National Football League

Ravens rough up Browns 20-10

Published Dec. 27, 2010 3:11 a.m. ET

foxsports

Dressing in the corner of Baltimore's locker room, Terrell Suggs turned and asked one of his fellow linebackers a question.

''Eric Mangini ever beaten us?'' he asked Ray Lewis.

Lewis just laughed.

Not yet. And maybe, not ever.

Ed Reed intercepted two of Cleveland rookie Colt McCoy's passes, Joe Flacco threw two touchdown passes Sunday and the Ravens clinched a playoff berth with a 20-10 victory over the Browns, dropping the embattled Mangini to 0-5 in his career against Baltimore.

Mangini could be down to his last game with the Browns (5-10), who are stumbling toward their season finale next Sunday at home against Pittsburgh. After that, team president Mike Holmgren will decide Mangini's fate - that is, if he hasn't already.

The Ravens (11-4) capitalized on Mangini's gamble to try an onside kick to begin the second half, a risky decision that backfired when Phil Dawson failed to kick the ball 10 yards. Starting at Cleveland's 38, the Ravens pounced as Flacco hit Derrick Mason for a 22-yard touchdown pass and the only points of the second half.

''I felt that we had a chance for it,'' Mangini said.

In beating Cleveland for the fifth straight time, Baltimore stayed tied with Pittsburgh atop the AFC North with one game left. The Ravens host Cincinnati next week while the Steelers, who hold the tiebreaker if the teams win out, will visit the Browns.

Reed's picks helped Lewis back up his pregame pledge to stop Cleveland's Peyton Hillis, who gashed the Ravens for 144 yards on Sept. 26. This time, Hillis was a non-factor, rushing for just 35 yards and being limited after Reed walloped him on his second carry.

''It took a toll on me,'' Hillis said.

After his second interception of McCoy ended Cleveland's hopes for a comeback in the fourth, Reed got a little too close to a sideline heater and had his full-length jacket catch fire. Cool as can be, Reed handled the emergency with his usual finesse.

''Someone yelled, 'Reed, you're on fire,''' he said, chuckling. ''You've got to be smarter than that when you're trying to stay warm.''

Things were broiling between the teams all week, starting with Lewis' vow that Hillis would not repeat his Week 3 performance.

''It won't happen again,'' Lewis promised.

Then, in typical Lewis fashion, he backed it up.

The Browns felt disrespected by Lewis' comments, and fullback Lawrence Vickers told him as much before the game when the teams got frisky during warmups. Vickers jawed at Lewis and several players from both teams had to be separated by coaches.

''Guys definitely made note of it,'' Browns tackle Joe Thomas said of Lewis remarks. ''You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out it's a lack of respect.''

Lewis explained his comments were nothing personal against Hillis. His goal was to get the Ravens ready.

''Sometimes you've got to let people know you're coming,'' he said. ''We needed to understand that they'd come out and give us everything they had. I'm not here to let somebody run the ball and beat us. That's why I spoke to my men, from my heart.

''It wasn't about trash-talking, it was about saying what I felt in my heart needed to happen for us to win.''

Reed wasted no time in sending a message to Hillis, ramming his helmet into the back's ribs. Hillis wasn't the same, and neither were the Browns, 2-5 since stunning New England on Nov. 7. The late-season slide could be the final straw for Mangini, 10-21 in two seasons.

His chances of keeping his job may be further damaged by questionable clock management to end the first half and the failed onside kick.

''What killed us were the turnovers and the mistakes,'' said Mangini, 2-9 with Cleveland inside the division. ''The Ravens are very difficult to beat when you play flawless football. When you turn the ball over as many times as we did, it makes it really, really difficult.''

Billy Cundiff kicked field goals of 27 and 40 yards as Baltimore won its sixth straight over Cleveland.

McCoy had his worst day as a pro. He completed 15 of 29 for 149 yards, and made several poor throws and decisions. Afterward, the third-round pick who has had to grow up fast, was accountable for his mistakes and promised to learn from them.

''In this league, in this division, and against these guys, you've got to throw good balls and I let a couple of them get away from me and it cost us,'' said McCoy, 2-5 as a starter. ''I learned a lot. Turnovers killed us and most of it is on me.''