AFC NORTH Browns feel Ray Lewis got gift from refs

The Ravens' All-Pro linebacker wasn't penalized for a grab of Aaron Shea.
BEREA (AP) -- Under the bright lights. On national TV. In Baltimore. With the clock winding down. At the goal line.
The Cleveland Browns knew a last-second interference call against Ravens All-World linebacker Ray Lewis on Sunday night would be a long shot -- at best.
"They didn't call very many fouls in the last three seconds on Michael Jordan," Browns coach Butch Davis said.
No, they didn't. And there was little or no chance that the officials were going to flag Baltimore's No. 52 for grabbing the jersey of Browns tight end Aaron Shea.
Was Lewis guilty? It's debatable.
But TV replays did show he had a handful of Shea's white No. 83 jersey as the two went diving for Jeff Garcia's pass. It was clear was that Lewis' tug bothered Shea just enough that the ball bounced off his hands and into those of Ravens safety Ed Reed, who picked it off and ran an NFL-record 106 yards to cap Baltimore's 27-13 victory.
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As has happened to the Browns (3-5) so many times over the past few seasons, one play sealed their fate. And like other previous times, it went against them.
However, the Browns weren't whining on Monday. They made enough mistakes -- nine penalties, a disastrous 7-yard punt, dropped passes -- of their own to guarantee their third loss in four games.
"I'm not going to blame that call," said kicker Phil Dawson, who made two field goals and extended his league-best streak to 26 straight. "We've got enough things we can fix on our own to worry about what the officials are calling or not calling."
Still, the late drama between Lewis and Shea was pivotal in a game that Davis said came down to "six plays. Three for them and three for us."
Unable to move Cleveland's offense most of the night, Garcia converted three third-down passes and drove the Browns down to the Ravens' 5-yard line with 45 seconds remaining.
Contact
On second down, Garcia zipped his pass over the middle to Shea, who got Lewis to bite on an outside fake and had inside leverage. But just as Garcia's throw arrived, so did Lewis, who was draped over Shea and made contact.
Based on the league's intent to clean up defensive holding, Davis thought Lewis did enough to warrant a yellow flag.
"They made such an enormous emphasis in the preseason about you cannot breathe on anybody," Davis said. "It doesn't seem to be called that way in the regular season."
As Reed sprinted toward the end zone, Shea and Garcia both argued their case in vain. According to witnesses, Browns defensive coordinator Dave Campo, who was in the coaching box upstairs, came down and confronted the officials afterward.
He wasn't the only one who was upset.
"Everybody saw it," Browns linebacker Andra Davis said. "Everybody knows it was pass interference. We didn't get the call and we lost. Everyone's saying that Ray Lewis grabbed him. If you have eyes, you would have seen it. He pulled him to the ground. They're in their home stadium. We didn't get the call. Game over."
And as a result, the Browns' season could be, too.
Rough road ahead
After the Steelers (7-1), Cleveland faces the New York Jets (6-2), Cincinnati (3-5) and New England (7-1). Just as the odds of getting the call against Lewis were long, so is making the playoffs.
Still, Dawson is encouraged by how his teammates handled the latest heartbreaking loss.
"Guys are down, man," he said. "But guys are taking ownership. Nobody is pointing fingers or blaming the coaches or blaming bad calls. We're just not making plays as players.
"I respect a guy when he stands up and says, 'That's my fault.' I appreciate that. But at the end of the day, we've got to step up and start making plays."