Studs and duds from Cleveland Browns playoff ending Week 16 loss

Studs: Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams

It was not a good day for the Cleveland Browns defense and there were not many positives to take away from the unit. However, the one noticeable part of the defense was the Ravens inability to work the outside of their offense.

Although Baltimore has relied on their running game and their tight ends in the passing game all season, they have generally found their receivers for big plays. That was not the case on Sunday, as Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams were playing good coverage on the outside.

Ravens wide receivers caught only four receptions for 37 yards, with Seth Roberts leading the way with only two receptions for 23 yards. Marquise Brown has been Baltimore’s big play machine on the outside, but he caught only one reception for one yard.

The Ravens did not need to use their wide receiver to generate big plays because they were able to pick apart the middle of the field. However, Ward and Williams were able to take away a facet of the Baltimore offense with how well they played.

Lamar Jackson had a few opportunities to take advantage of some blown coverages by the Browns secondary, but Ward and Williams played generally sound all game on Sunday. It may not have been enough to keep Baltimore from winning, but it was enough to keep the deficit from becoming worse.