2 turnovers, blocked punt cost Browns

Eagles wide receiver Damaris Johnson (13) catches a pass against Browns defensive back Sheldon Brown (24) during the second quarter. ASSOCIATED PRESS Enlarge

CLEVELAND — Rookie quarterback Nick Foles, filling in for injured starter Michael Vick, threw two touchdown passes in the first quarter to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 27-10 victory against the mistake-prone Cleveland Browns on Friday night.

With Vick sidelined with bruised ribs, Foles stepped in and played impressively for the Eagles (3-0), who open the regular season Sept. 9 in Cleveland. Foles finished 12 of 19 for 146 yards with one interception.

The Browns (2-1) had two costly turnovers in the first quarter, when they also had a punt blocked. It was not a good showing for their new owner, Jimmy Haslam III, who sat in the stands in the first quarter watching his $1 billion purchase.

Browns rookie QB Brandon Weeden went 9 of 20 for 117 yards.

The Eagles hardly missed Vick, who bruised his ribs on Monday against New England. Vick didn’t accompany the team to Cleveland, but the oft-injured superstar is expected to be fully recovered and should be ready for the season opener.

In case Vick’s injury lingers, Foles looked like a reliable replacement.

Taking advantage of a Cleveland miscue and the blocked punt, the third-round draft pick from Arizona rebounded from an interception by throwing two short TD passes in the opening quarter. Foles completed a 7-yard scoring pass to tight end Brent Celek, and then tossed a 2-yarder to running back Dion Lewis.

Foles was intercepted on his second attempt, when he forced a deep throw into double coverage and was picked by Joe Haden. However, Foles also showed composure while facing a first-team defense for the first time, and he displayed a nice touch on a 45-yard completion in the second quarter.

“For being a rookie he is so calm,” Celek said. “Any time you ever make a mistake, if you can come back and let that go, you’re going to be fine in this league. We all make mistakes, it’s how you respond from it. Nick has done a great job, not only throughout camp but through the first few games.”

In three games, Foles has completed 36 of 57 passes for 507 yards with six TDs and two interceptions.

Alex Henery’s 41-yard field goal in the second quarter put the Eagles ahead 17-0. Henery kicked a 28-yarder in the fourth.

The Browns were their own worst enemy.

The 28-year-old Weeden was sharp early on, completing his first four passes for 66 yards and driving the Browns to Philadelphia’s 2.

A holding penalty on guard Jason Pinkston backed the Browns up, and Weeden fumbled on the next play when he was sacked by Derek Landri, who came blasting in untouched through Cleveland’s line.

Later, Browns running back Montario Hardesty fumbled at Cleveland’s 14, setting up the Eagles’ first TD.

“We did find a way to drive the ball, but you can’t turn it over,” Browns coach Pat Shurmur said at halftime. “All of the things that you can’t do, we found a way to do it. It’s not good enough. We did not play well enough and we have to get it fixed.”