Although the Baltimore Ravens (4-4) placed themselves atop the AFC North with a dominant defensive performance against the Steelers, Baltimore has no time to celebrate, as they will host another division rival this Thursday, Nov. 10.
If the Ravens get caught napping, they will fall out of first place and will drop to 4-5 on the season.
In order to avoid suffering an embarrassing loss at home, Baltimore’s defense must deliver another stealer performance. Considering key defensive starters such as Terrell Suggs and C.J. Mosley now have a clean bill of health, this shouldn’t be an issue against an inferior Browns’ offense.
Cleveland’s offense revolves solely around wide receiver Terrelle Pryor, who has been the lone bright spot in the Browns’ otherwise abysmal campaign thus far. In 2016, Pryor has been electrifying, catching 46 passes for 579 yards and four scores.
However, Baltimore’s secondary must also account for rookie wide receiver Corey Coleman, who recently returned from injury. Coleman scorched the Ravens’ secondary when the Browns and Ravens met in Week 2, catching five balls for 104 yards and two touchdowns.
If the Ravens can hold Cleveland’s receiving corps at bay, the Browns should fall to 0-10.
Although Cleveland hasn’t had a consistent starter under center this season, rookie quarterback Cody Kessler is reportedly going to be starting on Thursday. Kessler has performed decently in 2016, mainly relying on the services of Pryor to bail him out of sticky situations.
Winning the turnover battle will do dividends for Baltimore as two interceptions helped the Ravens complete a miracle comeback against the Browns earlier this season.
If the Ravens’ front seven can prevent Browns running back Isaiah Crowell from breaking off big runs, Cleveland will have a tough time getting anything going on offense. Baltimore was able to hold one of the NFL’s best running backs, Le’Veon Bell, to a meager 32 yards on the ground in Week 9.
Baltimore’s offense has been mediocre-at-best in 2016. Excluding a 95-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Joe Flacco to wide receiver Mike Wallace, last week was no exception. Baltimore cannot continue to have Flacco drop back and throw 40 or more passes a game. It hasn’t been working.
Therefore, the Ravens need to find a way to get their run game rumbling. Running back Terrance West should have a better outing against the Browns as their front seven isn’t overly challenging to gash through. West’s best game this season came against the Oakland Raiders in Week 4, where he picked up 113 yards on 21 carries and was able to punch the football in the end zone once.
Baltimore’s special teams have been elite in 2016 as blocking kicks for scores has become a trend for the Ravens in 2016. Last week, Baltimore was able to block a Pittsburgh punt and returned it for a touchdown, effectively giving the Ravens a three-score lead which would prove to be too much for the Steelers to overcome. Kicker Justin Tucker is a perfect 20 for 20 on field goal attempts this season.
Because this is a division rivalry, this game won’t be a “gimme” for Baltimore. Both of these teams have a lot to play for. The Ravens want to maintain their slim lead in a tight AFC North race and the Browns want to avoid the possibility of going 0-16. Expect this game to be close.
Prediction: Ravens over Browns 17-13
