Browns Vs. Ravens: Enemy Intel

Every week we will attempt to bring you local information about the opposing team. As the Cleveland Browns get ready for the visiting Baltimore Ravens we have done so again. Today, for Browns Vs. Ravens, we get our Enemy Intel from Ebony Bird:

1. Get this out of the way: Stuff hit the fan today, with the reports of all of the Ravens leadership knowing about the two Ray Rice tapes. What do you think about all of it and where is the Baltimore collective at this point?

It sure did hit the fan.  The allegations are very troubling, and ESPN is not the kind of organization that would come out with a report like this without doing its research.  For their part, the Ravens organization has cited numerous errors and inaccuracies in the report, and have said they will address them following Sunday’s game.  What bothers me, personally, is that they seem to have known the seriousness of what happened and had access to the video but decided to stand behind the player instead of making a stand.  I can understand when teams hold on to guys like Josh Gordon and Justin Blackmon, but we’re talking about a very disturbing act of violence here.  This story is far from over, and it’s bound to have at least a little effect on the locker room.

2. Without Rice, how have the Ravens been able to run the ball? Is it the talent of the backs or Gary Kubiak‘s system?

The Ravens have had a lot of success running the ball through two games, taking 56 carries for 251 yards (4.5 avg), which puts them on pace for 2,008 yards this season.  It would be the first time since 2009 that the team has rushed for over 2,000 yards.  This success has not come from the backs, though we must give Justin Forsett credit for playing very well in a system he is very familiar with.  Gary Kubiak’s system, coupled with excellent offensive line play, are the real stars here.  Kubiak’s zone blocking scheme makes better use of the personnel on the o-line, which has graded out as a top three unit by Pro Football Focus in run blocking through two weeks.

3. Torrey Smith has been very quiet this season, he says he is okay with it, but do you believe him? What is causing him to be shutdown?

Torrey is a stand up guy who never complains and always puts the team first.  Having said that, he can’t be too pleased with his lack of usage so far.  T. Smith is in a contract year and is coming off a breakout season that saw him break the 1,000 yard receiving mark for the first time.  He has led the team in targets in each of the last three seasons, so this is the first time he has been more of an afterthought in the offense.  We knew coming into the season that Gary Kubiak was going to take less shots down the field and focus more on the short to intermediate passing game, but no one saw this coming.  For his part, Smith has vastly improved his route running and deserves more targets, but right now it looks like he hasn’t fully adapted to the new offense.

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4. The Ravens, much like the Steelers, have an aging defense, how have they looked so far to you? Biggest concern lies where?

The run defense has been excellent, and the pass rush finally showed up against the Steelers, though I must note that their offensive line is poor in pass blocking.  I have to give the secondary a pass because they are rolling out Chykie Brown as a starter with Lardarius Webb sidelined.  Brown has graded out negatively in pretty much every category so far and is stretched as a starter.  Having said that, the secondary has played better than expected considering the injuries they have suffered and the lack of a pass rush up front.  With Webb looking like he will make his debut Sunday, my biggest concern is the aging players up front.  Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil fell apart down the stretch last season and both are on the wrong side of 30.  The only two sacks the team has both came last week from Dumervil.  It will be very telling to see how they perform against a good Browns offensive line this Sunday.

5. Finally, what do you expect to happen in the game? Are Ravens fans expecting an easy win?

I expect to see a close game as both teams emphasize the ground game to grind out the clock.  Rushing is a strength of both teams, and the Ravens learned in week one that they cannot win by throwing the ball 62 times.  Against the Steelers, the Ravens actually ended up with more rushing attempts than passing attempts.  Ravens fans, for the first time in a while, don’t expect an easy win.  The Browns have showed a lot of resilience in the first two games this season that will win them some games going forward.  They have a great defensive mind at head coach in Mike Pettine, which was obvious to the world when they denied the Saints the ability to make big plays last week.  They have a great offensive line and a solid run game, coupled with a handful of strong pass rushers.  It should be a great game!