Cleveland Browns defensive grades in week 10 upset win over Baltimore

Cleveland Browns linebacker grade: A-

Playing linebacker against the Ravens is a tough day at the office for any NFL team. The Browns linebackers were tested on Sunday and came out the other side with gold star.

The Ravens’ rushing attack has been on fire as of late. Baltimore came into Sunday’s game with Cleveland averaging a league leading 160 rushing yards per game, including a 298-yard rushing performance in week nine against the Seattle Seahawks. When the smoke cleared in Baltimore in week ten, the Browns held the Ravens to 106 yards on the ground.

Keaton Mitchell, the Ravens undrafted free agent rookie running back, took his first carry 39-yards to the house for a touchdown. Mitchell’s only two other carries of the game lost a combined five yards. Outside of Mitchell’s house call, the Browns were able to hold the Ravens to 2.9 yards per carry.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is the centerpiece of the Browns linebacker room, and his play on Sunday highlighted that fact. JOK was all over the field against Baltimore, tallying seven total tackles, two tackles for loss, a pass defensed, a quarterback hit, and he was credited with half a sack. The third-year linebacker is really coming into his own this season, and his performance against the Ravens on Sunday should be recognized across the league.

Sionne Takitaki was a physical force in run support as he usually is. Because Takitaki does not play a ton of snaps it can be easy for the strong side linebacker to get lost in the mix. But Takitaki personifies the physical nature of this defense, and while he rarely receives the credit that he is due, best believe that the Ravens know what Takitaki brought to the table on Sunday.