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BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore Ravens picked apart opposing quarterbacks during the first two weeks of the season. The Ravens made four interceptions in a 24-10 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, increasing their total to eight. Baltimore also picked up three more sacks after registering five in a 20-0 rout of the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
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"We want to be a ferocious defense," said linebacker Terrell Suggs, who had a strip sack in the first quarter Sunday that led to a Ravens touchdown. "We want to be a pressure defense. The standard is very high. It was a good day, but we weren't perfect."
Overall, Baltimore has generated 10 turnovers in the first two games. By getting early leads in both matchups, the Ravens have been able to run the ball and control the clock.
That appears to be their blueprint for success.
Baltimore's defense set the early tone against the Browns and built a 21-7 lead at the half. Cleveland did have some success moving the ball. The Browns outgained the Ravens 396-337 in total yards.
However, the Browns were hampered by turnovers and were just 2 of 12 on third down.
"Our guys really don't blink," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "They're resilient, tough and they just keep playing. They're confident that they'll make a big play and make a stop. That's what you want."
Against Cincinnati in the opener, Baltimore forced five turnovers (four interceptions and a fumble) and had five sacks. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton finished with a 28.4 passer rating -- the second lowest of his career. Baltimore also allowed just 77 yards to one of the top running attacks in the NFL.
The key now is to maintain that momentum heading to a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars next week in London ... and stay humble.
"We have won two games," Suggs said. "We don't have the number one seed in the playoffs. We haven't won the division. We have not clinched a playoff berth. We did some things that we're kind of kicking ourselves in the butt for. We are going back to the drawing board to try and fix them."
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Cleveland quarterback DeShone Kizer came out midway through the second quarter due to a migraine. Kizer was able to return in the third quarter, but he could not do much against the Ravens' aggressive defense.
The rookie completed 15 of 31 passes for 182 yards with three interceptions, and he was sacked twice. It was tough all-around day for the young quarterback. The crowd noise appeared to bother Kizer, who was called for two delay-of-game penalties and also lost a fumble.
"I have to be much more accurate," Kizer said. "Baltimore's defensive backs are very good, and they do a great job catching the ball. But a good quarterback has to be accurate to get his team to win."
Still, Kizer showed flashes of big-play ability and ran the ball five times for 26 yards. His ability to scramble out of the pocket makes him a tough matchup.
Cleveland coach Hue Jackson is confident Kizer will continue to improve.
"There were some unfortunate things, but there's things he will grow from because they need to happen," Jackson said. "With him, he's not going to play every game perfectly. I know that."
Backup Kevin Hogan, a second-year player from Stanford, entered for Kizer in the second quarter and put together a scoring drive that cut the Ravens' lead to 14-7. Hogan finished 5 of 11 for 118 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception.
However, the Browns' future centers around Kizer, and Jackson showed confidence by putting him back in the game.
"Coach Jackson has been real good to me," Kizer said. "Everything is a blessing: the good, the bad and the ugly. I have to do everything I can to learn what I need to do better."
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There were many questions surrounding Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco entering the season after he missed all of training camp with an ailing back.
In the opener against the Bengals, Flacco did a solid job managing the game. He completed 9 of 17 for 121 yards with a touchdown and interception. However, he didn't complete any of his three passes in the second half.
Flacco showed better mobility Week 2 against the Browns and was effective rolling out of the pocket. He was also under consistent pressure and did a good job avoiding tacklers.
Flacco completed 25 of 34 passes for 217 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The performance should quiet any questions about his back.
"It was fun," Flacco said. "It was good to get going. I was a little disappointed in myself. I feel one of the things I can do is stay pretty patient when I go out there and play.
"Today, I felt like it got the best of me a little bit. We had some guys running open. I thought a couple of plays I was trying to do a little too much."
Flacco also continued his dominance over the Browns. He has thrown for at least one touchdown pass in 11 consecutive games against them and improved to a 16-2 all time against Cleveland.
"He had a really good week of practice, and I think it has to do with the fact that he's getting (the feel) for football again," Harbaugh said. "He's getting a feel for the game and how to play it. So it's probably just a natural thing."
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Cleveland's young defense played well for the second straight game and provided a source of optimism moving forward. The Browns forced two turnovers and had two sacks the loss to Baltimore.
Still, the players were frustrated they couldn't deliver the victory.
"We didn't win," Browns defensive back Jason McCourty said. "It wasn't good enough. We didn't do a good job of adjusting to quick changes on possession. We left too many plays out there. We expect more of ourselves."
Cleveland had to deal with several short fields after the offense turned the ball over five times. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has that revamped unit playing at a high level.
"That defense is really tough to scheme and run the ball against," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. "(Gregg Williams did a great job of taking away the things that you want to do."
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Baltimore's offensive line took another hit when six-time Pro Bowl guard Marshal Yanda was ruled out for the season with a fractured ankle after the game.
Yanda is the anchor of the offensive line, so it will be difficult for Baltimore to fill the void. For now, Tony Bergstrom, who was acquired from the Arizona Cardinals just prior to the season, will fill Yanda's role, but "nobody can replace Marshal Yanda," Harbaugh said
"It hurts," Suggs said. "He is a leader. There is not a word in the English dictionary that can describe what Marshal is to us."
Yanda is also the fourth offensive lineman the team lost this season.
Projected starter Alex Lewis and promising rookie Nico Siragusa sustained season-ending injuries in training camp. Center John Urschel decided to retire hours before the first full-squad practice.
