The Browns led the Baltimore Ravens 7-6 at halftime Thursday night in a prime-time AFC North matchup televised nationally on NFL Network.
On third-and-4 from Cleveland's 37, Browns linebacker Jamie Collins blitzed and sacked quarterback Joe Flacco for a 9-yard loss. The play knocked the Ravens out of field goal range and forced them to punt with 7:07 left in the first quarter. Collins also had a tackle for loss during the Ravens' first possession, which ended when cornerback Joe Haden broke up a deep pass from Flacco to wide receiver Kamar Aiken on third-and-6 from Baltimore's 31.
With the Ravens driving again, Browns rookie cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun dived to intercept a long pass from Flacco intended for wide receiver Steve Smith with 10 seconds left in the first quarter. A replay review revealed Boddy-Calhoun's knee hit the ground at the Ravens' 1 when he picked off the pass. So the ball was placed there after the play was initially ruled a touchback.
The Browns went three-and-out, stalling at their 7. The Ravens then struck first on the seventh series of the game when Justin Tucker made a 25-yard field goal to give them a 3-0 lead with 10:29 left in the second quarter. The Ravens settled for the kick after Flacco, under pressure from inside linebacker Demario Davis, threw incomplete into the end zone on third-and-4 from the 7.
The Ravens' score awakened the Browns because they answered with a seven-play, 75-yard touchdown drive and took a 7-3 left with 6:30 left in the second quarter.
They benefited from a 16-yard defensive pass interference penalty called on rookie cornerback Tavon Young as he covered rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman on second-and-13 from the Browns' 40.
Four plays later on second-and-7, rookie tight end Seth DeValve ran behind the coverage of safety Eric Weddle and caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from rookie quarterback Cody Kessler. It was DeValve's first career touchdown and only his second career catch. It was also Kessler's longest touchdown pass. Through his first six starts, his longest was 12 yards.
The Ravens cut their deficit to 7-6 at halftime when Tucker made a 40-yard field goal with time expired in the second quarter.
They faced third-and-10 at the 50 but moved into field-goal range when Flacco connected with tight end Dennis Pitta for a 15-yard gain and safety Ibraheim Campbell drew a 15-yard unnecessary roughness penalty for delivering a helmet-to-helmet blow to Pitta with 23 seconds left in the second quarter. Three plays later, Tucker made his second field goal.