CLEVELAND — It has long been said that, “Sometimes, the best defense is a good offense,” and the Cleveland Browns are looking to prove that when they welcome the AFC North Division champion Baltimore Ravens to FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland today.
The Browns are looking to make the most of their offensive possessions against the Ravens because Baltimore’s players are operating at an historically good level around second-year quarterback, and leading NFL Most Valuable Player candidate, Lamar Jackson.
“We go off of what they have done lately,” Browns coach Freddie Kitchens said. “We do not go off of what we did before. We are trying to prepare to score when we get the ball this week.
“They added some pieces that have made them much better defensively. Those guys are playing good together. They are creating plays for themselves, they are getting off the field on third down, they are creating turnovers and they are doing all the things necessary to be a very good defense.”
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Here is a look at three things to watch for when the Browns rematch the Ravens.
Slowing the offense
Jackson has completed 245 of his 370 attempts (66.2 percent) for 2,889 yards and 33 touchdowns against just six interceptions while compiling a 112.8 quarterback rating. Additionally, Jackson has rushed for a team-leading 1,103 yards and seven touchdowns on 159 carries.
From 2018 to now, Jackson has improved his completion percentage from 58.2 to 66.2 percent.
The Ravens are 18-3 since naming Jackson the starting quarterback in Week 11 of 2018, and those 18 victories are the most of all NFL starters.
“They are putting all of the pieces together, playing good on all three phases of the ball, complementary football,” Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “They are putting pressure on teams. They are scoring fast, and you can see defensively, they are able to play really aggressively because their offense is having so much success.”
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Browns’ effort
The Browns started slowly against the Arizona Cardinals in last Sunday’s game and never got on track, offensively or defensively, on the way to a 38-24 loss at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, a setback that drastically reduced the chances of a playoff appearance.
Running back Kareem Hunt felt “there were some plays that everybody didn’t leave their 110% out there,” and that the Browns (6-8) waited until the Cardinals (4-9-1) started the game with touchdowns on three of their first five drives to try and find their rhythm, but were unable to chip away at the deficit.
“We pretty much waited for them to punch us,” Hunt said. “At halftime, we came out fighting and stuff like that, but you can’t wait that long. You’ve got to be ready as soon as the freakin’ kickoff starts. That’s what we’ve got to do. We can’t come out flat, and then, something makes us mad and everybody wants to start playing hard. We can’t wait for somebody to hit us to start playing hard.”
Ravens momentum
Jackson is the first player in NFL history to throw for at least 2,500 yards and rush for another 1,000 in a single season, and his 1,103 yards on the ground are the most ever in a single season by an NFL quarterback.
Over the last seven games, Jackson has completed 70.3 percent of his attempts for 1,239 yards and 22 touchdowns against one interception for a 130.9 quarterback rating. Also, Jackson has rushed for 527 yards and four touchdowns on the back end of Baltimore’s 10-game winning streak.
“It is a going to be a complete team effort, particularly up front,” Browns defensive coordinator Steve Wilks said. “We have to make sure that we try to flush him lateral when going east and west, and then, try to get population to the ball. That is going to be the key.
“As men, players and coaches, it is about trying to compete and regardless of the situation, playoffs or not, it is about going out there and performing well. It is the name on the front of the jersey as ‘Cleveland Browns,’ and most importantly, it is the name on the back. That is what we represent, and we are going to try to do everything we can to win this football game and try to finish strong.”