Cleveland Browns (0-3)
At
Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Thursday 8:30pm, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Good news Ravens fans – the NFL and the locked-out referees have agreed to a new deal (FINALLY!)
The Ravens are coming off an emotional, hard-fought win against a hated rival and now are being forced to take the field a mere four days later. The terms “letdown” and “trap game” are being used frequently when describing this match up, but I expect nothing of the sort. I think all signs are pointing towards a comfortable Ravens victory.
Here’s my take on the game:
Ravens offense vs. Browns defense:
The Browns defense quietly had a great year last year and they are definitely the strength of their team. That being said, they should not be able to stop the Ravens offense. Joe Flacco lit up a bad Patriots defense and his confidence is sky high. Couple that with the fact that he is facing a Browns secondary that is missing its best player in Joe Haden and it should be a long day for everyone in the orange helmets. D’Qwell Jackson is a superstar who does not get a lot of recognition given the fact that he plays in Cleveland, but he alone will not propel the Browns defense to success.
Advantage: Ravens
Browns offense vs. Ravens defense
I hate to say this, but the days of the Ravens being a defensive juggernaut have passed. Luckily for them they are facing a rookie quarterback who is traveling into maybe the toughest road environment in football and he is bringing very few offensive weapons with him. The Browns have a solid offensive line so it will be tough for the Ravens to get pressure on Weeden, but since the Browns have no real threat at the receiver position, Dean Pees should be able to take chances and leave his corners in single coverage. Trent Richardson is a star in the making (and I am not just saying that because he is on all of my fantasy teams) and he may actually be able to find a bit of running room against the Ravens, but it won’t make a difference.
Advantage: Ravens
Special teams:
Two words are being used to describe the Ravens special teams this year: Billy who? With his game-winning field goal that was millimeters of being a miss, Justin Tucker has firmly cemented the decision to make him the starter much to the delight of Ravens fans. In addition to Tucker, the Ravens look to finally have found a decent return game in Deonte Thompson and Jacoby Jones. One of the will make a huge impact this season, maybe even return one this game. The Browns counter with one of the best return men in the game in Josh Cribbs and he alone can provide the Browns with points and keep them hanging around in the game. Kicking it out of the endzone every time wouldn’t be a bad idea for Justin Tucker.
Advantage: Even
Intangibles
Can anyone remember the last time the Ravens lost at home? Well I am sure some can but it hasn’t happened in a while and doesn’t happen often. Sure the Ravens are coming off a game just four days earlier but so is Cleveland and they had to travel. The crowd will be hostile and Jamal Lewis’ induction into the Ring of Honor should make the atmosphere even better. The Ravens are the better team and they know it!
Prediction:
The spread in this game is 13.5 points which is a ton of points to win by in the NFL but the Ravens may just be that much better than Cleveland. If this was a road game I would be concerned but with the Ravens being at home I expect them to come out clicking on all cylinders. This one could get ugly but I think the Browns might find a way to be in it until halftime before the Ravens ultimately pull away.
Ravens 34 Browns 17
Follow Marco on twitter @mromanell and follow Southbmore.com @southbmore1
