Browns back up their talk with 20-3 win over Ravens

Cleveland won its first home opener since returning to the league in 1999.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
CLEVELAND -- The trash talk started in the off-season, with Browns defensive lineman Kenard Lang meeting up with Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis during training sessions in Orlando, Fla.
"Ray would come up and ask me, 'You all ready for the first game?' " Lang, who played with Lewis at Miami (Fla.), said.
"What am I supposed to say? I was like, 'Yeah, I'm ready.' "
The trash talk spilled over into Sunday's pre-game, with the Browns defense promising to stop Baltimore running back Jamal Lewis -- something they didn't do last year -- and the Ravens promising to live up to their championship hype.
The Browns did. The Ravens didn't.
Lang had three sacks and forced a fumble as the Browns' defense dominated Baltimore, holding their AFC North rivals to a measly field goal in a 20-3 opening victory at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
"It's not attitude," Lang said of his pre-game talk. "It's the way I was brought up. If I'm confident about something, I'm definitely going to say it.
"But if we're going to talk, we have to back it up."
The Browns did. Big time.
"This is huge," said Browns cornerback Daylon McCutcheon. "It sets the tone for the rest of the season."
A first
It was the Browns' first win in six home openers since returning to the league in 1999, and just their second home win against the Ravens.
Sweet? You better believe it.
"Every year prior to this, we wanted to start off with a win and we came up short," Browns coach Butch Davis said. "But that is in the past.
"What we did a year ago, two years ago, three years ago really doesn't matter. It's all about now."
Cleveland's offense came alive midway through the third quarter when quarterback Jeff Garcia found Quincy Morgan for a 46-yard touchdown pass to break a 3-all tie. Ravens corner Ed Reed jumped Morgan's route, expecting Garcia to keep throwing short passes. But Garcia scrambled, allowing Morgan to break open deep over the middle.
"I told myself all season to stay in every play and not drift around," Morgan said. "Reed jumped hard when Garcia made the pump fake and scrambled around to find me."
Anthony Henry ended the Ravens' next drive at the Browns' 7-yard line, making a spectacular one-handed interception in front of former Browns wideout Kevin Johnson.
"That was a great momentum breaker," Davis said.
Two plays later, Garcia found wideout Andre Davis for a 51-yard reception that would have been a touchdown had Davis not fell. The play set up Phil Dawson's second field goal -- a 25-yarder -- with seven minutes remaining.
Minutes later, on a third and 16 at Baltimore's 14, Lang sacked Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller, jarring the ball loose. Michael Myers recovered it for the Browns at the 6.
Garcia seals it
Three plays later, Garcia ran a bootleg and dove to the right corner of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown to put the game away. He then capped the touchdown with his first dive into the Dawg Pound.
"I've been talking about doing that since I got here," Garcia said of the jump. "It just so happened that I was in the right end zone. I wanted to jump in and enjoy a moment with the fans."
Garcia finished 15-of-24 for 180 yards, including four to rookie tight end Kellen Winslow for 39 yards. Running back William Green had 22 carries for 65 yards and also caught four passes for 27 yards.
Jamal Lewis, who had 500 yards in two games against the Browns last year, had just 57 yards on 20 carries. Boller finished 22-of-38 for 191 yards and two interceptions.
"It is hugely disappointing to lose the opener," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "We made critical errors at critical times. That sums up the game."
scalzo@vindy.com