needed just two plays and 32 seconds to go 63 yards and take a 7-6 lead before halftime, Cleveland basically assured its fans things weren't going to end well with its own offensive drive in response. Thanks to three straight misfires from Mayfield on the ensuing series, the Browns punted the ball right back to Jackson and Co., who proceeded to march down the field (again) with ease, extending the Ravens' abrupt lead to two scores before the break -- and completely erasing all the momentum the Browns had built.
Play of the game
Jackson alone was good for a half-dozen highlight-reel escapes, but his TD pass to Mark Andrews, which put Baltimore up 14-6 ahead of the second half, was a thing of beauty. Pressured up the middle, the QB not only avoided a sack and then pump-faked a pass but re-cocked his arm and delivered a perfect touch throw, while moving and off balance, for a game-changing score.
Quotable
"The closest I have seen to Michael Vick is Lamar Jackson. Reffing Mike's 1999 Virginia Tech debut, I watched him front flip for a TD. Officiating elite, athletic QBs requires a delayed whistle and constant focus because you never know what will happen."
Courtesy of CBS Sports' Gene Steratore, longtime former NFL ref, those words pretty much echo everyone's sentiment about Jackson at this point, but they're worth sharing for the sake of reminding fans that the Ravens are the real deal for as long as Jackson is under center. He alone makes them a formidable Super Bowl contender, and now he's helped them lock up home-field advantage throughout his hopeful run to the MVP award.
What's next
The Ravens (13-2) are now secure atop the AFC postseason standings, meaning they're likely to rest starters for their Week 17 showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers -- a rematch set for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff next Sunday. The Browns (6-9), meanwhile, are now out of the playoff picture and will be playing for pride when they close their own regular season the same day with a 1 p.m. ET matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Relive all the action from Sunday's game below.