Part of the reason for Cleveland's stifling defense against Baltimore's rushing attack was the defensive line. Players like DT Mason Graham and DE Myles Garrett showed their ability to get into the backfield and make tackles near the line of scrimmage. Graham and Garrett both had five tackles and combined for three tackles for losses in the game while Garrett recorded 1.5 sacks.
The trend has held true this season for the Browns' defense as a whole. Garrett leads the NFL in tackles for loss with 17 and Cleveland's defense has 67 tackles for loss, averaging 7.44 per game.
"They're very physical. They get up the field, (and) they penetrate," Ricard said. "Obviously, they have (Myles) Garrett, so that's a huge challenge in itself right there. So, it is just one of those defensive lines where you have to just get on them right away, don't let them get going because when they get going, they get a head full of steam. They can reset the line of scrimmage and make it more difficult for us."
Garrett is a focus on Cleveland's defensive line for the Ravens. In his last three games, Garrett has seven sacks, eight quarterback hits and nine tackles for loss. Andrews acknowledged that Garrett isn't the only player who is going to cause problems on the Browns but is someone Baltimore's offense has to plan around.
"It's extremely important (to chip Myles Garrett) and I think all 11 guys are going to be keying on that," Andrews said. "Obviously he's one-of-one. He's probably (one of), if not, the best athlete of all-time on defense, if not the best defensive end of all-time. So, we need to be ready for him but it's really a big challenge for us all around."
As Baltimore tries to climb to the top of the division, it will have to deal with Garrett and the Browns' defense. However, the Ravens will also have to handle the challenges that come from playing in the AFC North and in Cleveland.