BEREA, Ohio — In an AFC North game, anything can happen.
Will the Cleveland Browns be responsible for some of that patented unpredictability on Sunday at 1 p.m. when they host the Baltimore Ravens?
Baltimore had the edge in Week 2, 41-17.
Here are several key storylines to know ahead of the rematch:
Can the Browns rectify mistakes?
On coordinator day in Berea this Thursday, it was all about mistakes in all phases last week against the Jets.
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees lamented not running on a key fourth-and-1. Special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone talked about the mistakes that led to, not one, but two return touchdowns by the Jets. And defensive Jim Schwartz referred to DE Cam Thomas’ late offside call on fourth down as a “really embarrassing” play for his unit.
The question heading into a division game now is whether Cleveland can avoid these sorts of mistakes.
Prediction: The Browns are far from being perfect, but the loss against the Jets was particularly bad when it came to avoidable mistakes.
The concerning thing, however, is the fact that no major personnel changes were made.
Will the minor changes they made to coverage units be enough to rectify some of those things on special teams in particular? We’ll have to wait and see.
The big defensive adjustment
The Ravens have made one big defensive change since they last faced the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.
Safety Kyle Hamilton is now playing primarily in the box instead of deep.
According to The Athletic, Hamilton played only 36% of his defensive snaps in the box or in the slot in those games. In Weeks 6-9, that percentage jumped to 94%. And in that same span, the Ravens went from giving up 146.4 rushing yards per game to 85.7 yards per game over Weeks 6-9.
Prediction: The Browns will have to look to get rookie running back Quinshon Judkins going early and not get away from the run too soon.
The stacked boxes are something the Browns have gotten used to over recent weeks.
“That’s the challenge, and that’s a lot of respect to the line, of course, start there first,” running backs coach Duce Staley said Friday. “And then, of course, then the running backs. But no excuses, we still got to turn cracks in the holes.”
Coming off a 75-yard game against the Jets, I predict Judkins will have about the same output this week.
Can the Browns stop Jackson?
Lamar Jackson returned two games ago after a hamstring injury he suffered in Week 4.
But how has Jackson looked in those games, both wins for the Ravens?
“He’s been sitting in the pocket a little bit more and that’s because he wants to show off the arm or they say he’s still recovering,” Myles Garrett said on Friday. “We’ve got to take advantage of it either way. So we’ve got to be able to rush and keep him where we want him and be able to take the ball away.”
Prediction: Garrett has 8.5 sacks against Jackson in his career, including 1.5 in the Week 2 meeting between these teams.
I predict Garrett will get Jackson at least once.
But I also predict the Browns will use rookie LB Carson Schwesinger as their spy against Jackson, and that he will also have a big game.
My pick
The formula for a Browns upset is basically establishing the run and putting enough pressure on Jackson early, while taking advantage of a Ravens defense that in many ways is still trying to find its footing. They’ll need to take care of the football on offense, and get one or two takeaways.
But after picking the Browns for two straight weeks and watching them lose (especially a game against the Jets that they easily should have won), I don’t feel great about picking them this week."
The Ravens are getting right having won three in a row, and the Browns are catching them at a bad time.
I’m going Ravens, 23-17.
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