RSR staff predict what we’ll see Sunday as the Ravens head into Cleveland.
Tony Lombardi
Both teams have something to play for. The Ravens are battling for a playoff berth while the Browns are trying to prevent history – another (0-16) team. Look for the Ravens to play sloppy out of the gates, lingering effects of the Heinz Field hangover. It won’t be the type of game the NFL would like to feature to draw in new fans. This one will have quite the opposite effect.
– The last time these clubs squared off at M&T, the Ravens won 24-10 despite being outgained by the Browns, 386 yards to 337. Look for the Browns to outgain the Ravens again in Cleveland.
– David Njoku, if he plays, will have career bests in catches (5) and yards (80). He’ll get the Browns only TD.
– Myles Garrett will register 2 sacks, 1 will force a Joe Flacco fumble.
– In the last game, the Ravens enjoyed a +3-turnover ratio. Despite the Browns being the NFL’s worst in that category (-21), the Ravens will only be +1 on Sunday.
– Alex Collins clips the century mark again with 110 yards rushing and a score.
– Pat Ricard catches another pass for a score from the 2-yard line.
– Tyus Bowser gets his first multi-sack game.
– Maurice Canady gets his first career INT.
The outcome will never really be in doubt but the Browns will score a late TD to give the 10,000 fans still remaining a measure of hope. But their stadium is after all, The Factory of Sadness.
The Ravens prevail and advance to (8-6) but don’t look for them to cover. Go to your favorite online sports book and take Hue Jackson’s boys and the points!
Ravens 20, Browns 16
Todd Karpovich
— The Ravens racked up 82 points over the past two games and improved from 30th to 27th in total offense. The Browns are stout against the run (#6th), but struggle against the pass (#21). Quarterback Joe Flacco will test that secondary. Mike Wallace was hampered with an ankle injury this week but expects to play. Jeremy Maclin should have a better game after struggling against Pittsburgh. He was able to practice all week. Baltimore, though, will have a hard time maintaining its most recent production, especially against the Brown’ young and hungry defense.
— Flacco has to avoid costly turnovers to keep the Browns from stealing this game. He must also be wary of Cleveland rookie defensive end Myles Garrett, who did not play in the Ravens 24-10 victory on Sept. 17. He will keep Baltimore left tackle Ronnie Stanley busy all afternoon.
— Cleveland had five turnovers Week 2 against the Ravens. The Browns will prioritize protecting the ball this time around. As a result, Cleveland running back Isaiah Crowell will get plenty of opportunities. He had just 37 yards on 10 carries in the first meeting with the Ravens. Crowell could double that production with the extra workload, but he will not be able to carry that offense.
— Browns quarterback DeShone Kizer threw three interceptions, was sacked twice and lost a fumble in the first meeting. The Ravens will keep the pressure on him to force mistakes. The Ravens secondary is looking to bounce back from a poor performance against Pittsburgh.
Prediction:
The Browns will hang around for much of the first half because of their defense. The Ravens, though will eventually wear them down. Baltimore has too much at stake to lose this game.
Ravens 24, Browns 16
Adam Bonaccorsi
The Ravens offense continues to shine, with Chris Moore leading the way, breaking 100 receiving yards on the day with a touchdown to boot. In the run game, Alex Collins stays under 100 yards, but adds 2 touchdowns to his growing total. The offense combines for 31 points on the day, making it their 3rd straight game of 30+ points, and 5th on the season.
The defense will line Marlon Humphrey up in single coverage against Josh Gordon, and he’ll hold his own. Not phenomenal – 4 catches, 50 yards – but Kizer will have 12-15 targets for Gordon, with Humphrey bringing in an interception along the way.
The pass rush will be successful in containing Kizer, sacking him 3 times, and forcing a trio of picks (Humphrey, Weddle, Suggs off a tip).
The Browns keep it close until the final minutes of the 3rd quarter, when the Ravens put up back-to-back touchdown drives to stretch the lead to 17.
BAL 31
CLE 17
Derek Arnold
Want to see some Browns fans talk about DeShone Kizer? Here we go:
He’s also the worst from the pocket, outside the pocket, on play action. So maybe he’s just the worst at most things. & we can still take into account he isn’t in an ideal situation while knowing he probably isn’t the answer.
— Brendan Leister (@BrendanLeister) December 15, 2017
So yes, he’s very bad. If you happened to watch the end of that Browns-Packers game last week (perhaps, like I, kinda hoping that Cleveland would get the monkey off their back before the Ravens came to town), you saw a prime example of this in the lollipop interception he threw on the third play of overtime.
He’s just the kind of QB Dean “Swiss” Pees has feasted on all season, before peeing his pants promptly upon seeing Ben Roethlisberger last week. I expect a rebound from the defense – they’ll pick Kizer off two-three times, get their hands on another five or six passes, and generally make the Browns look silly trying to copy what the Steelers did.
I also think Greg Roman’s running schemes will crack the Browns’ stout run defense a bit, as Collins tops 80 yards and a score. Flacco doesn’t turn the ball over, capitalizes on some good field position, and this one is never really in question.
Ravens 27 Browns 13
Ryan Jones
Can the Ravens overcome the emotional hangover of last week’s loss? Will the Browns play the Ravens tough like they usually do at First Energy Stadium despite being winless and starting a struggling rookie quarterback? Can the defense fix the major flaw it has when Jimmy Smith isn’t in the lineup? Those are the major questions the Ravens will need to answer going into the weekend.
There seems to be a growing consensus that this will be a hard-fought, low-scoring affair which is typically how these games play out. While there will likely be some anxious moments early on, the defense will make life miserable for DeShone Kizer for the second time this year and I think the Ravens pull away with a comfortable lead at some point in the third quarter.
Despite facing the top ranked (in ypc allowed) rush defense, Alex Collins has another solid game going for over 100 yards combined through the ground and air.
The Ravens defense harasses and frustrates Kizer from the first possession and forces three interceptions including one that Eric Weddle takes to the house.
Joe Flacco plays another solid game throwing for around 250 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Ravens 24
Browns 10
John Darcey
The Ravens are coming off their two best offensive games of the year and on Sunday take a trip to the Factory of Sadness. After a heartbreaking loss last week to their heated rivals the Steelers, this is just what the doctor ordered, right?
Call me a pessimist, but this game REALLY worries me! I have no faith in Dean ‘Swiss’ Pees finding a way to stop Josh Gordon just like he didn’t think to put Marlon Humphrey on Antonio Brown last week. While I have gain some faith in the offense to put up points, I have lost complete faith in the defense. Look for Josh Gordon to have 125 yards and a TD and David Njoku to have six catches for 85 yards and a TD since the Ravens LBs cannot cover TEs.
This team just seemed really dejected after last week’s lost and I think it carries over into this week. I hate to say this, but I think they walk away with their second straight loss and the chance for a playoff spot starts to fade away.
Browns 20 Ravens 17
Ken McKusick
Does this game worry me? Of course.
It’s the Super Bowl for the Browns. Their chance to beat Baltimore. Their chance to deal a blow to the playoff hopes of the Ravens. Their chance to avoid the permanent black mark of a winless season. Their fans’ chance to be energized by football again. All at no real risk to their chance to get the #1 pick.
It is to be hoped the Ravens have focused on what the Browns do well and who they can attack.
There are a number of fictions about the Browns in the statistics. They have averaged 3.3 rush YPC, but that’s largely a function of 2 things:
— Leading the league in opposition kneels with 17 for -22 yards
— Opponents’ conservative 2nd half running
The run defense is above average, but I don’t believe the top ranking for run defense by DVOA is representative. Conversely, the defense is better than their ranking versus the pass with the return of Myles Garrett.
This game will come down to 3 things, IMO
— Ability to control Gordon
— Ability to get the lead at some point in the first half with an offensive strategy that takes what the Browns give, not a commitment specifically to run or pass.
— Forcing errors by a QB (Kizer) who has had a very tough year.
Ravens 20, Browns 13
