Can Browns Cool Down Red-Hot Ravens With Upset Win At Home?

At 2-7 on the season, things are about as bad as they can be for the Cleveland Browns right now, especially on the offensive side of the ball where scoring points and staying on the field remains a major problem. And yet, weirdly, a home matchup with the Super Bowl hopeful Baltimore Ravens may but just what the doctor ordered. 

Last year the Browns were 1-6 to open the season and found a way to pull off a stunning 29-24 upset win over the their division rival at home. It was the latest proof that in the AFC North, anything can happen on any given Sunday. 

Cleveland yielded a season-high 41 points to Baltimore, in the two foes' first matchup way back in Week 2. For a while, that game represented the Ravens only win as they got off to an uncharacteristic 1-5 start. Suddenly, they find themselves climbing back into the division picture though. 

Winners of three straight, they've found some success sending extra rushers on defense, as they current rank top 10 in blitz rate in the NFL (the Browns are also top 10 this year). `Kyle Hamilton's versatility has also been something they've accentuated during their win streak. 

On offense, the Ravens have also found some success with heavier packages, like 12 personnel. And, while already possessing the league's greatest athlete at QB, they've also been able to create some mismatches by using a healthy mix of Derrick Henry and Keaton Mitchell out of the backfield. 

There is a lot for the Browns defense to account for in this one, but that's always the case when they play Baltimore. The bigger concerns for Cleveland come on the offensive side of the ball, where offensive coordinator Tommy Rees seemed to produce some better results overall as the primary play-caller. 

Perhaps another week together will help unlock things even further for that unit and rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Cann the Browns pull off a stunning win over the Ravens in back-to-back seasons?

Is there a little Browns’ magic in the air? There is certainly a chance for it as the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens square off in a game where the Ravens are heavily favored.

Since 2020, when Kevin Stefanski became head coach, the Browns have yet to be swept by the Ravens in a season, but I think that streak may end Sunday. The state of this Browns team is at an all-time low for this era. Cleveland’s offense remains a mess, but showed some signs of life with Tommy Rees calling plays. Still, it's the defense that carries Cleveland week in and week out, which will likely have to happen again versus Baltimore.

Still, the defense has some lapses of its own at times. The Jets, for example, dialed up a screen pass at a perfect moment in the fourth quarter to cash in for a game-winning touchdown. Those things happen and the Ravens have plenty of weapons to create some mismatches of their own.

Baltimore is right back in the mix in the AFC North, chasing a division title and to do that, they will need to take care of business in this one. I think we see vintage Lamar Jackson on Sunday where he does everything for the Birds, we see the Browns offense continue to struggle and Cleveland leaves Sunday with a 2-8 record.

Ravens 24, Browns 10

There were some elements of Tommy Rees' offense that were encouraging against the Jets last week. He seemed to make a point in pushing the ball downfield a little more, which paid dividends. He prioritized getting Dillon Gabriel out of the pocket to change the launch angle, and it seemed to work for him. Emphasizing Jerry Jeudy didn't hurt either. 

Those are all trends I think continue on Sunday against Baltimore, who (despite their recent win streak) still boast one of the worst defenses in football. The Ravens rank 27ths in passing yards allowed per game at a clip of 249 yards. They're a little better when it comes to stopping the run, but still give up over 120 yards per game on the ground. 

All this to say, there will be opportunities for the Browns offense to make plays. They couldn't take advantage of some of those glaring weaknesses in Week 2. This time around, it's a must and doing so, will fall largely on Gabriel's shoulders. 

When Cleveland pulled off that upset over the Ravens last year, it took one of those Jameis Winston gunslinger performances. Unfortunately, we have no evidence that Gabriel has that in him.

This feels like yet another game where the defense keeps the Browns in it for a while, but Jackson and company find a way to pull away late. Same you-know-what, different week. 

Ravens 27, Browns 23