Winners and losers from the Browns’ 41-17 loss to the Ravens

Baltimore’s Nate Wiggins intercepted the pass and would’ve taken it back for a pick-six if not for a last-second stop from Browns guard Joel Bitonio, keeping Wiggins’ interception return to 61 yards.

But the damage was done, as it placed Baltimore 5 yards away from the end zone, and the Ravens scored four plays later.

An 18-year veteran who lacks mobility shouldn’t be trying to make something out of nothing, unless he for sure has an open man.

Flacco spoke about his interception after the game.

“I feel like I do take some pride in throwing the ball away and just kind of living for the next down, and I didn’t do it on that one,” Flacco said. “I saw (Njoku) turning up and just thought I had a chance there. I didn’t think it would end in a pick. I thought if anything it would be incomplete.”

In what was barely a game, the Flacco fumble stuck the ice in Cleveland.

Flacco lost the ball while being sacked by Tavius Robinson. It was scooped by Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith and returned the other way for a 63-yard score.

There’s no defending Cleveland’s lack of blocking on the play, from Wyatt Teller allowing Nnamdi Madubuike to win the battle and even get his right hand on Flacco, to Dawand Jones allowing Robinson to get around him.

But Baltimore would’ve started the drive around its own 40-yard line had Flacco held onto the ball.

Instead, the return touchdown put the game out of reach.

Winner: Bringing guys down

A side storyline going into Sunday was a little trash talk between Browns safety Grant Delpit and Ravens running back Derrick Henry.

Delpit was blunt when asked how hard it is to tackle Henry, stating it’s “not hard”, and explained the mindset.

“We’re playing football, man,” Delpit said on Thursday. “It’s tackle football. Somebody got the ball, you got to bring him down.”

Henry, who was coming off 169 yards and two scores in Week 1, got wind of Delpit’s quote and replied.

“Yeah, I saw that,” Henry told reporters in Baltimore on Thursday. “His coach had a quote. He had a quote. We’ll see on Sunday.”

In the end, the Browns defense made Henry a non-factor on Sunday.

He carried the ball 11 times for 23 yards. That’s it.

Henry has struggled in most games opposing Jim Schwartz-coached defenses.

You go back to Week 4 of 2018 when Schwartz was still on Philadelphia’s staff, and his defense kept Henry to 24 yards on eight carries.

Fast forward to Week 3 of 2023, and Henry was held to 20 yards on 11 carries.

Whatever the secret is, Schwartz should keep it in a safe place.

Loser: Ronnie Hickman Jr.

Speaking of the previously mentioned blocked punt …

Corey Bojorquez and Cleveland’s special teams unit geared up for its fourth punt early in the second quarter.

The punt never got off due to Ronnie Hickman Jr. not standing firm, and allowing Baltimore’s Jake Hummel to run through him.

Hummel then raised his right arm and perfectly timed his block to Bojorquez’s punt. Sanoussi Kane recovered the ball and gained a few more yards to position the Ravens 24 yards from the end zone.

Baltimore’s offense struggled through the early part of Sunday, but took advantage of the field position and scored its first touchdown two plays later.

Hickman’s inability to block in the moment resulted in a domino effect that could’ve been prevented if he had played on his toes instead of being flat-footed.

The repercussions on the game were immense.

Winner: Tillman’s eyes

In Week 1, Cedric Tillman was criticized for dropping a pivotal pass that became an interception to ice the loss.

“We’ll get it next time,” Tillman said. “We’ll learn from it … I’ll make the play next time.”

Who’d have thought that would come the next week?

The Browns had to put some kind of points on the board to stay alive.

They had a fourth-and-2. Flacco rolled out and threw it toward the end zone. It was nearly intercepted by Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey, but deflected off his hands and landed in the hands of Tillman.

A lucky step, but a good step for the third-year receiver.

Loser: Browns defensive back depth

Not the brightest day for the Browns defensive back group.

Lamar Jackson had a field day with 224 passing yards and four touchdowns, two of which came in the fourth quarter.

Each of his touchdowns traveled over 10 yards downfield, per Next Gen Stats.

Not just that, but Myles Harden and Cameron Mitchell were the sole defenders on all of Jackson’s four touchdown passes.

Mitchell got burned by Tylan Wallace off a corner route, and allowed DeAndre Hopkins to get an edge in the end zone for a 23-yarder.

Harden was the defender during both of Devontez Walker’s touchdowns: a red zone score off play action, and a 24-yarder early in the fourth quarter.

With starter Martin Emerson Jr. out for the year due to his Achilles injury, the nickelback side of Schwartz’s defense proved a weak point Sunday.

The lack of depth in the DB room is worrisome.

And we’re only through Week 2.