CLEVELAND — Some might say the result was decided before the first kick, when the Browns announced Deshaun Watson would not play thanks to a sore shoulder.
Maybe it's not that simple, but his absence certainly didn't help Cleveland in what was supposed to be a big AFC North showdown.
With rookie backup Dorian Thompson-Robinson under center, the Browns' offense struggled and the normally potent defense seldom got a rest in a deflating 28-3 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. The defeat drops Cleveland's record to 2-2 on the season, including 1-2 within the division.
Watson, who threw for a pair of touchdowns a week ago, was not ruled out until less than three hours before kickoff on this Sunday. That forced the 23-year-old Thompson-Robinson into the starting role, just months after the Browns made him a fifth-round draft pick out of UCLA.
The rookie completed 19 of 36 passes for only 121 yards and three picks. A turning point came on just his second series, when a wayward pass intended for Amari Cooper was tipped and intercepted by Brandon Stephens, who returned the ball 52 yards to set up a Lamar Jackson touchdown run.
Cleveland would draw closer thanks to a 53-yard Dustin Hopkins field goal, but from there, the offense was powerless, with Thompson-Robinson often running for his life to the tune of four sacks. It wasn't like he could lean on the rest of the backfield either, as Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt combined for a mere 38 yards on 14 carries.
With the offense as a whole gaining a paltry 166 yards, the Browns' defense was gassed, and that was enough for the former MVP Jackson. Even if his numbers weren't all that flashy, he ran for a pair of TDs and threw for two more, with both passes being to Mark Andrews to help put the game out of reach for the now 3-1 Ravens.
Cleveland got to Jackson for three sacks and recovered a fumble, but it wasn't nearly enough. Myles Garrett also limped off the field in the second half, but later returned.
Thankfully, the banged-up Browns will get a week off to rest up before their next game, another big showdown with the powerful San Francisco 49ers.
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