RSR staff predict what we’ll see Sunday when the Ravens host the Cleveland Browns in Week 2:
Tony Lombardi
The Ravens have lost only once in Baltimore against the Browns since John Harbaugh arrived, a 33-30 OT defeat on October 11, 2015. That sole victory will be upheld by the time the clock strikes 4:15PM on Sunday.
On Offense
— Joe Flacco has a 90.1 career passer rating v. Browns. He’ll fall at least 10 points shy of that mark on Sunday. He will be sacked 3 times.
— Terrance West will struggle against his former employer, managing just 55 yards on 20 carries. He will score on a 1-yard dive. It will be the Ravens only offensive score, courtesy of a turnover deep in Browns territory.
— Michael Campanaro will return a punt 30+ yards and gain 15+ yards on a jet sweep.
— Total net yards on offense will be less than 300.
On Defense
— The Ravens add to their sack total, dropping DeShone Kizer 4 times, one on a strip sack by Matt Judon.
— Baltimore’s +4 turnover ratio will climb to +7.
— Terrell Suggs begins the game with 116.5 career sacks. He will finish the game with 118.
— Eric Weddle and Lardarius Webb both register interceptions
Special Teams
— Justin Tucker hits a 59-yard FG to close the first half to put the Ravens up 3-0.
Final Score
— The Ravens advance to 17-2 v. Browns during the Harbaugh administration, winning 17-6.
Todd Karpovich
On Offense
— Joe Flacco will continue to progress and have a better day statically against the Browns. He will take advantage of several short fields and finish with a pair of touchdown passes.
— The Browns are determined to shut down the Ravens running game and force Flacco to throw. Terrance West and Buck Allen will combine for only 80 yards on the ground, but West will still find the end zone from short yardage.
— Tight end Benjamin Watson will catch first touchdown pass as a Raven.
On Defense
— Cleveland quarterback DeShone Kizer will struggle reading the Ravens multiple-look defense and will endure a pair of sacks and interceptions.
— Browns’ running backs Isaiah Crowell and Matthew Dayes will combine for less than 60 yards on the ground.
Terrell Suggs will get his third sack of the season, and Brandon Carr will get his second interception.
Special Teams
— Special teams will come up with a big turnover via blocked punt or forced fumble.
Final Score
— The Ravens take the home opener, 31-9.
Derek Arnold
The Ravens start slow on offense and Hue Jackson throws some wrinkles at them that they weren’t expecting on the other side of the ball. As a result, they actually trail midway through the second quarter, 10-3.
However, Joe Flacco snaps out of it and hits Breshad Perriman for a 40+ yard touchdown on his first deep attempt of the young season. Once it’s tied up, the Baltimore crowd helps the defense bring Kizer back down to earth with two second-half picks and another fumble. Baltimore scores 20 unanswered to move to 2-0.
23-10 Ravens.
Brian McFarland
This has “trap game” written all over it – and, much to the chagrin of Ravens fans, it will feel like it for well into the 3rd quarter.
The defense will be stout throughout, but the offense will struggle early. Much like the Cincy game, it will take a big play – this time to Perriman – to break the game open. Once the Ravens offense steps up and the score forces the Browns offense into playing catch-up, the Ravens D will feast.
Flacco will have solid, but unspectacular numbers. West again won’t have a great ypc, but will be effective, especially in the 4th quarter as the Ravens pound away at a tired Browns’ D.
Ravens D will pick off Kizer twice and sack him 5 times.
Ravens win 20-6.
Kyle Casey
Given Cincinnati’s performance through two games, it may not be out of line to say that the Cleveland Browns will be the tougher of the two opponents the Ravens will face to start the year.
Kizer looked adequate in his debut and the Browns defense is improved, setting up for a game which will not be as much of a cakewalk as Week 1 for the Ravens.
The game will be a low-scoring affair in which the Ravens come away with a 17-10 win, with the Browns scoring a touchdown late in the game to make the score a bit more respectable.
Flacco will throw for less than 175 yards as the Ravens stick to the ground game. West and Allen will combine for 35+ carries and over 120 yards.
Matt Judon will lead the team with 1.5 sacks and Weddle will hand Kizer an interception in the rookie’s first career road game.
Ryan Jones
The Browns were a handful for the Steelers last week and after watching TNF last night I’m convinced the Bengals are flat out bad this year. The Browns also match up well against the Ravens with one of the best offensive lines in football and a solid defense. But this is the Browns, and the Ravens are at home against a rookie quarterback so this should be a layup right? Not so much.
Going into the half things are all knotted up at 3-3. The Browns will take away the running game and force Flacco to throw the ball and beat them in the second half. Unlike last week, he completes a pass in the final thirty minutes and throws two touchdowns. One goes to Mike Wallace and the other to Patrick Ricard.
The Ravens defense continues to dominate forcing 4 turnovers and shutting out Cleveland in the second half. The Ravens offense does enough and the Ravens win 17-3 and improve to 2-0. At least Cleveland has the Indians.
Joe Polek
Will anyone in Cleveland even be paying attention to this game? They will all be watching the Indians, and that will be good for their blood pressure.
The Ravens have dominated this regular season series, winning 27 of 36 games, including the last three. From 2008-2013, the Ravens won 11 in a row, and have only lost twice in the last 18 meetings.
Nothing will change. The Ravens will run and run, like Jamal Lewis used to do on the Browns. The ground game will rack up 150 total yards.
Flacco will try to go downfield, but staying conservative will win out in the end, as he throws for 200 and no INTs.
The defense will continue doing what they do best and will force 3 more turnovers, but this time they score once.
Ravens run and roll over the Browns, 24-6.
Ken McKusick
The Ravens continue a playbook-conservation game by taking a 1st-half lead and refusing to show much of Pees’ defensive scheming for pressure. Ravens 16-6 in a game where Joe Flacco again does not throw over 26 passes.
Individually:
— West, Allen, and Langford continue to rush by committee and finish with 130+ combined yards
— Ben Watson has his first 3 catches as a Raven for 30+ yards
— Michael Pierce is the star on the DL, continually penetrating into the backfield vs. Browns center JC Tretter
— Pierce’s pressure is the biggest single impediment to Kizer who is unable to duplicate the positive components of his effort versus the Steelers. He passes for 185 yards on 40+ drop backs with 2 picks.
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— The Ravens home crowd is pumped and frustrates the Browns in running the no-huddle offense. The Browns will have at least 3 pre-snap offensive fouls.
Adam Bonaccorsi
It starts just like it did in the Cincy snoozer with a low scoring, relatively close first half. But unlike the final minutes of the first half against the Bengals, the Ravens stay asleep going into the half tied at 3-3.
Then the sleeping giant awakens.
Joe Flacco puts up 200 yards in the second half- mostly of the catch-and-run variety as he’s still not throwing deep- and finds the end zone via Nick Boyle and Jeremy Maclin. Buck Allen also finds paydirt on a 15 yard scamper.
The defense stays money, adding 5 sacks and 3 picks, as Ravens fans can breathe easy by the midpoint of the 4th quarter.
BAL 27
CLE 10
Enjoy that Dunkin’ Donuts coffee & Papa Johns pizza tomorrow folks!
(But not at the same time. Gross)
Tyler Lombardi
The game will go into the half with only 6 total points scored.
Buck Allen will score two second-half rushing touchdowns.
The Ravens will hold the Browns to 10 or fewer total points.
The Ravens will win by at least 2 scores.
Ravens – 23
Browns – 9
