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Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens game preview: Key matchups, numbers entering Week 8
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- Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens game preview: Key matchups, numbers entering Week 8
CLEVELAND — The Browns are 1-6 . They're mired in a five-game losing streak . They've lost their starting quarterback for the season to an injury and their two-time NFL Coach of the Year is giving up play-calling duties for the rest of the season.
On top of that, not related to the current on-the-field product, the team is suing the city in which it resides in order to move slightly less than a mile outside the city limits. The Ohio law at the center of that fight, of course, was named the owner of the old Browns franchise, whose move to Baltimore 28 years ago led to its creation.
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You can almost hear Clark Griswold, looking at the disaster his family holiday has become in "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation," and exclaiming, "Take a look around us, Ellen. We're on the threshold of hell."
Speaking of that team, the Ravens , that once called the Cleveland lakefront home but now resides on the Baltimore Inner Harbor, they're like Michael Myers — the horror movie killer, not the comedy star — today. They've come home, and just in time for Halloween.
Instead of cramming one more pop culture reference in, here's the bottom line. The Browns find themselves desperately in need of a win. The Ravens have fluttered in and perched themselves on top of the AFC North, along with the Pittsburgh Steelers , at 5-2.
Can Jameis Winston , now the starting quarterback for the Browns, create a spark for an offense that's still waiting to ignite? Can the Browns defense build off a strong showing last week against the Cincinnati Bengals and carry it into their second division game?
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Then again, the Ravens could, to those faint Browns hopes of a turnaround, simply say "Nevermore."
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens offensive matchup of the game: LT Dawand Jones vs. OLBs Kyle Van Noy and Odafe Oweh
Browns offensive tackle Dawand Jones pass blocks against the Steelers during the third quarter, Sept. 18, 2023, in Pittsburgh.
Dawand Jones is the latest Browns left tackle, the third they've gone with this season. That's one more than even started a year ago, when Browns tackles seemed to be suffering devastating injuries every other week. Jones only faced the Ravens once last season because he was one of those tackles battling injuries and, even then, that was on the right side of the line. However, he did face Ravens outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy on at least 15 pass-rush snaps, according to Pro Football Focus, in the Week 4 game against Baltimore. Van Noy finished that game with three quarterback hurries and a quarterback hit, while Jones allowed three quarterback hurries. Van Noy has basically been 50-50 in terms of lining up on the left or the right side of the Ravens defense the last couple of weeks. He is fourth in the league with seven sacks. If Van Noy isn't over Jones, it's likely to be Odafe Oweh, who is used more at the right outside linebacker position, and still has 4.5 sacks. Either way, both can rush the quarterback, so Jones has to hold up against them to give Winston a chance.
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Cleveland Browns defensive matchup of the game: S Grant Delpit vs. RB Derrick Henry
Tennessee Titans running back Derrick Henry (22) is tripped up running the ball against the Cleveland Browns during the second quarter in Cleveland, Ohio, Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.
Welcome to "Thunderdome," Grant Delpit. The Browns safety won't be the only one tasked with slowing down the Ravens' hard-charging running back. However, as the more in-the-box safety, the expectation will be for him to be around the ball more often than some other members of the Browns defense. That means some chances for Delpit to have to come up and take down the 6-foot-3, 247-pound rolling ball of butcher knives that is Baltimore running back Derrick Henry. While Delpit's never lacking in confidence, he's also faced Henry before and understands the challenges he specifically brings to any individual defender in trying to tackle him. Of course, a whole lot of defenders have struggled to do that to Henry, who's leading the NFL with 873 rushing yards, 10 total touchdowns and a 6.5 yards-per-carry average. It won't all be on Delpit if Henry has a big game. As a safety, though, he'll be one of the last, best chances to get him on the ground if he breaks free.
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens numbers to watch
8.5 sacks
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is brought down by Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (right) during the first half Sunday, Dec. 12, 2021, in Cleveland.
Myles Garrett faced a Bengals team last week against which he's had as much success as any team. The Ravens, meanwhile, are third among the three AFC North rivals in terms of number of times Garrett has sacked the quarterback with 8.5 in 12 games. Still, anyone who watched last year's second game between these teams in Baltimore could tell quarterback Lamar Jackson was consistently looking over his shoulder for the on-rushing Garrett, especially in the second half. Garrett doesn't just have sacks against the Ravens, he's got a pretty full stat sheet: 19 tackles, two passes defensed, two fumbles recovered and his only touchdown.
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36.8 yards per game
Henry has been one of the best running backs in the NFL since he came out of the University of Alabama in 2016. But he never rushed for more than 84 yards against Cleveland in any of the five games he played against them while he was with the Tennessee Titans . That includes Week 3 of last season, when the Browns held him to just 20 yards on 11 carries. Of course, as multiple Browns defenders mentioned this week, Henry wasn't playing with the quarterback he's playing with right now — Ravens two-time Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. How much does that help Henry in this specific clash? Time will tell.
157 yards
Week 15: Baltimore Ravens linebacker C.J. Mosley sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston in the rain at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens won the game, 20-12.
Winston will make his first start for the Browns Sunday against a team that, quite honestly, he's had almost no history with previously. Having spent his entire career before this year in the NFC South, and not necessarily with top-of-the-division NFC South teams at the time, it meant limited exposure to the Ravens. So the only career appearance in two games between Winston's teams and Baltimore for him was in Week 15 of the 2018 season, a 20-12 Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss in Maryland. Winston was 13-of-25 passing for 157 yards with an interception, was sacked once and a 54.9 passer rating.
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Cleveland Browns will win against Baltimore Ravens if …
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The offensive changes, both at quarterback and in the play-caller, produce an offense that actually looks different in its production on Sunday.
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Jameis Winston is able to take advantage of the Ravens' injury issues at cornerback, where Marlon Humphrey is doubtful and Nate Wiggins is out.
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Derrick Henry doesn't find Sunday to be the day he finally goes off against Cleveland
Baltimore Ravens will win against Cleveland Browns if …
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The Ravens offense does what it's done for the better part of the last five games.
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Ravens don't give the Browns extra possessions through turnovers.
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Baltimore's defense can consistently get pressure on Jameis Winston, not allowing him to find receivers.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns vs. Ravens preview: Key matchups, numbers for Week 8
