A roster stacked with talent should be able to dictate game pace and tempo. Cleveland doesn’t. Ravens win.
WHAT: Week Four vs. Cleveland Browns
WHEN: 1 p.m. (ET); Sunday, September 29
WHERE: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore (71,008)
RECORDS: Browns, 1-2; Ravens, 2-1
LIFETIME SERIES (regular season): Ravens lead, 30-10; the Ravens are 16-4 against Cleveland at home, having beaten the Browns on ten of their last 11 visits to Baltimore.
TV: WJZ-TV, Channel 13 (Greg Gumbel, Trent Green, booth; Melanie Collins, sidelines)
RADIO: WIYY-FM, 97.9 (Gerry Sandusky, Jarret Johnson, booth; Kirk McEwen, sidelines)
REFEREE: Shawn Hochuli
About the Browns
—Along with the Baltimore Colts and San Francisco 49ers, the Browns franchise was born as part of the All-America Football Conference in 1946. Cleveland won all four of that league’s championships. Since joining the NFL along with the 49ers and Colts in 1950, the Browns have won 18 division titles and earned 24 playoff berths (tied with Washington for the league’s eighth-most). But the Browns’ recent history has not been nearly as spectacular.
–The Browns are one of four franchises that have never appeared in a Super Bowl (Houston, Jacksonville, and Detroit). Cleveland last won an NFL championship in 1964–-two seasons before the Super Bowl was born. Cleveland hasn’t had a winning record since going 10-6 in 2007, a year when it still missed the playoffs. The team hasn’t been to the postseason since 2002, which was their only playoff berth since returning to the league in 1999.
–The Browns are 0-3 in the modern-day AFC Championship Game. They lost to Denver in 1986 (“The Drive”), 1987 (“The Fumble”), and 1989 (“The Blowout’). Since returning to the league as a 1999 expansion team, Cleveland has had no AFC North titles and has made just one playoff appearance (2002) with only two winning seasons (2002, 2007). The Browns had finished last in the North for seven straight years before 2018.
–When the Baltimore Colts were part of the NFL, they met the Browns on 15 occasions. The Colts won only five of those games, losing their last five straight matchups with Cleveland before moving to Indianapolis. The teams met three times in postseason play with the Browns winning the 1964 NFL title game at home, 27-0 (the franchise’s last title of any kind), with the Colts returning the favor four years later, 34-0. Baltimore won a 1971 Divisional round game on the road, 20-3, before getting shut out at Miami, 21-0, in the AFC title game.
—With this intradivisional matchup being played in Baltimore, it will continue a trend that will see the return match being played in Cleveland in three of the past five years. Despite that, the Ravens have swept this head-to-head series 12 times–including in three of the last five years–while the Browns have recorded two sweeps (2001, 2007). There have been six splits–the most recent occurring in 2015 and 2018
—After opening with two home games in three weeks, the Browns go to Baltimore to begin a stretch that sees them play four of their next five games away from Cleveland, with the bye week in between. Last year, the Browns were 2-6 on the road, a figure that probably denied them a playoff berth–considering their late-season surge. Cleveland plays at Baltimore, San Francisco, New England, and Denver, with a home game against Seattle in the middle of that stretch.
–Last year, the Browns were outscored by 42 points in the second quarter, which is a big reason wh they lost many close games. Through three weeks this year, they have been outpointed in the all-important fourth quarter, 31-0. The team’s young defense has gotten off to good starts in games, but the offense hasn’t taken advantage. The Browns’ lead in that quarter is merely 12-6. The Browns aren’t very balanced, having attempted 120 passes (including sacks allowed) and running on only 65 occasions. They have allowed 11 sacks on offense and five passing touchdowns on defense. To make things even rougher on themselves, Cleveland has allowed ten opponents’ first downs via penalties.
—Cleveland has a modest minus-1 turnover ratio but is one of six teams that has not lost a fumble through the season’s first three weeks. Baltimore is one of the other five. In fact, Cleveland has only fumbled the ball once but recovered it. Yet, the Browns have recorded only four takeaways on defense (two interceptions, two fumble recoveries), tied for the fourth-fewest in the league. According to STATS, Inc., the Browns have been credited with only two dropped passes through three games, and they are both by tight end Daniel Njoku, who is currently on injured reserve with a wrist injury and a concussion.
—The Browns were among the most penalized teams in the league last year, hovering around the top five for most of the season. Fueled by an 18-penalty performance in their home opener, Cleveland has 35 accepted penalties through three weeks, tied with Atlanta for the most in the NFL. The Browns’ 327 penalty yards is also the league-high, 63 more than the second-placed team. The Browns have committed four roughing-the-passer penalties; only four other teams have been flagged for that infraction more than once. The team has not been called for defensive pass interference or illegal contact but does have five false starts and five offensive holds.
—Last year, the Browns were a middle-of-the-pack team offensively, but they have regressed through this season’s first three weeks. They rank 24th in total offense (25th rushing, 18th passing, tied for 27th scoring). The Browns are converting third-down plays at a 28.2 percent rate, which is the league’s fifth-lowest rate, and have scored red-zone touchdowns 50 percent of the time, tied for 22nd-best. Defensively, Cleveland is ranked tenth of the 32 teams overall (14th vs. rush, tenth vs. pass, 16th scoring). The Browns’ third-down and red-zone defense are both approximately in the middle of the league pack.
–Head coach Freddie Kitchens, a former college quarterback at Alabama, is one of six new head coaches around the NFL this year and the 17th full-time head coach in Brown’s franchise history. After being promoted from offensive coordinator in midseason, Cleveland finished in the top five in most major offensive categories, including fourth in total yards per game. Before arriving in Cleveland, Kitchens spent one year on the Dallas staff and 11 years with Arizona.
–There are notable assistants on Kitchens’ staff. They include defensive quality control coach Alonso Escalante (McDaniel, 2009-10), running backs coach Stump Mitchell (Morgan State head coach, 1996-98), and strength coach Evan Marcus (Maryland, 1994).
–-Second-year quarterback and 2018 top overall pick Baker Mayfield is a 6-foot-1, 215-pound Heisman Trophy winner from Oklahoma. He didn’t play last year until Week 3 when he replaced an injured Tyrod Taylor. He finished the season nearly breaking several Browns rookie passing records with a passer rating in the 90s. But this season, he has completed only 56.9 percent of his passes with three touchdowns, five interceptions, and a 70.3 passer rating. He has also been sacked 11 times, but he does have a touchdown pass in his first 16 career games/ That’s the league’s second-longest streak in history at the start of a career behind Kurt Warner (23). Mayfield’s two games against the Ravens last year each featured at least 325 passing yards and a touchdown.
—On the ground, 2018 second-round pick Nick Chubb (35th overall pick) set the Browns’ single-season rookie rushing record last year. The previous record-holder was ex-Brown and Raven back Trent Richardson. This year, with the trade of pass-catching back Duke Johnson, Chubb has had to shoulder the workload, carrying the ball on 58 of the team’s 65 rushing attempts. He is averaging four yards-per-carry with one touchdown, but with no rushes longer than 19 yards. Chubb is second on the team in receptions with 11, averaging 7.4 yards per catch.
—With Duke Johnson traded, Njoku on injured reserve, and Rashard Higgins deactivated last week, the Browns’ receiving corps has sprung a few leaks. It is not as deep, but it has arguably more marquee talent. There’s ex-New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham, Jr., who burned the Ravens the only time he has faced them for 222 yards on eight catches in one game as a Giant. Beckham, who has had six or more catches in three straight games, leads the Browns with 19 receptions, a 15-yard average, and an 89-yard touchdown. Chubb is next in catches, followed by ex-Miami receiver Jarvis Landry, who has ten catches and a 16-yard average, as well as five or more catches in four straight games against Baltimore. Only one other Brown on the roster has more than four receptions: tight ends Demetrious Harris and Ricky Seals-Jones have combined for three catches.
—The Browns’ offensive line has been hit by injuries early in the season. Right tackle and ex-Pittsburgh Steeler Chris Hubbard was deactivated last week, as well as backup tackle Kendall Lamm. Besides that, the unit is mostly made up of the same cast of characters, with the newest member being fifth-year NFL left tackle and former Detroit Lions free-agent pickup Greg Robinson, now in his second year with the team. The rest of the line has been constant. Joel Bitonio is at left guard, Hubbard is at right tackle when healthy, and ex-Green Bay Packer starter JC Tretter is the center. The right guard is the only new face–30-year-old seventh-year vet Eric Kush, now with his seventh NFL team.
—Cleveland gets a pretty good pass rush from its front four. Eight of the team’s ten sacks have come from this unit. Six of them – including one in four straight games – have been authored by defensive end and former first-round pick Myles Garrett. Interior rusher Larry Ogunjobi has added two more. Garrett’s 12 total tackles rank third on the team, one behind the 13 recorded by defensive tackle and former New York Jets standout Sheldon Richardson. Ogunjobi and former New York Giants and Miami Dolphins defensive end Olivier Vernon round out the unit. Vernon has recorded seven tackles thus far and, in four career games against the Ravens, has 4.5 sacks.
—The Browns’ linebacking corps was hurt when Christian Kirksey, a veritable tackling machine, was put on injured reserve. But fourth-year middle linebacker Joe Schobert, who was injured part of last year, has taken up the slack with a team-high 18 tackles. He is flanked by outside linebackers Mack Wilson and Adarius Taylor as part of a unit that has undergone quite a facelift. Wilson, a rookie from Alabama taken in the fifth round this year (155th overall), is athletic and versatile as an occasional contributor on offense and special teams. Taylor, a five-year veteran from Florida Atlantic, who has played for Carolina and Tampa Bay. Taylor started a career-high ten games for the Buccaneers in 2018.
—The Browns’ secondary had all four of its starters on the seven-man game-day inactive list last week. Those players included starting cornerbacks Greedy Williams and Denzel Ward, who were the team’s first-round picks the past two years. Their status for this week is unknown, as is the case with fifth-year free safety and former Green Bay first-round pick Damarious Randall and strong safety Morgan Burnett, who has two sacks. Randall led the Browns in tackles last year. Jermaine Whitehead and Eric Murray, the backup safeties, have combined for 19 tackles so far this year. Reserve corner TJ Carrie, who was plagued with penalties last year, also has eight stops and one of the team’s two interceptions. He had seven tackles, a pass breakup, and interception just last week alone.
—Dontrell Hilliard, a second-year player from Tulane who went undrafted in 2018, has three of the team’s six kickoff returns this year. He has run them back at a 26.7-yard average, but with none of the runbacks going longer than 32 yards. Jarvis Landry has four punt returns through three games, but with two fair catches and an 18-yard average. The Browns’ coverage teams are greatly improved over last year. Cleveland is allowing less than two yards per punt return–the lowest mark in the league with no return longer than five yards, and just under 17 per kick runback.
–Undrafted free-agent rookie Jamie Gillan, the team’s new punter, is off to a good start. His work has been aided by teammates’ excellent punt coverage. He is netting 41.1 yards per kick, not far off his 41.4 gross average. He has also placed 11 of 17 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
–The Browns’ placekicker is Austin Seibert, a fifth-round pick from Oklahoma (170th overall). Seibert is being counted on to settle down the revolving door at that position. And so far, so good He’s 5-for-5 on field goals, but with no attempts from 50 yards or longer. He has also missed one point-after touchdown.
Prediction
It’s important to remember that the hype surrounding the Browns didn’t really start with perceptions from their fan or media. It came from the Browns themselves as they boldly hit the free-agent and trade markets– adding big name after big name–thinking they could combine star power with a few good young pieces to make a run at a division title (or more).
A roster stacked with that much talent should be able to dictate the pace and tempo of a game. But Cleveland hasn’t come close to doing that. In fact, Mayfield’s play seems to be regressing and the team’s offensive line play is spotty at best.
The Ravens aren’t quite a finished product, either, but they are closer than the Browns. Besides. Cleveland will face a Baltimore team that knows how to win at home in September, and Ravens are 10-1 when they induct someone into the Ring of Honor. Super Bowl-winning head coach, Brian Billick. is going in on Sunday.
Ravens 27, Browns 10
