Cleveland Browns: Keys to Thursday night showdown with Ravens

Browns rookie receiver Corey Coleman was silent in his first game back from injury last week, as the first-round draft pick is still completing the healing process. While Coleman’s ineffectiveness was insignificant in Week 9, Week 10 will provide an opportunity for him to make a difference.

The Browns need Coleman to shine, even with another standout wide receiver in Terrelle Pryor. This is due to Baltimore’s stout defensive unit which ranks second in the league against the run and seventh against the pass.

Cleveland has had success going to Pryor in recent weeks early in the game, but his effectiveness is soon limited as defenses adjust. Since the Browns are going to have difficulty running the ball against the Ravens defense, they will need to incorporate more than one weapon on a consistent basis to sustain drives and maintain a consistent offensive game plan throughout the game. If they can use Pryor, Coleman, and maybe even Gary Barnidge significantly in the receiving game, their offense won’t fizzle when it matters most.

If Coleman can break out this week, as head Coach Hue Jackson is anticipating, the rookie will also become better acclimated at the NFL level. With the rookie expected to be a valuable piece of this franchise in the future, they need him to play an active role before he gets too used to being irrelevant.