The 3-1 Ravens made a statement Sunday night when they went into Pittsburgh and won convincingly for the first time since 2015. They have come close the past two seasons, but in these past match-ups the defense was not good enough to hold 4th quarter leads. Things were different this time around, and while some of that may be attributed to the Steelers being without star running back Le’Veon Bell, the Ravens shutting down their opponents in the second half has been a consistent so far this season. Wink Martindale’s defense has yet to give up a second half touchdown this season, even after the defense has looked vulnerable at times especially in the first quarter. This ability to recognize how the opposing team is trying to attack the defense, and then make the adjustments to not only stymie those earlier approaches but to also put the offense completely on their heels is critical for long term success.
The defense, however, is not the only aspect of this Ravens team that has impressed in the first quarter of the season. The offense led by a resurgent Joe Flacco, is also sitting among the best in the NFL, averaging over 30 points and nearly 400 yards per game. According Football Outsiders DVOA, the Ravens offense is 12th best in the NFL; if they can keep up this level of offensive play along with their defense (ranked 3rd in DVOA), they are going to be a difficult team for anyone to beat. Which brings us to week 5, when the Ravens go on the road for the second of three straight games to play the division rival Cleveland Browns.
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The Browns are an interesting team, and also a difficult team to get a good read on. Rookie QB and 1st overall draft pick Baker Mayfield entered in the second half of the Browns third game and immediately lit a spark under their offense leading the team to its first win in almost two years. Last week the Browns travelled to Oakland and scored 42 points on the road, despite Mayfield throwing two interceptions and struggling to connect at times with his receivers. The Browns offense has one of the worst 3rd down conversion rates in the NFL, and have relied largely on big plays to score points this year. Conversely, the Ravens defense has been one of the best in the NFL at limiting big plays. Last week the Ravens encountered another offense that had relied on explosive plays, and they were able to limit the Steelers downfield attack.
The Browns pose a slightly different challenge as they have generated most of their offense on the ground this season. Rookie RB Nick Chubb had a breakout performance against the Raiders scoring twice on long rushing TDs, and veteran RB Carlos Hyde leads the NFL in carries and rushing TDs. If the Ravens defensive front led by DTs Brandon Williams and Michael Pierce can slow down the Browns potent rushing attack it will put significant pressure on their rookie QB against a defense that is far more talented than the previous units he has faced. Standout CB Jimmy Smith will be returning from a four game suspension to provide a boost to a Ravens secondary that has been somewhat inconsistent, but has still limited opposing QBs to the worst passer rating in the NFL.
On offense, the Ravens will be looking to keep up the momentum that they have built over the past four weeks. QB Joe Flacco is off to arguably the best four game start of his career as his new receivers headlined by WR John Brown continue to impress. Flacco has thrown TD passes to six different receivers, and also connected with six different receivers at least ten times. There must be something about the number six as Brown has emerged as Flacco’s top target down the field catching six passes of 20 or more yards through four games. The Browns defense has been a bit inconsistent to start the season, but overall they have done a good job at limiting opposing passing attacks, so this game may actually prove to be the Ravens offense toughest test yet. Second year Edge rusher Myles Garrett is having a breakout season having already notched 4.5 sacks meaning Ravens OTs Ronnie Stanley and James Hurst will be in for a real challenge. The Ravens offensive line held up very well against Pittsburgh, but Garrett and company will likely be a bit more difficult to deal with. I would expect Marty Mornhinweg to once again employ a number of different protection schemes frequently using TEs and RBs to help protect Flacco.
While the Ravens passing attack has been highly effective, the running game is still struggling to get going. Alex Collins is once again having issues holding onto the ball and Buck Allen is not a real threat as a rusher. For the Ravens offense to reach its full potential, Collins is going to have to solve the fumbling issues and find the form that sparked the Ravens last season. It is yet to be determined how much Collins will see the ball after fumbling on the goal-line last week, but there is no better way to slow down a pass-rush than running the ball right at them.
The Ravens are in a good position in the AFC North after beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh, but back to back wins in the division on the road would really solidify their standing as a contender in the AFC. The Browns are no longer the doormat they have been for the past decade, but they are still a very young team that is not well coached. I think the Ravens experience and coaching will carry the team to their 3rd straight victory this Sunday over the upstart Browns 27 – 20.
Ravens Analyst
Gabe is an avid fan of the NFL and Ravens football. He grew up in Westminster, MD, and attended college at Johns Hopkins University majoring in Biology. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles, and now works as a R&D Scientist developing Transplant Diagnostics assays. Gabe has appeared as a guest on 105.7 The Fan.