Although the Ravens claimed victory Sunday, the defense felt as if the effort was a failure.
The Browns' Peyton Hillis fights his way past Baltimore's Tom Zbikowski for a 48-yard gain in the third quarter Sunday. Zbikowski was also penalized for unnecessary roughness on the play, which set up the Browns' second touchdown in a 24-17 loss.BALTIMORE, Md. -- For so long, the Ravens had become accustomed to their defense setting the tone in every game.
They hit hard. They stifle and stall offenses. They are defined by a linebacker in Ray Lewis who dances like a rapper when he is announced at M&T Stadium, who wears black war paint streaked down his face and who sometimes hits players so hard they crumble to the ground as if they've run into a semi-trailer.
Then the Baltimore defense faced the Browns on Sunday.
Although the Ravens held on for a 24-17 victory, the defense surrendered its first touchdowns of the season, gave up more rushing yards than they've allowed in years and felt as if the effort was a failure.
"We just kind of felt like when they scored those two touchdowns ... it just sucked," Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata said. "We just feel like we're better than that."
So long, unscored-upon streak. The Ravens' 11 quarters without allowing a touchdown -- starting with the last two quarters of 2009 -- matched the franchise-long streak set in 2000. They were 13 seconds from making it 12 quarters before the Browns' Peyton Hillis powered in a 1-yard run just before halftime.
In all, the Browns tallied 304 yards total offense, including 173 rushing. Generating 144 of those yards was Hillis, the burly 6-foot-2, 250-pound, third-year running back from Arkansas.
Hillis not only set a career high Sunday, but his total was the first 100-yard game against the Ravens by a Browns running back. His total was the sixth-most allowed by Baltimore since 2005.
It wasn't that the Ravens didn't know Hillis was capable of such punishing yards. But seeing Hillis cut through the line over and over, finding small creases and exploiting them for big yards, made the Ravens take notice.
"I guess he's a guy you have to see in person to appreciate him," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "He is physical. I mean, this guy is hard to bring down. He's a north-south runner. And he's a guy we're going to have to contend with for a long time in this division."
Hillis' biggest moment came at the end of the third quarter as he found a huge hole on the left side of the line -- helped by strong blocking from left tackle Joe Thomas and left guard Eric Steinbach -- and powered his way for 48 yards. It wasn't particularly graceful running. He wasn't slippery or sly in the way he eluded tackles. But it was a run that brought the Browns deep into Ravens territory, and set up a touchdown that gave Cleveland a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter.
"With a big back like that, once he gets a full head of steam going, it's hard for anyone to stop him," Ngata said.
After Hillis' big run -- and a 15-yard roughing penalty against the Ravens -- Joshua Cribbs ran the wildcat to a 19-yard gain. Suddenly the Ravens defense that was second in the league in total offense allowed was stumbling.
"They kind of gashed us a little bit and kind of got us out of place," linebacker Terrell Suggs said. "But it's going to happen. We've got to respond and make the proper adjustments so teams don't get off on us."
Said Browns tackle Thomas: "We felt it with their body language. They weren't jumping around and screaming. We were running the ball directly at them."
They were rattled, no question. But it's the defense that defines the Ravens, and it reappeared in the fourth quarter. The Browns accumulated only eight yards in the final quarter, not a single one by rushing. Both of Cleveland's possessions in the final quarter were three-and-out.
Still, with the Browns' second touchdown coming six seconds into the fourth quarter, the Ravens can't claim any streaks until next week.
"As a defensive unit, we always want to continue that," Ngata said. "Hopefully, we can start another one and keep it moving."