Shoot Out In America's Heartland

Baltimore Ravens 47

Cleveland Browns 42

Tensions were already high when the rusted saloon doors of FirstEnergy Stadium were creaked open by a gung ho band of merry rabblers; the Baltimore Ravens. Led by a speed-dealer-sunglasses wearing man, they entered the establishment and were quick to recognise the agitation in the air. Sitting at their usual table, a young but feisty group of degenerates were not too impressed by the intrusion of their sacred space by a hated and well known counterpart. The leader of this young gang, donning a T-shirt with 'Progressive' splayed across the chest, stood up, pointed to the Cleveland Browns memorabilia draping the saloon walls before raising his right foot and slamming his boot down on the table. Removing his pistol from his ankle holster and raising it straight up to the roof he boldly proclaimed, "I move in silence". BANG! Calamity ensued as shots were fired across the crowded drinkery. Splintered floorboards and fractured tabled sprayed the interior, suspiciously evenly spaced beer cans and tankards were shot to pieces on the bar top and hats were blown clean off onlookers heads without a lick of damage to the millinery appreciators domes. After some three and half hours the last shots rang out and the dust settled. The Baltimore Ravens were the only occupants left in the old saloon. Having seemingly escaped with only their egos bruised a note was left for the ever-quothing Ravens to read, "See you in January, where you just might be... nevermore."

Monday Night Football had themselves a game for the ages. In what has historically been a contentious but one sided rivalry, the Cleveland Browns found themselves in a shoot out with the Baltimore Ravens. Three quarters of the way through this game there was already something special looming in the air, this wasn't a defensive backs getting torched for three hours on both sides of the ball affair, this was a stop us if you can chunk run celebration. Nine touchdowns were scored on the ground. Nine! Lamar Jackson ran in for two, Baker Mayfield had one himself, Nick Chubb and Gus Edwards both had two a piece, while Kareem Hunt and J.K. Dobbins also ran their way to pay dirt. Scripts flipped through as Jackson and Mayfield traded touchdown passes in the final two minutes before a Justin Tucker 55 yard bomb put the game on ice. Baltimore had the ball last with a minute on the clock, too long in the modern game and Cleveland paid the price in the end.

The Ravens offense looks unstoppable when Lamar Jackson is moving at full capacity. Even while slipping numerous time at the start of the night, resulting in several sacks, Jackson was masterful on the ground. Ending up with two scores and 124 yards rushing on just nine carries, Jackson could have had even more impressive numbers but ran into the locker room in the fourth quarter to get treatment for cramps. Missing one drive that resulted in a punt and majority of a second, Jackson ran back onto the field on a 4th & 5 from Cleveland's 44 yard line just after the final two minute warning. Not to disappoint he immediately rolled right, sucked in the defense and hit Marquise Brown for a catch and run touchdown. After Cleveland answered back in quick fashion, Jackson once again lead them down the field and handed off the final touches to the best in the business, Justin Tucker. Game over.

While the win-loss column will look all too familiar to the Browns after a Ravens match-up this wasn't your same old Browns. They didn't give this game away, they took a lead after going down by 14 points in the second half and were a minute away from their best win in probably two decades. Baker Mayfield had himself a hell of a game, looking unstoppable for the final third, scoring touchdowns on his final three drives and almost leading this team to a place they've been once in 25 years, a double digit win season. With the group around him and a fortnight in New Jersey on the horizon, Mayfield will be leading his team to that promised land sooner rather then later.