CLEVELAND – Jameis Winston threw a 38-yard touchdown pass – his third of the game – to Cedric Tillman with 59 seconds left as the Cleveland Browns defeated Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens 29-24 on Sunday and snapped a five-game series. Defeat streak.

Winston, starting for the first time in two years and replacing injured starter Deshaun Watson, helped the Browns (2-6) defeat their AFC North rival.

But only after he survived a late comeback attempt from Jackson that put the Ravens (5-3) on Cleveland’s 24 in the final seconds. Jackson bought time to avoid sacks and threw two incompletions into the end zone, the second to Zay Flowers as time expired.

After the game, Jackson angrily threw his helmet in front of Baltimore’s bench as the Ravens’ five-game winning streak ended in a surprising loss.

Winston finished 27 of 41 for 334 yards in his first start since September 25, 2022 for New Orleans. The 30-year-old took over Cleveland’s offense this week after Watson suffered a season-ending Achilles tendon tear a week ago.

Winston did what Watson couldn’t as the Browns scored the most points this season, and he topped 300 passing yards, something his teammate failed to do in 19 starts in three seasons in Cleveland.

Jackson completed 23 of 38 passes for 289 yards and two touchdowns.

Derrick Henry had a 2-yard TD run for Baltimore, the 99th of his career.

Henry’s score with 2:36 left gave the Ravens a 24-23 lead, but Winston, who signed a one-year contract as a free agent in March, got some help from Baltimore safety Kyle Hamilton on the game-winning drive.

Winston threw Elijah Moore to the ground on first down and Hamilton was in perfect position to intercept the ball, but the ball bounced out of his hands.

Winston was given new life and on the next play threw a deep ball up the middle to Tillman, who also caught a 22-yard TD pass in the third quarter.

Before Cleveland pulled off that final turnover, Jackson had used his legs and arms to complete a six-play, 91-yard scoring drive. Henry ended that possession with his short touchdown, tying Hall of Famer Barry Sanders for 10th place on the career scoring list.

Winston’s performance – he also had a 23-yard TD pass to David Njoku – gives the Browns some hope in a season that has been stagnant. Watson’s injury and surgery had cast a shadow over the team, and on Saturday, popular play-by-play announcer Jim Donovan died after a long battle with cancer.

Dustin Hopkins made field goals of 28, 33 and 48 yards for the Browns.

The Ravens, who averaged 461.4 yards per game, made some uncharacteristic errors and Justin Tucker missed a 50-yard field goal.

Jackson threw TD passes to wide receiver Nelson Agholor and tight end Mark Andrews.

Scary moment

Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was immobilized on a backboard and carted off late in the third quarter. The team said he was taken to hospital with a neck injury but his extremities were mobile.

Owusu-Koramoah took the brunt of a hit while trying to tackle Henry on a running move. His teammates surrounded Owusu-Koramoah as he received treatment on the field. As he was evicted, he raised his fist to greet the cheering fans.

INJURIES

Ravens: DE Brent Urban suffered a concussion in the first quarter. … NT Michael Pierce (calf) limped off in the second quarter and did not return.

Browns: Top CB Denzel Ward went to the locker room midway through the third quarter for further evaluation for a possible concussion. Ward has a history of head injuries with five known concussions in his NFL career.

NEXT

Ravens: Host Denver on November 3rd.

Browns: Host the Los Angeles Chargers on November 3rd.

——

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl