BOLD PREDICTIONS: Off to The Factory of Sadness

Riding a five-game winning streak, the Baltimore Ravens (5-2) travel to the Cleveland Browns (1-6) for an AFC North Battle from Huntington Bank Field (1 p.m. kickoff). Sitting atop the division standings with (5-2) Pittsburgh, Baltimore is (3-1) on the road this season, while Cleveland is seeking its first home win (0-3).

Ravens v. Browns Head-to-Head

• All-Time: Ravens lead 36-14
• In Cleveland: Ravens lead 17-8
• In Baltimore: Ravens lead 19-6
• During the John Harbaugh Era: Ravens lead, 25-7

LINE: Ravens -8 ½; over/under at 44 ½
FORECAST at KICKOFF: Sunny, 56 degrees, Winds NW at 8 MPH, 0% chance of rain
OFFICIATING CREW: Shawn Smith (3rd fewest flags thrown per game, 53% called against the home team)
ON THE CALL FOR CBS: Tom McCarthy (PBP); Ross Tucker & Jay Feely (analysts); Amanda Balionis (Sideline)

[Related Article: Ravens Hot Takes]

Tony Lombardi

The 32nd-ranked offense (Browns) takes on the 32nd-ranked pass defense (Ravens). If you were Kevin Stefanski, what would you do? (Rhetorical question).

Let’s be honest, the Browns suck. Their offense is sub-suck. A veteran quarterback is taking over for civic embarrassment who just blew out his Achilles. The Browns will play with nothing to lose. They’ll play for pride. This divisional battle has all the markings of quintessential trap game.

• Lamar Jackson will struggle in the passing game to start the contest and when the Browns stake out an early 10-point lead, the Ravens will abandon the run game. Lamar will be sacked 5 times, a few leading to Jordan Stout punts. Stout has punted just 3 times in total over the course of the past 2 games. He’ll punt 4 times on Sunday. Jackson’s passer rating won’t get beyond the 80’s.

• Derrick Henry will find the sledding to be tough. He’ll run it just seven times in the first half but get untracked in the second half, eventually getting to 90 yards and a score.

• The Ravens leading receiver will be Isaiah Likely who grabs 5 passes for 80 yards and 2 scores.

• Jameis Winston will throw the ball 42 times for over 300 yards and 2 scores, both going to David Njoku who will put up 120 yards receiving.

• Nick Chubb will grind out 100 yards to outpace Henry.

In the end, it will be the Ravens ability to cash in on red zone opportunities, something the Browns will struggle with. Baltimore escapes with a dub while Clevelanders proclaim that Winston is the quarterback of the future.

Ravens 24, Browns 23

Kevin McNelis

The Ravens take on their second road game in a row as they head to Cleveland to face off against the Browns. At the time of writing, Baltimore is a 9.5-point favorite on most books, but then again, they had a large spread in their favor against Vegas earlier this season. They can’t get sloppy or complacent as they take on a reeling division foe.

— The Browns are 1-6, having played some ugly football to this point. They’re the only team in the league to put up less than 20 points in every game this season, and I think Baltimore’s run defense gets right this week and keeps that streak going. Despite having Nick Chubb back in the fold, Cleveland is held below 75 rushing yards on the day. Here’s a hot take, though: between Cleveland’s stout run defense and the emergence of Baltimore’s pass-catchers, the Ravens shift to the air and also rush for less than 75 yards.

— Jameis Winston is expected to take the start for Cleveland. Just because he’s played backup to this point doesn’t mean he’s going to be rusty coming into this thing; in fact, I think his gun-slinging style could be helped with a fresh arm. Jameis connects on two passing touchdowns against a secondary with a lot of bumps and bruises. Winston also makes a few bad reads, and for the second time in as many games, the Ravens record multiple picks. I’ll predict Stephens and Kyle Hamilton reel those in.

— Baltimore’s pass rush has been a unit of concern. They’ve been piling up pressures, but it seems like they’re arriving too late, and the secondary is feeling the heat. Zach Orr dialed up a few creative blitz packages at the end of the Tampa game, yielding some good results, and I think you see some of that here. As the game progresses, Z.O. sends Trenton Simpson and Arthur Maulet on blitzes, and each record sacks.

It’s AFC North football, so I doubt the offense will look as pretty as it has over the past few weeks. Still, I think Baltimore can get a few short fields if they continue to apply pressure to a beat-up Browns offense, and those will be what decides the game.

Ravens 26 Browns 17

Derek Arnold

I hate to be that guy, I really do. But this one scares me. It has all the elements of a letdown. Division game? Check. Road game? Check. Short week? Check. Opponent secretly glad to be rid of their terrible highly-paid quarterback who was playing like one of the worst players in league history and wants to prove it was his fault, not theirs? Check. That last one is a bit unique, sure, but don’t discount it. Throw in that Winston is being replaced by a guy who can’t wait to launch it all over the yard against a secondary that can’t cover a puddle (and will likely be missing its best CB), AND the Browns changed play-callers, AND Nick Chubb’s second game back will likely see him looking more like his former self…yeah, I’m worried.

— Winston throws two interceptions, but four touchdowns (two to Njoku, Jeudy, and Tillman)

— Njoku eclipses 100 yards

— Myles Garrett has two sacks, both at Roger Rosengarten’s expense

— The Ravens offense finally meets some resistance for the first time in over a month, punting three times, but they still put up 30 thanks to those Winston interceptions giving them a couple short fields.

— We’re on the edge of our seats all afternoon, but Jameis leads a last-minute game-winning TD drive to end Baltimore’s winning streak.

Browns 31 Ravens 30

Jared Pinder

I wish I could be optimistic and tell you this will be the easiest divisional game the Ravens will ever play. I wish I could say that, but something about this game bothers me. This is the first game the Browns are playing without the cancer that is Deshaun Watson. The team will come out playing hard and with something to prove. I still think the Ravens will win, but my gut feeling is that Winston and the Browns make this game way too close for comfort, and we continue to have the same questions about the defense that we are currently having.

• Winston gets the Ravens defense on a couple of plays, and the Browns put up 20-plus points.
• Nick Chubb has a good day with at least one touchdown.
• Lamar and Henry have to play hero, and they save the day by putting up 30-plus points.

Ravens 37 Browns 27

Nick Polinsky

AFC North football is always going to be tough no matter who the opponent and no matter what the stats say coming into the game. Cleveland has been simply terrible, but the main culprit of this failure is now out for the season. Last week Dorian Thompson-Robinson replaced Watson when he went down, and when DTR injured his hand Jameis Winston came in.

If DTR was starting this game for the Browns, this game would probably end up similar to the Ravens @ Browns game last year where DTR and the Browns scored only three points. Unfortunately for the Ravens, it’ll be Jameis Winston. Winston’s playstyle is as reckless as it comes, but against a struggling Ravens secondary it could be the exact kind of playstyle that can put the 5-2 Ravens in serious jeopardy.

It just seems like this Ravens team is too good to drop a game like this, but I wouldn’t expect a massive blowout like many may expect.

• Kyle Hamilton will pick off Jameis Winston for his first interception of the season
• Since 2019, Mark Andrews has nine touchdowns in 10 games against Cleveland. He catches a touchdown Sunday for his third consecutive game
• Lamar Jackson will pass for over 300 yards for the third time this year
• Jameis Winston will also pass for over 300 yards after Watson failed to reach 200 in a single game over his seven weeks of play

Ravens 31 Browns 20

Rob Shields

The story of this week, for the Ravens, is who will play and who won’t. The Ravens could be without multiple key defensive players, including Marlon Humphrey, as well as Zay Flowers on the other side.

Luckily, they are playing Cleveland, who is one of the worst teams in the league, although Nick Chubb is back and Jameis Winston is now the QB, which probably means they are more dangerous than they were two weeks ago. The defense is real. Denzel Ward is having a big year and Myles Garrett is still one of the best in the league.

All of that being said, the Ravens have no business losing this game and if they want a shot at the second seed (the #1 seed is basically sewn up for KC unless Patrick Mahomes gets hurt), they need to win games like this.

Cleveland’s pass defense has been solid and their run defense is middle of the pack. The Ravens offense has been elite but this is a tough defense and it is a division game, so I expect this to be closer than we hope.

To me, the key to this game is how the Ravens defense plays. It’s time to step up. They have played some elite offenses this year and that is reflected in their defensive DVOA ranking, which is 13th. This is a game that they need to lock down the other offense and even though they will be energized with Jameis starting and Chubb’s second game back, they still aren’t a good offense. Although, if you have David Njoku on your fantasy team, start him this week.

Lamar and Henry continue to be too much and Bateman continues his good play.

Ravens 24 Browns 16

John Hughey

The Ravens enter Week 8 looking to win their sixth straight game, which would be the third-longest streak in franchise history. Baltimore is a bit banged up following their win over the Buccaneers Monday night. With Humphrey (knee) and Flowers (ankle) questionable, a Browns team now led by Jameis Winston could bring trouble for the league’s hottest football team. The Ravens defense has struggled so far this season, giving up the league’s highest passing yards per game (287.1). Despite trading star wideout Amari Cooper to the Bills a week ago, the Browns still have the weapons capable of making plays. Cleveland might be 1-6, but if the Ravens play down to their opponent similar to what we’ve seen in the past, the Browns can find a way to keep this one close.

— Myles Garrett gives Roger Rosengarten a true “welcome to the NFL” moment, picking up two sacks on the afternoon

— National Tight Ends Day is on full display as Andrews and Njoku both find the end zone

— The Ravens enter with a heavy gameplan on the ground as Jackson and Henry combine for 180+ on the ground

— Derrick Henry keeps the streak alive finding the end zone for the 8th consecutive game

Ravens 27 Browns 17

Chris Schisler

The Ravens shouldn’t have a problem with the Browns. Jameis Winston is a wild card, fine. It is a divisional foe, fine. Still, I have a hard time imagining a Browns offense that hasn’t scored 20 points all season is going to beat the Ravens. The Ravens have a chance to beat up a division rival and it’s time to play some bully ball. The Browns give up almost 130 on the ground per game which translates to over 200 yards for the Ravens’ elite rushing game. The Browns have kept it close against average teams but against the Commanders it was a 34-13 defeat. The Browns want to lean on their defense and win ugly. That’s a tough test against Baltimore. I think this one could be a blowout and a get right game for the Ravens defense. 

— Ravens defense forces three turnovers and has four sacks

— Derrick Henry rushes for 130 yards and scores three touchdowns

— Justice Hill breaks a 40 yard run and has a receiving touchdown

— Lamar Jackson has 70 rushing yards and only 140 passing yards and can take the fourth quarter off

— Ravens score five touchdowns and don’t have Justin Tucker attempt a field goal

— Rashod Bateman scores the opening touchdown of the game

— Ravens control the football for 38 minutes of the game clock

Ravens 35 Browns 7

Brennan Stewart

The biggest question heading into this Week 8 matchup: is this a trap game?

There are odd matchups on all sides of the ball. The Browns have lost Deshaun Watson and Amari Cooper, but David Njoku still exists, and Cedric Tillman could be an underestimated weapon considering he just posted 81 yards on eight receptions against Cincinnati. In terms of passing yards allowed, Baltimore’s defense sits at the bottom of the league while allowing 308 yards per week on average, and tie Carolina’s for the most passing touchdowns conceded with 14. At least its rushing defense is the best in the league—a huge advantage and likely the deciding factor come Sunday.

On the other side of the ball, Lamar Jackson and Co. face an average run defense that ties with three other teams for the fourth-most rushing touchdowns allowed (8) and sits middle of the pack for rushing yards allowed. And like their previous wins, the Ravens offensive scheme will need to stay firing on all cylinders to prevent a fourth quarter comeback, keeping pressure coming from the RPO while continuing to increase Mark Andrews’ involvement.

Some props based on a hunch:

— Lamar Jackson finishes above Jameis Winston in passing yards, but both quarterbacks exceed 250 when it’s all said and done.

— Derrick Henry gets another 100+ yard finish, earning his fifth of the season.

— Mark Andrews sees a season-high six targets and notches at least 50 receiving yards.

— Like Rachaad White last week, Nick Chubb reaches at least 40 yards.

Ravens 34 Browns 21

The post BOLD PREDICTIONS: Off to The Factory of Sadness appeared first on Russell Street Report.

Source: https://russellstreetreport.com/2024/10/25/bold-predictions/browns-v-ravens/