As much as fans like me want to wallow in another disappointing Browns loss, the show must go on. The team looks ahead by traveling to Baltimore to face the Ravens. We’ll look at what we can expect out of Baltimore and what the Browns need to do in order to come away with a victory.
In terms of overall roster talent, there might not be a team better than Baltimore. The Ravens boast arguably the best offense and, at worst, a top-five defense.
Baltimore’s strength obviously lies in its dominant rushing offense. With All-Pros QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry, the Ravens prefer a more smashmouth style than most other NFL teams. Most teams look to stack the box and make them win by passing the ball. However, due to Lamar Jackson’s development as a passer, this strategy hasn’t worked well recently. Throughout the first 12 games of last season, Jackson had the 4th highest passer rating in the NFL when blitzed.
The key to beating this offense is jumping out to an early lead. This takes Henry, who isn’t a receiving threat, out of the game. While Lamar Jackson has improved drastically as a passer, the team suffers when he throws more than usual. Since 2023, Baltimore is 2-4 when Jackson has more than 35 pass attempts in a game. This includes last year’s 29-24 loss to Cleveland with our then- QB Jameis Winston. In that game, the two-time MVP threw 38 times, and Henry was held in check with only 11 carries.
Just like their offense, the Baltimore defense also has a game-wrecking duo. LB Roquan Smith and S Kyle Hamilton, who have spearheaded this defensive unit, combined for 324 tackles (154 for Smith, 107 for Hamilton). The range of Smith, combined with the hard-hitting and versatile Hamilton, makes it difficult for offenses to establish the run. Another player to look out for is LB Kyle Van Noy. Van Noy, who was second in the league in sacks last year, is often charged with providing the pass rush for Coach Jim Harbaugh’s defense. While solid on all three levels, a flaw Cleveland should look to exploit is Baltimore’s lack of takeaways in the secondary.
Strengths:
- Best rushing attack in NFL
- Elite playmakers On Both Sides (L.Jackson, D.Henry, K.Hamilton, R.Smith)
- Most Overall Talent In AFC
Weaknesses:
- O-Line Is Mediocre
- One Of The Most Penalized Teams Last Year, With No Signs Of Improvement
- Tendency To Give Up Leads Late In Game
Keys To The Game:
- Score Early And Often
- Avoid mental mistakes
- Sustain Long Offensive Drives, No Three-and-Outs
Key Matchup:
- David Njoku v Kyle Hamilton
The Ravens are an early-season favorite to win the Super Bowl and for obvious reasons. They have arguably the best overall player, Running Back, Linebacker, and Safety in the entire NFL. While all of this makes them formidable, it doesn’t mean they’re unbeatable. Last season, Baltimore had a +157 point differential, but had a negative differential during the fourth quarter. This points to them giving up leads at critical moments. Look no further than this past week for evidence of this. Against Buffalo, the Ravens were outscored 22-6 in the fourth, allowing the Bills to pull off the comeback. During the fourth quarter, the Bills had three scoring drives of over 60 yards, totaling seven minutes. Lengthy scoring drives not only tire out their defense, but they also keep Jackson and Henry off the field.
With Baltimore coming off a bad loss, I expect them to be more focused and determined not to go 0-2. There’s certainly a possibility for Cleveland to pull off an upset Sunday, just not a large possibility.
Score Prediction:
- CLE – 17
- BAL – 28
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