CLEVELAND – Braylon Edwards couldn’t contain his excitement. This was a Sunday to let loose.
As energized Browns fans broke into Ohio State’s signature “O-H-I-O” sing-a-long, raising their arms overhead to form each letter in the fourth quarter, Edwards, a Michigan man through and through, joined in.
“I was definitely doing it,” Edwards admitted. “This is Ohio. This is my residence. This is where I play football. This is where I earn my paycheck. This is the city I’ve adopted and the one that has adopted me. I don’t mind doing O-H-I-O. I don’t believe it just pertains to Ohio State.
“Cleveland,” he said, “is in Ohio.”
And perhaps, again home to a respectable NFL team.
Picked on for years, the Browns finally gave a black eye to one of the league’s biggest bullies.
Derek Anderson threw two touchdown passes, Jamal Lewis ran for one against his former team and the Browns, considered the weaklings of the rugged AFC North, surprised the Baltimore Ravens 27-13.
With their second win over a division opponent this month, the Browns (2-2) looked nothing like the inept team that was embarrassed 34-7 in their home opener three weeks ago by Pittsburgh.
Instead, Anderson, who has had a tendency to make poor decisions, made mostly smart ones while throwing two TD passes – one a 78-yarder to Edwards – in the first quarter as the Browns built a 24-6 lead over the stunned Ravens (2-2).
Following a win few expected, the Browns felt frisky.
“Everybody said we were the same old Browns,” Edwards said.
“We’re ahead in our division and we can build on that. We have a team. We have something going. I’m not going to lie. This feels good.
“If we play like this the rest of the year, who knows what can happen.”
Cleveland struck early, building a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and then made enough plays to hold off the Ravens (2-2), who missed two field goals, made stupid penalties and never got a chance to display their usual nastiness.
Baltimore’s fearsome defense didn’t record a sack.
“They’re supposed to be the physical bullies,” said Browns linebacker Willie McGinest, who made his season debut following back surgery. “But we hit them back.”
This time, the Ravens were the ones who got pushed around.
“This is a low point for us,” tight end Todd Heap said. “Not a whole lot went our way.”
