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Browns can't hold off Ravens in home opener

CLEVELAND — The Browns this past week said they'd learned from a loss to Philadelphia in  the season opener, but they weren't about to dwell on it. Nor were they going to pout about the loss of starting quarterback Robert Griffin III, who was placed on injured reserve because of a broken bone in his shoulder.

Instead, head coach Hue Jackson said his team would work to turn the disappointment of defeat into determination.

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](http://www.ticketmaster.com/FirstEnergy-Stadium-Home-of-the-Cleveland-tickets-Cleveland/venue/40971?camefrom=CFCBROWNSWEB_ARTICLES)"I'm more determined than ever before to get this right,"  Jackson said last Monday, "because at the end of the day that's what I came here for.

"I said it before, I don't like losing, and at the same time I know in order to win you have to do the right things to give you a chance to win and we have not done that. Until we do that on a consistent basis, will we have an opportunity to win? That's what we're chasing."

After a 25-20 loss to the Ravens on Sunday afternoon at FirstEnergy Stadium, the Browns are still in pursuit of that objective.

The Browns raced out to a 20-0 lead but were unable to sustain such momentum against a charging Baltimore team that hung on for the victory.

In the waning seconds of the game, the Browns marched eight plays and 45 yards down the field before the drive sputtered and ended after quarterback Josh McCown's pass was intercepted in the end zone.

Over the course of the past week, the Browns expressed confidence in McCown — a 14-year NFL veteran in his third season in Cleveland — to lead their offense without Griffin, who was  placed on injured reserve because of a broken bone in his shoulder.

That faith paid off. McCown completed 13-of-25 throws for 215 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. After a brief trip to the locker room to examine his left shoulder, the 37 year old returned to action and steadied the Browns offense full of young playmakers.

One of them, rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman, shined in his home debut, catching two touchdown passes in the first half. The first-round draft pick from Baylor finished with 93 yards on four catches.

Running back Isaiah Crowell was also key in pacing the Browns offense, rushing for 133 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries.

After a slow start against the Eagles, the Browns raced out to a 20-0 lead behind a string of big plays on both sides of the ball.

The Browns offense opened with a nine-play, 75-yard drive that ended when McCown lobbed a 31-yard pass to Coleman, who caught the ball over his left shoulder and dragged his toes along the back of the end zone for the first touchdown of the afternoon.

The play set the tone for an explosive first half in which Cleveland amassed 261 yards, 10 first downs and converted on 6-of-8 third-down attempts.

The Browns defense held the Ravens to less than 70 total yards in the first quarter and picked off Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco twice.

The Browns travel to Miami next weekend in what's the second of five road trips before the end of October.

The Browns play the Ravens in the 2016 home opener.

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