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Article Week Five Preview: @Cleveland

Oldfaithful

Hall of Famer
After coming off an extremely impressive win against our arch rival, we head into Cleveland, where we are likely public enemy #1. Browns fans think this is a rivalry, but it’s an extremely one-sided one. Throughout 19 career games against Cleveland, the Baltimore Ravens are 17-2 when Flacco is starting. The fact of the matter is, Browns have been the NFL’s perpetual factory of sadness for the longest time.

This narrative has probably changed. Enter Baker Mayfield; the best quarterback Cleveland has had since Bernie Kosar(in all likelihood). After going through several hilarious busts such as Tim Couch, Brady Quinn, Brandon Weeden, and most infamously, Johnny Manziel, they final have found a quarterback. It only took them 20 years.

Now the Browns have some key, young pieces; they might turn into a playoff team and a potential contender within five years. But how exactly do they match up to us right now? Let’s look at the key three matchups to find out.

The Baltimore Defense vs. Baker Mayfield

Baker Mayfield has been a sensation. He’s got great pocket presence, poise, and an arm that can easily make all the throws with good football intelligence to boot. He was my #2 QB in this class behind Rosen and could very well be a franchise quarterback today. There’s one caveat to this; he has not played a good NFL defense yet. The Jets are also in a rebuild mode, and the Raiders have turned into an utter joke thanks to Gruden poaching the roster of its franchise player. Add in the fact that John Harbaugh historically gives rookie quarterbacks a tough time, and Mayfield could be in for a long day. If we make Baker Mayfield struggle, bring the heat, and do a good job in coverage, this game is going to be ours, and it won’t be close. Cleveland has a lot of talent, but they are young and have yet to figure stuff out. Add the fact that Hue Jackson is not a particularly good coach, and we might have a game here.

Normally, I’d have the utmost confidence in this situation, given that we now have an uber creative defensive coordinator in Martindale and we can likely pull concepts out that Mayfield is not familiar with, which could cause him to struggle. But this is easier said than done. Baker Mayfield has some nice weapons around him. Newly acquired slot wide receiver Jarvis Landry is a very talented player and is considered to be a #1 wide receiver in some circles. Rookie receiver Antonio Callaway is very talented in his own right and should not be underestimated. However, we have Jimmy Smith returning, and our other three corners are good starters. The two players that scare me most are Miami products David Njoku and Duke Johnson. Njoku is a freakishly athletic second year tight end that has the potential to be a Travis Kelce level monster who is borderline impossible to defend, while Johnson is a quality receiving option out the backfield who could move to the slot on any given play. Both of these players are capable of exploiting our weak points in the defense.

Additionally, the Browns have had a very successful three headed monster. Carlos Hyde has been one of the most underrated running backs of the decade, and Nick Chubb is an ideal complement to him, while Duke Johnson has been an effective third down back.

Where the Ravens need to attack are the edges, which are clearly the weak point of Cleveland’s offensive line. They have a very strong interior offensive line, but both of their tackles have been subpar at best since Joe Thomas retired.

Baker Mayfield has made a name for himself overcoming adversity. If we underestimate him, he will pick us apart. The key to this game is to stop him.

Joe Flacco vs. The Browns Secondary

The wide receiving corps has been nothing short of excellent this season, but they face a test here. Denzel Ward has proven to be a quality corner, and the Browns overall have a quality defense. Myles Garret is a problem in the front 7, but if we can effectively contain Von Miller, I am not too worried about the pass rush. Flacco has had a bit of a career renaissance with his new weapons corps, and Marty and Greg have both changed the offense significantly. Flacco needs to continue this streak of excellent quarterback play. The weapons should be enough for the challenge. Marty has brilliantly adjusted, we don’t have a truly elite option akin to an Odell Beckham Jr. on the squad, so our approach is to institute a “pick your poison” offense, which I credit heavily for our offensive success. At maximum potential, even the best defenses in the league could not fully shut down this passing attack, there are too many guys here that can hurt defenses, and this offensive line is adept in pass protection. The Browns have a good defense, but the fact of the matter is, if our offense crosses the opponent’s 40-yard line, you might as well put three points on the board bare minimum because Tucker is automatic. Flacco has the potential to pick the defense apart here. If he continues this play, we should be able to move the ball effectively.

The Ravens Rushing Attack vs. The Browns Front Seven

The one weakness on the team has been the rushing attack. Alex Collins and Buck Allen are both quality players, and Patrick Ricard and Maxx Williams are excellent lead blockers out of the backfield. The bad news is that the offensive line has been slow to knock off the rust. James Hurst and Alex Lewis have been quality pass protectors respectively, but neither has been particularly effective run blockers. While our passing attack is excellent, and our short passing game is enough to make up for a bad rushing attack, we do need to get this going. The problem lies with us not playing Orlando Brown Jr. at right tackle. The Browns do have a quality front seven, but one that is also good to get our young right tackle going. Myles Garret is a game wrecker, and Joe Schobert is an excellent linebacker. The Browns have had two rushers go over 100 against them. To win, we should be effective running the ball as well. This isn’t just a factor specifically for this game but going forward it is important to establish the ground game.

Verdict: Ravens 24, Browns 17.

I expect a close, and entertaining game. Mayfield is a hard quarterback to prepare for, even if he is a rookie, and the Browns are not the pushover they have been for the past couple of seasons. But I think we can pressure Baker into making more mistakes. This is a game where neither side of the ball is dominant, but neither is a total liability neither. The Browns always play us tough, but I don’t think they’re ready just yet. Win or lose, expect a good one.
 

RavensMania

Staff Member
Administrator
The Browns definitely haven't played any team of significance outside of the Steelers weak one, but that ended up in a tie and the Steelers don't have a great defense, to say the least. However, the Browns are two missed fgs and some awful refs away from being 4-0. I agree they aren't going to be a pushover, but feel we will win by more than one score. Maybe 27-17 Ravens.

I agree that Denzel Ward is a good players, but they don't have anyone to match up with Crabtree and feel he is primed for a big day, if he can catch the ball.

Go Ravens!!!
 

rossihunter2

Staff Member
Moderator
The Browns definitely haven't played any team of significance outside of the Steelers weak one, but that ended up in a tie and the Steelers don't have a great defense, to say the least. However, the Browns are two missed fgs and some awful refs away from being 4-0. I agree they aren't going to be a pushover, but feel we will win by more than one score. Maybe 27-17 Ravens.

I agree that Denzel Ward is a good players, but they don't have anyone to match up with Crabtree and feel he is primed for a big day, if he can catch the ball.

Go Ravens!!!

are the saints not a significant team?
 
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