CLEVELAND _ Not even the Ravens offense's slowest start all season could get in the way of a historic win.
Quarterback Lamar Jackson passed for three touchdowns and the defense held the Cleveland Browns to 241 total yards as the Ravens secured home-field advantage for the first time in franchise victory with a 31-15 win at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The win extended the Ravens' franchise-record winning streak to 11 games, equaled the team record for victories in a single season and clinched a first-round bye in the AFC playoffs for the first time since 2011. It also avenged the Ravens' last loss, a Week 4 setback in Baltimore against the AFC North's preseason favorites.
The Ravens' seventh road victory this season, another franchise record, didn't come easily. Coming off an extended break after a Week 15 blowout in "Thursday Night Football," the Ravens didn't score until their fifth possession, shut out for over 28 minutes.
A two-minute drill seemed to energize Jackson. He needed just 32 seconds to complete two passes for 63 yards, the second a 39-yard pass to tight end Mark Andrews that set the Ravens' franchise record for touchdown throws in a single season. After the Browns went three-and-out, Jackson took over with 55 seconds left in the first half and went 75 yards in 46 seconds. A 19-yard throw to Andrews, extended by Jackson's impressive footwork in the pocket, gave the Ravens a 14-6 lead at halftime.
Jackson finished 20-for-31 for 238 yards and added 17 carries for 103 yards, avoiding the interceptions and sacks that dogged him in the Ravens' first matchup against Cleveland. The NFL's front-runner for Most Valuable Player honors outplayed former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield, who finished 20-for-33 for 192 yards and was fortunate to have a pair of interceptions by linebacker L.J. Fort called back.
A 3-yard touchdown throw, Mayfield's second, to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in the fourth quarter narrowed the Ravens' lead to 24-15. But Cleveland couldn't convert the subsequent 2-point conversion, and rookie running back Justice Hill put the game out of reach on the next drive with an 18-yard touchdown run.
Running back Mark Ingram II, who left the game in the fourth quarter with a calf injury, reached 1,000 rushing yards this season for the third time in his career. With his 15th touchdown, he also tied running back Ray Rice's 2011 mark for the most in franchise history.
