NFL Refs Back; Ravens Lead Browns 9-7 at Half The regular NFL officials returned to cheers, and the Baltimore Ravens sustained the feel-good vibe in the stadium by taking a 9-7 halftime lead over the Cleveland Browns on Thursday night. A lockout of the league's regular officials ended late Wednesday, bringing about the exit of the controversial replacement refs. And so, finally, the real officials were in place for Week 4, beginning with this matchup of AFC North rivals. As they walked onto the field hours before the game, the officiating crew received a round of applause and shouts of encouragement from fans in the lower sections. Head linesman Wayne Mackie and line judge Jeff Seeman both tipped their caps to acknowledge the support. And then, before the pregame coin flip, referee Gene Steratore greeted the players at midfield by saying, "Good evening, men, it's good to be back." Many in the sellout crowd stood and roared their approval. After a scoreless first quarter, Baltimore went up 6-0 on an 18-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Torrey Smith. The conversion failed. On the Ravens' next drive, rookie Justin Tucker kicked a 45-yard field goal. Referee Gene Steratore looks over the instant replay monitor before an NFL football game between the Baltimore Ravens and Cleveland Browns in Baltimore, Thursday, Sept. Cleveland got back into the game with an 11-play, 94-yard march directed by rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden, who connected with Greg Little for 43 yards before rookie Trent Richardson ran in from the 1. Late in the first quarter, Browns punt returner Joshua Cribbs lost his helmet while taking a hard hit, and lay prone for several minutes before being helped from the field. He had a head injury and was declared out for the game. Cleveland's first two possessions ended with punts. On Baltimore's second punt, Cribbs returned the kick 14 yards until being hit in the helmet by the shoulder of Ravens linebacker Dannell Ellerbe. Jameel McClain recovered the loose ball, but Baltimore gave it back when Flacco's pass into the end zone was intercepted by linebacker Craig Robertson. Flacco had thrown 125 passes without being picked off before Robertson stepped in front of Anquan Boldin. During pregame practice, Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis spoke with Steratore and gave him a hug. Steratore turned around and shook hands with Ravens safety Ed Reed, who spoke out against the replacement refs. Many of the fans filing into the stadium spoke delightedly about the demise of the replacements. "It was very chaotic," 44-year-old Karen Riley said. They couldn't control the players on either side. There were bad calls, constantly, and in some cases refs making different calls at the same time. Eric Warthen, who attended the game with his son, said, "I grew up in a union family so I understand. We really didn't get the best product. I don't think they tarnished the NFL image. I think they tarnished (Commissioner) Roger Goodell's image," Warthen said. When he came on a few years ago he had a no-nonsense attitude, a safety-first attitude. With the replacement refs there have been a lot of bad hits. Hours before kickoff, as Steratore prepared for his first game in nearly a year, he said, "Very elated to be back. It feels like being back home.