Preview for Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns
Huntington Bank Field will play host to an AFC Conference matchup between the Cleveland Browns (2-2) and the Baltimore Ravens (4-1) on Sunday.
There’s a lot riding on this one. The Ravens head to Huntington Bank Field to face the Browns with first place in the AFC North on the line, and both teams are dealing with a huge list of injuries.
The biggest absence is Lamar Jackson. The two-time MVP hasn’t practised since hurting his ankle 12 days ago, and head coach Jesse Minter ruled him out on Friday, so Jackson will miss a second straight game.
The Ravens have barely missed a beat without him, though. Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley led fourth-quarter and overtime touchdown drives to beat the Atlanta Falcons last week, and he has now won three straight starts. Baltimore are 4-1 and a perfect 3-0 on the road this season.
The game also has a strong storyline on the sidelines. Both head coaches are in their first year, and Browns boss Todd Monken was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator before taking the Cleveland job. Monken calls the plays for the Browns’ offense, while Minter calls the Ravens’ defence, so the two will be directly up against each other all afternoon.
Cleveland have been better than many expected. They are 3-2 and unbeaten at home, but they are coming off a defeat to the New York Jets in which Deshaun Watson was sacked eight times. Watson has now been sacked a league-high 19 times, and that is not ideal with the Ravens getting Trey Hendrickson back this week.
Defence is the Browns’ real strength. They are among the best in the league at getting after the quarterback, with 16 sacks, the seventh-most in the NFL. Their run defence has been much more vulnerable, though, ranking 23rd in yards per carry allowed, which is good news for Derrick Henry.
History favours the Ravens. Baltimore lead the all-time series 39-15 and have won the last three meetings. The last time they visited Cleveland, they used a trick play called ‘Hurricane’ to score the winning touchdown with just over two minutes left in a 23-16 victory.
Prediction for Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns
Even though Jackson won’t make it, we fancy the Ravens to edge this one.
Prediction: Cleveland Browns 20-28 Baltimore Ravens
How to watch Baltimore Ravens @ Cleveland Browns
The game kicks off at 1pm ET (6pm BST) on Sunday, October 18 at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland.
In the US, the game is on FOX in local markets, including Baltimore and Washington. In the UK, every NFL game is available live on NFL Game Pass on DAZN.
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