Jamal Lewis didn’t run wild, Deion Sanders didn’t do much and Baltimore’s offense didn’t do a thing.
For the first time since their NFL rebirth, the Cleveland Browns opened the season as winners.
Jeff Garcia threw a 46-yard touchdown pass and ran for another TD in his Cleveland debut, leading the Browns to their first opening-week win since 1999, a 20-3 victory over the Ravens yesterday.
Cleveland stole the spotlight from Sanders, who came out of retirement for a chance to win another Super Bowl ring. Judging from the way Baltimore played, “Prime Time” could have made a better choice of teams.
Lewis, who rushed for 500 yards, including an NFL single-game record 295 last season against Cleveland, got just 57 yards on 20 carries as the Browns’ defense dominated.
Kenard Lang had three sacks and forced a fumble and Anthony Henry and Andra Davis picked off passes as Cleveland’s defense limited the Ravens to 254 total yards, a large chunk of it coming after the game was out of reach.
Phil Dawson, one of only two starters left from the ’99 expansion Browns, kicked two field goals, the second coming after Henry’s one-handed pick.
Garcia, who signed as a free agent in March after being released following five years with the San Francisco 49ers, finished 15-of-24 for 180 yards.
He also finished off the Ravens with a 3-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter, diving into the corner of the end zone to make it 20-3 before getting up and leaping into the Dawg Pound.
Cleveland tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. had four catches for 39 yards in his pro debut.
Pressured all afternoon, Baltimore QB Kyle Boller went 20-of-38 for 191 yards.
Unable to get the ball to his wideouts for three quarters, Garcia found Quincy Morgan on a broken play for his first TD to put the Browns ahead 10-3.
On second-and-9, Garcia rolled to his left and spotted an uncovered Morgan, who had slipped behind safety Ed Reed. The quarterback lobbed it to Morgan, who outran Baltimore’s defensive backs to the end zone.
Still down by just seven points, the Ravens had the Browns pinned at their 7 and facing a third-and-10. But Baltimore had another defensive lapse and Garcia found Andre’ Davis by himself for 51 yards.
Dawson’s 25-yard field goal made it 13-3.
Sanders arrived at the stadium about 2 1/2 hours before the game, emerging from the Ravens’ bus wearing a tan suit complete with vest and matching fedora.
Sanders was rudely welcomed back to the NFL during pregame warmups as fans in the notorious bleacher section taunted No. 37’s every move. At the other end of the stadium, fans hung a sign that read: Past Your Prime Time.
It was impossible to tell what the 37-year-old Sanders has left because the Browns never tested the eight-time Pro Bowler, who was playing his first game since Dec. 24, 2000 for Washington.
Sanders did not record a tackle, seeing most of his playing time as a nickel back.
