The Ravens offense sputtered for much of Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns.
But when the group needed a spark, wide receiver Marlon Brown was able to provide it. The undrafted rookie had a big day in Sunday's loss, catching two touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the 24-18 loss to Cleveland.
"Marlon played really well," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "Marlon made plays for us. Marlon made catches. He made runs after the catch. He made a spectacular play on the two-point conversion. I'm really proud of the way he played. He did a great job."
Brown finished the game with five catches for 54 yards, the latest strong outing in what has been an impressive rookie campaign for the pass catcher from Georgia. He has emerged as a viable No. 2 option alongside Torrey Smith and a key part of the Ravens' passing game.
"Every day in practice I just see myself getting better at one thing every day," Brown said. "I always try to go out there and get better at one thing every day. And the sky is the limit from there."
Brown had been quiet in recent weeks coming into Sunday's game. After starting the season with touchdowns in three of the first four games, Brown had not scored a touchdown since Sept. 29 in Buffalo.
A hamstring injury forced him to sit out Week 5 against Buffalo, and the return of Jacoby Jones and Deonte Thompson cut into his opportunities. Brown has continued to maintain his spot in the starting lineup, and he helped jump-start the offense in Cleveland.
Brown's first touchdown came on a 19-yard pass at the end of the first half, after Smith set it up with a 46-yard gain. Brown caught the pass running toward the sideline, but then turned upfield and finished with a diving score to the end zone.
Quarterback Joe Flacco went back to Brown in the fourth quarter on a seven-yard touchdown and then the two-point conversion. Both scores came on out patterns where Brown took a hit while making the catch.
"It's nothing complicated," Brown said. "We just went out there on a couple plays, and Joe threw strikes and I ran a good route. It is what it is."
The solid day for Brown was overshadowed by the Ravens' third-straight loss, which dropped them to 3-5 on the year. The offense again took too long to get into a rhythm, and did not have enough time to finish a comeback effort.
"It's real frustrating," Brown said. "We're out there every day in practice. You all don't see us out there grinding every day, you don't see us working hard all week. Even on the bye week we were grinding. And then when we play on Sunday and let it loose, and it doesn't go our way, then it gets frustrating."
