The Ravens are headed to Cleveland for Monday Night Football and a chance to split the season series with the Browns.
Here are five things to watch on primetime television:
How Will Schaub Fare?
Quarterback Matt Schaub will be starting his first game since Dec. 29, 2013, when he was still a member of the Houston Texans. Schaub has not put up good stats since his latest Pro Bowl year in 2012. He had a 73.0 quarterback rating in 2013 and 27.9 rating in 11 games with the Oakland Raiders last season. Schaub is now back in the saddle for the rest of the year and looking to prove that he's still capable of being a quality NFL starter. He needs to play smart and shake off the interceptions that plagued him in training camp practices.
Secondary Gets Redemption Shot
Baltimore's secondary was torched by the Browns and quarterback Josh McCown in Week 5. McCown threw for a whopping 457 yards and two touchdowns, the third-most yards any quarterback has put up against the Ravens defense in franchise history. With Johnny Manziel getting benched, the Ravens will now get another shot at McCown. Baltimore's secondary has played better in recent weeks against the Chargers, Jaguars and Rams. We'll see how far they've come on Monday night.
Ravens Running Game Without Forsett
Not only will the Ravens be playing in their first game without quarterback Joe Flacco since 2008. They'll also be without Pro Bowl running back Justin Forsett (broken arm). That means rookie fourth-round pick Javorius Allen steps up as the starter and Terrance West and Raheem Mostert are the backups. Allen showed that he can carry the load against the Rams, but Monday night will be his first career start. The Browns have the worst run defense in the NFL, allowing an average of 138.8 rushing yards per game.
Penalties, Penalties, Penalties
The Ravens' penalties have piled up this season. Baltimore had 10 penalties for 137 yards against the Rams last week, and there were accusations from Head Coach Jeff Fisher of some foul play. On primetime television, Baltimore wants to show it's a composed team that plays hard to the whistle and nothing more. The Browns will be hosting their first Monday Night Football game in six years, and it should be a raucous environment.
Turnover Machine
While Schaub and the Ravens offense can't afford to turn the ball over, the defense will need to continue its streak. After struggling mightily to create turnovers since Week 3, the Ravens have five in the past two weeks, including four fumble recoveries last Sunday against the Rams. Cleveland is tied with the third-most total giveaways in the league this year (19). They've lost a league-high 14 fumbles and tossed six interceptions.
