With their season on the line on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns answered the bell, coming up with a huge 40-25 road victory over the Baltimore Ravens.
Afterward, Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens said he was proud of his group for overcoming the odds:
“We found out that we can look adversity in the eyes and go into a home stadium and win a division game,” Kitchens said, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. “So how much more do you want to know about yourself?”
It was, by far, the best offensive performance of the season for the Browns, who had mustered just 49 points total through the first three weeks of the year before dropping a 40-spot on the Ravens.
Baker Mayfield completed 20 of his 30 passes for 342 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the victory, with Jarvis Landry hauling in eight receptions for 167 yards.
But the real star of the game was Nick Chubb, who carried the ball 20 times for 165 yards and three scores.
The Browns improved to 2-2 with the win, putting them in a tie with the Ravens for first place in the AFC North. However, things won't get any easier from here on out.
Next Monday, Cleveland will head on the road to battle an upstart San Francisco 49ers club that has gotten out to a 3-0 start. Then, the Browns will return home to host the 3-1 Seattle Seahawks.
Cleveland will get a break with a bye the following week before then having to go back out on the road to take on the New England Patriots.
So, while the Browns may have logged a pivotal victory on Sunday, their journey is just getting started.