CLEVELAND _ The out-of-town scoreboards behind the end zones at FirstEnergy Stadium put more pressure on the Ravens than the host Cleveland Browns did for much of the afternoon.
The scoreboards showed that the Buffalo Bills were beating the Miami Dolphins handily, meaning that the Ravens had to defeat the Browns on Sunday to keep pace in the AFC wild-card race.
Despite being behind at one point in the second quarter, the Ravens scored 24 of the game's final 27 points to pull away from Cleveland and post a relatively easy 27-10 victory.
The Ravens won their fourth road game of the season and improved to 8-6 overall, while the Browns (0-14) took another step toward becoming the first winless NFL team since the 2008 Detroit Lions.
Joe Flacco threw for a season-high 288 yards and didn't turn the ball over. He scored on a 2-yard touchdown run that gave the Ravens the lead for good late in the second quarter, then added a 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end Benjamin Watson later in the second quarter.
The Ravens defense forced four turnovers and finished with nine takeaways in two games against the Browns this year.
After holding on to a tenuous seven-point lead at halftime, the Ravens took control of the game with their special teams and defense. Punter Sam Koch pinned the Browns inside the 5-yard line for the third time in the game.
On the next play, Za'Darius Smith got loose on the edge and stripped Browns rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer in the end zone. The ball rolled over the goal line, but Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams dived on it and then got it back over the line for a touchdown. It was the Ravens' fifth defensive touchdown this season.
A 43-yard field goal by Justin Tucker in the final seconds of the third quarter made the score 27-10. Cornerback Brandon Carr ended any thoughts of a Browns comeback when he intercepted Kizer in the end zone early in the fourth quarter.
The Ravens controlled play in the first quarter, but a failure to finish drives prevented them from building a commanding league and from eliminating the angst in a game they had to win. They took the opening possession and quickly drove into the red zone, but they were forced to settle for a 31-yard field goal by Tucker.
Through the first quarter, the Browns had no net yards of total offense and negative 12 passing yards. Kizer was also intercepted on Cleveland's third drive by Eric Weddle, who snared an overthrow for his sixth pick of the season.
The Ravens, who took over at the Browns' 40-yard line, moved inside the 10 on a 14-yard reception by Alex Collins and then a 4-yard run by Collins. However, after having a first-and-goal from the 4, the Ravens couldn't punch the ball into the end zone. Flacco ran the ball for 3 yards on first down. Tight end Nick Boyle couldn't make a difficult catch on the right side of the end zone on second down. Collins was stuffed for no yards on third-and-goal from the 1. Ravens coach John Harbaugh left his offense on the field and Collins was stopped for a loss of 3 yards on fourth-and-goal.
On the next play, Browns running back Isaiah Crowell burst through the line for a 59-yard gain. Two runs by Kizer then set up Duke Johnson's 12-yard touchdown run to give the Browns a 7-3 lead. The Ravens hadn't given up more than 80 rushing yards in six straight games, but the Browns had 91 on the drive.
The Ravens answered quickly. Flacco hit Mike Wallace for a 30-yard gain to start the next drive. Another catch by Wallace, a 14-yard completion to Watson and two completions to Danny Woodhead pushed the ball inside the 10-yard line. The Ravens finally were able to find the end zone as Flacco kept the ball on third-and-goal from the 2 and went untouched as he crossed the end zone. It was Flacco's first rushing touchdown this season.
Leading 10-7, the Ravens forced another turnover as Johnson coughed the ball up when sandwiched by C.J. Mosley and Tony Jefferson after a 9-yard completion. Anthony Levine Sr. recovered the ball, and three plays later Flacco found Watson all alone for a 33-yard touchdown pass.
Browns kicker Zane Gonzalez made a 45-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter to cut the Ravens' lead to 17-10.
