Riding a five-game winning streak with a league-leading offense that has the sports world buzzing, the Ravens head to Cleveland for another AFC North tilt on the road.
Here are my thoughts, all in 50 words or less:
- Turns out, Lamar Jackson's stiff arm may be just as good as Derrick Henry's. The Ravens' offensive leaders are stiff-arming the hype surrounding their offense. They don't give a rat's behind about flip-flopping weekly awards or their record-setting paces. It's not for show. There's no victory lap until New Orleans.
- It's all about improving and winning. Jackson has never been an ra-ra leadership type of guy. He's not giving pump-up speeches. But the singular focus that he displays day in and day out on winning, plus the work that he's putting in to do it, has set the tone.
- Jackson is playing better than any quarterback in the league. Better than Patrick Mahomes. Better than Jared Goff. It's a high bar to expect Jackson to do this week in and week out, but why not? If he keeps playing at this level, the Ravens offense won't cool off.
- A major reason why the Ravens offense feels unstoppable is because Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman are vibing off each other, taking turns gashing defenses. Yet, there are still fans clamoring to trade for a wide receiver. Personally, I wouldn't mess with their mojo and there are other bigger needs.
- With so much turnover, the offensive line was the biggest concern around Baltimore this summer. It's currently ranked the NFL’s ninth-best offensive line by Pro Football Focus. It's not a weakness. It's not passable. The offensive line has turned into a strength. Big kudos are deserved by all involved.
- This is the best offense in Ravens history – better than 2019. It's because this is the best that Jackson has played and because the Ravens have more ways to beat opponents. As a lifelong Marylander who has watched defense long rule in Baltimore, I hope fans are appreciating the show.
- The Browns have just one win. They shipped out their best wide receiver. Their backup quarterback is under center. They switched offensive play-callers this week. All of that aside, it's almost always a Dawg fight in Cleveland. I expect that Head Coach John Harbaugh has preached that this week.
- The Browns were an aggressive defense last year. They're even more so this season, as their blitz rate has gone from 29.6% to 39.6% – the third-highest mark in the league. Jackson has shredded the blitz this season. Whichever side wins under pressure probably wins Sunday's game.
- The Ravens' run defense still ranks No. 1 in the league, but the Bucs ran for 125 on Monday night (the most Baltimore has surrendered this season) and Travis Jones is dealing with an ankle injury. Now enters Nick Chubb, playing his second game since last year's major knee injury.
- If Baltimore slows down Cleveland's running game, the secondary has an opportunity for more interceptions. Jameis Winston can sling it, but since 2021, he's thrown more picks (eight) than touchdowns (seven) in spot duty. The Ravens need to catch what comes to them, however.
- Nnamdi Madubuike has more penalties on quarterbacks (four) than sacks (two). It's been an adjustment for Baltimore's 2023 breakout star, who had a league-high 13 sacks among defensive tackles, as he's seeing more double teams. He still winning at a high rate (11.2%), but the stats haven't followed … yet.
- After a brutal stretch of quarterbacks, the Ravens' next two opponents under center are Winston and Broncos rookie Bo Nix. It's time for Baltimore's defense to dominate like it did in Week 4 against the Bills. These could be get-right games that springboard the defense into the season's second half.
