5 Cleveland Browns Bold Predications in rematch with the Baltimore Ravens
By John Suchan
The Cleveland Browns are going to need several things to go right this week when they face the Ravens for the second time this season
The Cleveland Browns haven’t had much luck against their division foe in the Baltimore Ravens. They haven’t beaten them in over two years. They’ve only won 11 games against the Ravens since 1999.
For this current Browns team to win the game Sunday, the second game against Baltimore in two weeks, they’re going to have to step and execute the plays on both sides of the ball better to walk away with the victory.
That will be a little tougher again this week as the team learned that linebacker Anthony Walker, tight end David Njoku, and punter Jamie Gillam will all be sidelined because of Covid protocols. Adding more misery is that cornerback Greg Newsome II suffered a concussion on the final play in practice Friday and will be out for the game Sunday.
Let’s dive into our bold predictions this week and see what the Browns need to do to win the game, stay in the playoff hunt and try and get back to playing together as a team, from the players to the coaches.
Bold Prediction No. 1: Myles Garrett continues to pursue sack greatness with 3 sacks on the day
Currently, Myles Garrett sits at 14 sacks on the season, a career-high for the No. 1 overall pick from 2017. He’s two sacks behind T.J Watt, of the hated Pittsburgh Steelers, for the NFL lead. Garrett is also closing in on breaking the sack lead overall in his career as he currently has 56.5 sacks and Brown’s legendary linebacker Clay Matthews had 62 overall in his career with the Browns. What’s impressive about this pursuit is that Matthews recorded 62 sacks in 232 games and Garrett has only taken 63 games to get his total.
Former Cleveland defensive lineman Reggie Camp had the season sack record at 14, so one more sack for Garrett will give him that record for himself. After the Chicago Bears game earlier in the season where Garrett registered 4.5 sacks, one had the thought that he’d crush records this season. He’s come down to earth a bit but is still creating problems for opposing defenses.
Bold Prediction No. 2: Cleveland Browns offense will score north of 21 points
It’s hard to fathom that this Browns offense hasn’t scored more than 13 points in the last three games. Even worse the team has not scored more than 17 points in the last nine games, except for the trouncing of the Cincinnati Bengals about a month ago. The struggles are real and frustrating. That kind of play happens when teams aren’t communicating, executing play calls, and playing as one.
The offense is well overdue for a breakout game like the one in Cincinnati. You’d feel more confident if this team weren’t so stuck in the mud as they seem right now. If Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield could make a few plays through the air and then give the ground game their due, then the Browns should be in good shape when the clock hits zero Sunday.
Having running back Kareem Hunt also adds another player that the team can look to run and catch passes and adds another valuable asset to the team. I’d certainly give the running back at least one score on the day if not two.
Nick Chubb also had one of his worst performances in the last game against Baltimore two weeks ago when he only had eight carries for 16 yards. He hasn’t scored a touchdown either since the Bengals’ mauling. Chubb will likely be much more productive Sunday. All these factors will give the Browns well needed boost.