Courtesy: Baltimore Sun
The Ray Rice saga has once again resurfaced, but the Baltimore Ravens have a football game to play against a defensively sound team on the road.
The Cleveland Browns of 2014 are not “the same ol’ Browns” by many measures.
Defensively, Cleveland has displayed impressive physicality and continue to build off of a strong 2013 campaign. Offensively, the Browns have a quarterback that guys rally around in Brian Hoyer and a tandem of two powerful rookie running backs in Terrance West and Isiah Crowell. Coaching, Mike Pettine has built a new culture on this team where it appears as if the players not only have the desire to win, but they are having fun.
Baltimore fell to Cleveland at “The Dawg Pound” last November and it was an all-around ugly performance for the Ravens. The Browns match up well with the Ravens because they smack teams in the mouth and can do so on both sides of the ball now.
Here are some Ravens to keep an eye on:
1. WR – Torrey Smith
It’s been a fairly quiet season for the former Terp as he has played second fiddle to newly-acquired Steve Smith Sr. Torrey hasn’t been getting open as frequently as expected especially considering the pressure taken off of him with Smith Sr.’s presence and tight end Dennis Pitta returning to the lineup.
Joe Haden is one of the top corners in the league and could give whatever Ravens receiver is lined up on his end of the field fits. Given the defensive prowess of the Browns and the lack of Bernard Pierce in the lineup today, Joe Flacco will need Smith to step up and be the No. 2 threat everyone expected him to be.
2. OLB – Courtney Upshaw
The Browns have had success in their first two games on the ground with a combination of rookie running backs. West and Crowell have given this offense a new toughness and grit that Cleveland hasn’t seen since Jamal Lewis was carrying the rock. It is crucial Baltimore keeps this guys contained and prevent them from getting to the second level not because of their speed, but it will be tough for the safeties and corners to bring these guys down by themselves.
That is where Courtney Upshaw comes in.
He is quietly becoming one of the better players in the league in setting the edge and turning ball-carriers inside for the rest of the defense to clean up his dirty work. He isn’t a big stat guy, but he takes on blockers on first and second down to clear the path for Daryl Smith and C.J. Mosley in the middle.
The more guys tackling West and Crowell, the more succes Baltimore will have. Period.
3. CB – Lardarius Webb
It’s his first action of the season and while the Browns’ passing game is nothing to brag about, it will be interesting to see just how rusty Webb is.
Baltimore has found a way to play solid defensively with three healthy corners in the first two weeks. While Chykie Brown has made some defensive hiccups, the Ravens have made one major mistake this season — the game-winning touchdown by A.J. Green in Week One.
Miles Austin has looked like a go-to guy for Hoyer thus far and it will be crucial for Webb and Jimmy Smith to keep him contained. It will also be interesting to see how physical Webb will be coming off of his back injury.
Prediction:
Browns – 20
Ravens – 17
