If there is one thing you simply do not want to do as a member of the AFC North, it's to give a rival like the Baltimore Ravens even more reason to come out swinging. But, that's exactly the situation the Cleveland Browns find themselves in right now.
When speaking to some members of the media on Wednesday, Browns Pro Bowl wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was asked about what types of challenges the Ravens present in the teams' matchup this coming Sunday.
Jeudy didn't take long to respond and say this:
"No challenges."
Jerry Jeudy didn't need to give the Ravens more ammunition
Some Browns fans might love this stuff. For the competitive and fiery type, this is fantastic content.
On the other hand, logic would tell Jeudy not to make comments like this, especially when the Ravens are coming off such a tough and heartbreaking loss in prime time.
Week 1 Sunday Night Football saw the Ravens give up a 15-point lead to the Buffalo Bills thanks to some Josh Allen magic. The storied rivalry between Lamar Jackson and Allen continued with an instant classic.
Meanwhile, the Browns had a hard time putting points up against one of the league's worst defenses in the Cincinnati Bengals. Their 17-16 loss might have been close, but the Browns shouldn't feel too great about their performance against a unit that's mostly starved of talent outside of one player.
Now, the Ravens get a chance to take on Cleveland in Baltimore's home opener. Not only do they get to be at home, but they're coming in ticked off after that Week 1 collapse.
From Jeudy's standpoint, it kind of makes sense. Baltimore did, in fact, give up 394 passing yards to Allen in their loss. However, let's not discount the fact that it was Josh Allen. The Browns have old man Joe Flacco and, no disrespect to the veteran, but he's no where near Allen's hemisphere.
Not to mention, the Ravens do have arguably the best safety in the game back in that secondary with Kyle Hamilton. The secondary may have floundered in the fourth quarter of that Week 1 matchup, but Hamilton is still one of the most dangerous players in football. Jeudy can say what he wants, of course, but this might not have been the smartest move.