(Photo: Akron Beacon Journal)
AFC Game Of The Week
Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
Browns: They were about to get back on the winning side of things against the Arizona Cardinals last weekend. I know Deshaun Watson has been in and out of the lineup with a shoulder injury, but they have still been able to stay afloat. I’ll admit to you all after the Nick Chubb injury, I didn’t know what direction they’d go in because Nick was their best player and accounted for more than 75 percent of their offense. When healthy, Nick is one of the very best Running Backs on the football field. To replace him, the Browns have used a trio of Running Backs in Kareem Hunt, Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong Jr to keep the ground attack going and it’s flowing smoothly for them. In fact, Cleveland is ranked third in the league in rushing yards with 144.1 yards per game. Each back has their own element that they bring to the offense. Kareem is the grinder, Jerome brings the versatility and Pierre is their speed guy. What’s truly been the shining point for this football team has been their defense and I’ve loved every second I’ve been able to watch them. There have been three teams with the lowest yardage totals this year and this Cleveland defense is responsible for all three. It’s not just Myles Garrett. This is a unit that’s played very well together collectively and there’s no pressure on Myles to do much of everything which is huge because having more guys outside of your best player speaks volumes. This is the best I’ve seen this football team look since 2020 when Kevin Stefanski snapped the Browns playoff drought, won a playoff game and won Coach of the Year. On Sunday, they will make their way to Baltimore for a divisional showdown.
Ravens: This is the best team in football right now. Yes, the Eagles may have the best record in the league at 8-1, but what I’ve seen this group do has amazed me. I’m not one to label a team with the best record just because they have just that, the best record. It also includes how they mesh as a football team and this is a group that’s having fun. I see flashes of that 2019 team when John Harbaugh won Coach of the Year and Lamar Jackson won MVP. That’s perfect segue because that’s who I wanted to discuss next, the Quarterback. It’s great to see him healthy and on the field consistently. He’s had a tough time being able to stay on the field these last few seasons. When he’s healthy, you see the difference he makes for this team. That game against the Lions a few weeks back was the best I’ve ever seen him look on the field! If you all remember anything I said about the Ravens all last season and during the off-season when I was previewing divisions, I talked about their inability to close out football games a season ago. There were about six or seven games last season where they were able by a sizable margin and would blow the lead. This year, they are starting quickly, keeping their foot on the gas and putting teams away early and I love to see it. There are two things that will forever remain the same when you talk about Ravens football and that’s running the ball along with a stingy defense. There’s more segue there! This defense is one of the two best units in the league and I wouldn’t disagree with you if you said they were the best. They throw so many looks at you and you don’t know who’s going to do what. This group has no weaknesses whatsoever. They’re back at home on Sunday for a showdown with the Cleveland Browns.
Browns X-Factor: Dalvin Tomlinson– He’s been a force on one of the best defenses in the league. No matter who he’s played for, Dalvin has always been a menace on every defensive line he’s been apart of. He’s excellent when it comes to stopping the run. Dalvin can also get after the Quarterback for a sack and push the pocket. He will see his share of one on ones this Sunday in Baltimore and will be counted on to get after Lamar and this Baltimore ground game.
Ravens X-Factor: Justin Madubuike– Justin leads the Ravens in sacks with 7.5 and he’s doing this from the interior of the defensive line! He is a nightmare for all Offensive Lines and displays versatility to also play on the edge as well. He brings toughness to the Ravens defensive front as he can get scrappy with the best of them. He’s always low at all times and plays with very violent hands. He will feast on a Cleveland Offensive Line without some key pieces.
Final Thoughts: Finally, we’ll see Deshaun and Lamar face one another. The last time they did was in 2020 back when Deshaun was still playing for the Houston Texans. This AFC North division has been highly entertaining and that’s because all four teams are all above .500! When these two last met, a rookie Quarterback was starting for Cleveland (Dorian Thompson-Robinson) and the Ravens just took over and never looked back. Both the Ravens and Browns have been similar to one another. They both have star Quarterbacks with stingy defenses. The Ravens have been able to wear teams down with their defense and consistent running game. Cleveland had a scrimmage against the Arizona Cardinals last week and this will be a tougher test. Look for the Browns to stack the line and put the game in Lamar’s hands. Make him beat you from the pocket. The Browns offense will have their hands full against a Baltimore defense that isn’t missing a beat. I expect Baltimore to bottle up that running game. This game will come down to which defense can remain more consistent. Cleveland will make it challenging, but Baltimore right now is the better team and I’m picking the Ravens to win this game.
Prediction: Ravens 23, Browns 20
