CLEVELAND — Facing a 4th and 2 at the Baltimore Ravens 37-yard line, Baker Mayfield heaved up a pass caught by linebacker L.J. Fort, which appeared to be the Cleveland Browns quarterback’s 18th interception of the season.
A holding penalty on Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters, however, negated the takeaway and eight plays later, the Browns were in the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown pass from Mayfield to tight end Demetrius Harris giving Cleveland a 6-0 lead with 11:53 remaining in the second quarter.
Mayfield’s touchdown pass marked his 18th of the season. Kicker Austin Seibert missed the ensuing extra point attempt for Cleveland.
Entering Sunday’s matchup against the current Super Bowl favorite, the Browns’ playoff hopes remained alive — albeit, just barely. In order to snap what is currently a 16-year postseason drought, Cleveland needs to win its two remaining games (including Sunday), while the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers both need to lose their two remaining games and the Indianapolis Colts also need to win their two remaining games to force a four-way tie.
As of writing this, the Steelers trail the New York Jets 10-0, the Titans lead the New Orleans Saints 14-3 and the Colts lead the Carolina Panthers 21-3. The Browns, however, are currently holding up their end of the bargain.
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