Browns vs. Ravens: Week 10 Need to Know

The Cleveland Browns hit the road on Sunday for a key AFC North game against the Baltimore Ravens.

This will be the second meeting between the two teams, with the Browns dropping the first matchup in Week 4 in an ugly fashion as they turned the ball over three times and were outclassed by the Ravens.

There should be no surprises for the Browns on Sunday. They know what the Ravens do on defense. They know what quarterback Lamar Jackson is capable of on offense. The question is, what are the Browns prepared to do about it?

Cleveland’s defense has put up some impressive performances this season, and not to diminish what they accomplished last weekend, but this is a big step up in class from the Arizona Cardinals and quarterback Clayton Tune.

The offense has been less successful for a variety of reasons and heads into the weekend with questions at both tackle positions because of injuries. They’ve somehow made it work on offense for the past four games, and Deshaun Watson is back at quarterback, but there are still several reasons for concern.

The Browns know what they need to do to win - have a big day on defense, find a way to run the ball, and don’t turn it over on offense. The question is, can they do it against the Ravens?

A loss does not mean the season is lost, but it would pretty much shut down any hope the Browns have of claiming the division championship, which makes the road to the playoffs more difficult.

OK, enough hype! Here is everything you need to know to get ready for the game.

Game Info

Records: Cleveland is 5-3. Baltimore is 7-2.

Kickoff: 1 p.m.

Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.

TV: FOX

Announcers: Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake (sideline reporter)

Radio: ESPN 850, 92.3 The Fan, 98.5 WNCX, 89.1 FM La Mega (Spanish)

Announcers: Tom McCarthy, Nathan Zegura, Jerod Cherry (sideline reporter)

First meeting: The Ravens won the first meeting, 17-10, on September 26, 1999.

Last meeting: The Ravens won the last meeting, 28-3, in Week 4 of this season.

All-time series: The Ravens lead the all-time series, 36-13. Cleveland has lost six of their past seven in Baltimore.

Weather: 52 degrees and partly cloudy with no chance of rain. Winds from the northeast at 4 mph. (weather.com)

Uniform: The Browns will be sporting their white jerseys and orange pants combo.

Injury report: Browns - Out: Right tackle Dawand Jones (knee/shoulder), wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (concussion) and wide receiver David Bell (knee). Questionable: Cornerback Greg Newsome II (groin). Ravens - Questionable: Cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (illness), cornerback Marlon Humphrey (hamstring), running back Keaton Mitchell (hamstring) and offensive tackle Morgan Moses (shoulder).

The line: Browns +6.5 (DraftKings)

Some Notes to Remember

• On defense, the Browns lead the NFL in fewest yards allowed (234.8), pass defense (145 yards) and third-down percentage (26 percent). The Ravens lead the NFL in fewest points allowed (13.8) and have allowed just nine touchdowns on 105 offensive drives, according to ESPN.
• Baltimore comes into the game with an NFL-high 17 rushing touchdowns, are first in total rushing yards (1,443) and second in yards per carry (4.8). Cleveland’s defense is tied for fourth in yards per carry (3.7) and has allowed just seven rushing touchdowns, three of which came in just one game.
• Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson is completing a career-high 71.5 percent of his passes and, according to Pro Football Focus, has yet to throw an interception on a pass thrown more than 10 yards downfield.
• Jackson has fumbled 10 times, however, so there may be opportunities for an opportunistic Cleveland defense to make a game-changing play.

• Cleveland’s secondary has been impressive, with cornerbacks Martin Emerson and Denzel Ward among the best in coverage, and safety Grant Delpit’s coverage grade of 83.4 currently sixth-best in the league (per PFF).

• Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who has used his athleticism to some success against the Ravens, is tied for first in the league with 14 tackles for loss or no gain.
• The Browns will see a familiar face at wide receiver in Odell Beckham Jr., who has 19 receptions for 218 yards and one touchdown on the season.
• The Browns have managed to put together a run game on offense as they are fifth in the NFL in total rushing yards (1,153), and are averaging 144.1 yards per game (third best) and 4.2 yards per carry.
• James Hudson III is expected to get the start at offensive tackle with Jedrick Wills Jr. on injured reserve In 102 offensive snaps this season, Hudson has an overall grade of 46.6, with a pass-blocking grade of 37.9 and a run-block grade of 50.8, according to Pro Football Focus.
• This week’s game poster has a “dawg smash” type of vibe:

• The Ravens picked up aging veterans Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy to bolster the pass rush and they have combined for 8.5 sacks on the season.

In Case You Missed It

Jim Schwartz: ‘It will be a good AFC North battle’

Browns offensive line takes big injury hit for Baltimore game

Browns vs Ravens: Lamar Jackson and 2 other Ravens of interest to watch this week

James Proche’s history includes a huge medical scare in high school

Scouting how Cleveland can take control of the AFC North in our Q&A with Baltimore Beatdown

Browns fans are split down the middle on whether they’ll beat Baltimore, but fan confidence is up

Browns schedule Week 10: Scouting the Baltimore Ravens

Browns Week 10 rooting guide: Best results for playoff seeding

CB Vincent Gray, new to Browns practice squad, is an intriguing player

Browns midseason accolades: Myles Garrett, Amari Cooper and more

A Final Quote

Quarterback Deshaun Watson on facing Baltimore’s defense (quote via a team-provided transcript):

“I don’t play against Lamar, I play against the Ravens defense. So, I can’t focus on what Lamar is doing on the opposite side and trying to do that. I got to focus on attacking the defense because if I get worried about another quarterback, then, sh*t, I’m not going to play well against the defense. So, I got to focus on the two linebackers and the edge rushers and the secondary and what they want to try to present to us. So that’s my main focus, is the Ravens defense, and that’s what I’m going to be locked in on.”

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What are you looking for from the Browns in Sunday’s game against the Ravens?