The Associated Press

BALTIMORE - For once, the Browns' incentive to beat the Baltimore Ravens has little to do with Art Modell's exodus from Cleveland. This time, it's about survival.

The winner of Sunday's game remains eligible for postseason play. The loser will be eliminated.

"With a game this important and so much riding on it, I don't think it would matter who we're playing," Cleveland quarterback Tim Couch said.

Ever since the expansion Browns began play in 1999, their primary motivation when playing the Ravens was to show up Modell, who moved his franchise from Cleveland before the 1996 season.

The stakes are much higher Sunday for the next-generation Browns.

"Obviously, Baltimore is a big rival of ours, but we want to go out and get the win just because of what's riding on the game. We want to stay in the playoff hunt," Couch said.

That, according to Baltimore coach Brian Billick, is what a rivalry should be about. The Ravens and the Tennessee Titans have played one pivotal game after another over the past few years, and now the Browns (7-7) and Ravens (7-7) appear headed on a similar course.

"I'm excited about playing Cleveland under these circumstances," Billick said. "Clearly, we've had the baggage from before, and the last couple times we've played, that's been mitigated just a little bit. I'm hoping this Cleveland rivalry takes on Tennessee proportions. That only happens when you play a game against a ... rival that has further reaching ramifications than just a win or a loss."

The Ravens won the first four games in the series by a combined 114-26 score, and although Cleveland won twice last year, Baltimore made the playoffs anyway. The Ravens beat the Browns 26-21 in October, but now find themselves tied with Cleveland behind Pittsburgh in the AFC North.

"It feels more like a rivalry because now we're kind of both on the same level," Ravens guard Edwin Mulitalo said. "Before, we were better than them. I think the intensity Sunday will be high for both teams. Whoever wins, they're in."

Not exactly. The most realistic route to the playoffs for each team is to win the AFC North, and for that to happen they will need some help.

For the Browns to capture the division title, they must win Sunday, Tampa Bay must beat Pittsburgh on Monday night, and then the Ravens must defeat the Steelers in the regular-season finale Dec. 29 as the Browns are beating Atlanta.

For the Ravens to win the AFC North, they must defeat the Browns, Pittsburgh must lose to Tampa Bay and then Baltimore has to beat the Steelers.

If that scenario doesn't occur, then everything the rebuilding Ravens have accomplished this season will go for naught.

"I'm not even going to think about what we've done so far. We've got to press forward," Ravens Pro Bowl linebacker Peter Boulware said. "Unless we win these final two games, it wasn't what we wanted."

Cleveland would have had an easier route to the postseason if not for a collapse last week against Indianapolis. The Browns blew a 16-0 lead and drew the ire of president Carmen Policy in the aftermath of a crushing 28-23 defeat.

"I have the feeling we just haven't learned how to deal with the big game, to grasp the moment when you are on center stage," Policy said.

The Browns get a second chance Sunday against a familiar foe.

"There's going to be a love-hate thing, but at the same time, there's a mutual respect there," Cleveland linebacker Earl Holmes said.

Precisely. The Browns can't help but be impressed with the way the Ravens have stayed afloat despite an offseason salary-cap purge.

"I think they've done an outstanding job," Cleveland coach Butch Davis said. "They've had some good additions with the rookies and they've had leadership provided by a lot of talented veteran players."

And the Browns, who began their rebuilding process years ago, are now worthy of being considered rivals to the Ravens.

"After four years of stocking that team with free agents, unlimited cap room and extra draft choices," Billick said, "they're a very talented team that is really on the verge of taking that next step."

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