CLEVELAND — Browns special teams ace Joshua Cribbs gave himself a high-five Sunday afternoon with his fifth career kickoff return for a touchdown.
Cribbs scored on a 92-yard runback in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 37-27 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, temporarily giving his team all the momentum in the key AFC North Division game.
“Everyone has been waiting for a big return and I finally got one,” said Cribbs, whose previous season-long return was 44 yards. “There was good blocking and I was able to make a couple of cuts. We needed it to spark the team and I was able to do it today.”
The former Kent State quarterback finished with 237 yards on seven kickoff returns — the second-highest total in franchise history to his 245 at Baltimore last season. He also averaged 13.7 yards on three punt returns, nearly going the distance on a 32-yarder, and made three tackles in kick coverage.
Those numbers added up to a team-record 27.8 yards per touch, breaking the mark Cribbs set in the aforementioned Ravens game on Nov. 18, 2007.
“The bright spot today, if there is a bright spot, was Josh Cribbs,” coach Romeo Crennel said. “He lifted the team and he tried to do it himself, but he didn’t get enough help.”
Cribbs has now returned at least one kickoff for a TD in four straight seasons and has six total return scores. Eric Metcalf holds the Browns record with seven, while Bobby Mitchell also has six.
“The guys on the sideline were asking me, ‘You got one more in you today?’” Cribbs said. “I came this close to doing it on that one punt, too. Maybe next time or next game.”

Feeling right at home

Baltimore rookie safety Haruki Nakamura, an Elyria native who attended St. Edward and the University of Cincinnati, saw action at Cleveland Browns Stadium for the first time as a pro.
Nakamura, who played primarily on special teams and in zone-coverage situations, finished with one tackle, but was also victimized twice on long returns by Cribbs. On the 92-yard kickoff return for a TD, Nakamura was the player who Cribbs shrugged off his back before breaking down the sideline for the score.
“You probably saw a healthy Joshua Cribbs for the first time his year,” Baltimore coach John Harbaugh said. “That guy is hard to bring down.”

Brownie bits

Left guard Eric Steinbach injured his ribs on a third-quarter running play and did not return. Seth McKinney filled in and could be forced to start Thursday when Denver comes to town. Steinbach’s condition will be updated Tuesday.
• Phil Dawson made a career-high 54-yard field goal at the end of the first half, breaking his NFL long by 2 yards and his lifetime best by 1 (set as a college junior for Texas). It also was the fourth-longest kick in team history and cleared the crossbar with plenty of room to spare.
“It was one of my best kicks in a while and it went a lot further than I thought,” he said. “I felt like I was standing in the tee box after a big drive because I just wanted to watch it.”
• Derek Anderson had his string of 132 consecutive passes without an interception snapped by Terrell Suggs. He has seven picks on the year and a dismal passer rating of 68.9.

Ravens rant

Former Pro Bowl running back Willis McGahee dressed, but did not play after missing two mid-week practices with an ankle injury. Ray Rice assumed his spot and rushed for 154 yards on 21 carries and scored his first NFL touchdown. He had 185 total yards in Baltimore’s first seven games. Quarterback and fellow rookie Joe Flacco threw for 248 yards and two scores without an interception.
“When they get drafted by the Baltimore Ravens, we expect them to play like that,” Harbaugh said. “Are we surprised? No.”
• Mark Clayton beat Brandon McDonald for a 47-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter, while fellow wideout Derrick Mason outfoxed Eric Wright on a 28-yard score in the fourth.

Here we go again

Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth (strained quadriceps) sat out his fifth game of the season, moving Syndric Steptoe into the starting lineup and Steve Sanders onto the active roster. Steptoe had the team’s first lost offensive fumble of the season, which Baltimore promptly turned into Clayton’s long score. Fullback Lawrence Vickers (ankle), safety Hamza Abdullah, linebacker Beau Bell, nose tackle Ahtyba Rubin, tight end Martin Rucker and guard Scott Young were also inactive, while Ken Dorsey was the third quarterback.
• For the Ravens, safety Dewan Landry (neck), cornerbacks Chris McAlister (knee) and Samari Rolle (neck), tight end Daniel Wilcox (thigh), defensive tackle Lamar Divens, kicker Steve Hauschka, and wide receivers Terrance Copper and Marcus Smith all sat out.

No words needed

Anderson and tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. were both evasive about the offense pass interference penalty that wiped out a 22-yard gain early in the fourth.
Winslow was called for pushing off on Corey Ivy when they became entangled in the middle of the field. It led to a three-and-out series with the score tied at 27, and Baltimore scored a TD on the subsequent possession.
“I’m not even going to comment, you guys know,” Winslow said, chuckling. “It’s just funny. I don’t get it. They called it, so live with it.”
Anderson wasn’t laughing as he said, “I’m not going to talk about the play to Kellen, but that’s a huge play — 35-yard line (actually the Browns’ 30), driving.
Shaun Bennett contributed to this report.

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