Week 4 Preview Ravens at Cleveland Browns

Were there any positives to come from that bewildering, frustrating, avoidable loss last Sunday? Sure, but do we need to go there? It feels like one of those games which you want to forget as soon as possible and move on to the next week.

There is value in reviewing the Colts game, albeit with inherent discomfort. Perfect example: Kyle Hamilton recorded three sacks last Sunday. It was the 3rd-most sacks recorded in a single game in Ravens history, and the best single game sack performance since Calais Campbell recorded 3.0 sacks 47 games ago in October 2020.

To have such a stellar outing go to waste was obviously disheartening, but an honest evaluation is more important than enjoying film study. When looking back at that game, it seemed to go downhill as the game progressed, particularly in the 2nd half and overtime.

Sound familiar?

Last year, in Week 2, the Ravens were in between road games when they hosted the Dolphins and were outscored in the 2nd half, 35-10, en route to a completely avoidable loss. This year, in Week 3 the Ravens were in between road games when they hosted the Colts. This time around, each team scored 12 points in the 2nd half and overtime, but it’s when they scored their points that mattered.

On Indy’s four scoring drives after halftime, the average yardage allowed by Baltimore’s defense was 20 yards. 20 yards. For a defense to allow an average of 20 yards on scoring drives when the game matters most and that team to lose the game is really tough to fathom.

This isn’t all on the offense, but let’s be honest: they left too many plays on the field, and now the Ravens are at 2-1 instead of 3-0.

Last week, Cleveland had the opposite happen. They outscored Tennessee 13-3 in the 1st half and followed that with a 14-0 2nd half. The Browns never had to worry if they’d be victorious in Week 3, as they beat the Titans convincingly.

Looking forward to this week, we will get to see Brown quarterback Deshaun Watson against the Ravens in Cleveland for the first time ever. When Baltimore played in Cleveland last season, Watson wasn’t active.

A big break for the Ravens comes in the form of Browns running back Nick Chubb being out for the year. Cleveland rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown last week and had the ball for more than 38 minutes. Being without Chubb is a huge loss, but against a tough Titans defense, the Browns dominated the line of scrimmage.

As of Thursday morning, the Browns were favored by three points. Wednesday, though, Ronnie Stanley, Tyler Linderbaum, and Marcus Williams were all back at practice after missing the Colts game.

On the surface, it seems like the Ravens will be okay this week. It seems like getting some key players back will be enough to swing the momentum in their favor. It seems like Lamar Jackson’s running game taking off will pay immediate dividends for the rest of the offense.

That said, this is a divisional road game—the toughest game there is in the NFL. Nothing can be taken for granted.

Here are some specific matchups to watch this week:

• Ronnie Stanley vs. Myles Garrett
  • Matchups don’t get much better than this. All-Pro vs. All-Pro. Assuming Stanley is good to go, this should be a great dual to watch. Garrett has 4 1/2 sacks already in three games this season, which ranks 3rd in football. In nine starts against Stanley, Garrett has recorded 6.0 sacks and 10 quarterback hits. Even if he hurries but doesn’t sack Jackson, Garrett can still play a big part in this game. Stanley will literally have his hands full on Sunday.
• “Brandon Stephens” vs. Amari Cooper
  • Cooper had a great game against the Titans, catching eight passes for 116 yards and one touchdown. It was his 31st-career 100-yard game and his 6th 100-yard game with the Browns (20 starts). Any way you look at it, he is a threat to gain yards in bunches, regardless of who’s defending him.
  • Whether it’s Brandon Stephens or another cornerback, the Ravens have a tall task ahead of them. They did fairly well defending the pass in the beginning of the Colts game, but were unable to sustain their resistance. Cooper and Watson have a rapport and will assuredly be a threat for all 60 minutes.
  • One way to combat the lack of consistency at cornerback is to dial up the pressure. Thankfully, Mike Macdonald is very creative at bringing pressure from multiple spots, all while keeping his coverage intact.
• Zay Flowers vs. Greg Newsome
  • I believe this matchup will determine the outcome of the game. Flowers has done really well so far, in just his first three professional games. He’s posted an 84 percent catch rate and a 9.0 yard per catch average.
  • Cleveland’s starting nickelback, Greg Newsome, returned to practice on Wednesday, which is a good sign that he’ll be active on Sunday. Newsome is a 1st-round pick from 2021. He’s started 28 of a possible 36 games in his career but has yet to make an interception. Similar to the Stanley/Garrett situation, Flowers looks to be the better player and should be going against a player making his return this week.
  • This matchup has such potential because of what Flowers can do after the catch. The rookie has so much dynamic talent. If it can be unleashed, the Ravens will be way ahead of schedule. If it gets bottled up, the Ravens will be searching for ways to augment a would-be stagnant offense.

After looking at the players and coaches involved in this game, I’m predicting a  24-23 Ravens win. I’m also predicting the following fantasy football outputs from these key players:

Lamar Jackson: 19/33, 194 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; 7 carries, 81 yards, 1 TD (24.9 fantasy points)

Zay Flowers: 7 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD; 1 carry 12 yards (17.2 fantasy points)

Deshaun Watson: 23/35, 266 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT; 3 carries, 15 yards (19.1 fantasy points)

Amari Cooper: 9 receptions, 90 yards (9.0 fantasy points)