Ravens Are Unanimous Pick to Win in Cleveland
The Ravens are riding a five-game winning streak behind the league's No. 1 scoring offense heading into Sunday's AFC North game in Cleveland, where they will face a struggling Browns team.
The Browns (1-6) have lost five in a row and rank near the bottom in scoring, which prompted Head Coach Kevin Stefanski to announce this week that he is relinquishing play-calling duties to Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey. They lost starting quarterback Deshaun Watson to a season-ending Achilles tendon injury last week.
The Browns still have a solid defense and four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb is back and healthy, but the pundits aren't overthinking this one. All 59 we sampled picked the Ravens (5-2).
Here's what the pundits are saying about the game:
The Ravens will win convincingly.
The Baltimore Banner's Kyle Goon: "I want to see this as a trap game for Baltimore. I really do. The Browns' offense can do nothing but improve, and it absolutely should with Jameis Winston at quarterback and a healthy Nick Chubb. The defense has playmakers, particularly Myles Garrett, who can be disruptive to what the Ravens want to do. Maybe for a few downs. Maybe. Yeah, the more I think about it, the harder it is to justify picking a close game based on performance. … The memory of last year's choke job in the previous meeting should be enough motivation to keep the Ravens sharp."
The Baltimore Sun’s Tim Schwartz: "I'm just not buying this being a trap game. Baltimore should roll out of Cleveland on Sunday afternoon with their sixth straight win, and anything less would feel like a disaster."
USA Today’s Jordan Mendoza: "Baltimore looks like the best team in the NFL while Cleveland looks like one of the worst. This shouldn't be a close game unless Cleveland can score some garbage time points."
Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio: "The Ravens are clearly better. [Ravens win] 42-20. The Browns are still the Browns and they'll continue to be the Browns."
The Ravens will win, but it will be tougher than many expect.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec: "I don't think the Ravens are going to roll the Browns. In fact, I wouldn't be shocked if the Browns pull off the upset, given myriad factors, including the Ravens being on a short week, their defense playing more than 80 snaps Monday and Jameis Winston throwing the ball all around the yard against a struggling secondary. I'll give the nod to the Ravens because it's too hard to go against Lamar Jackson right now, but I expect it to be a tight game."
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "For all his faults, Winston won't be afraid to attack a Baltimore secondary that is still struggling to figure things out and is now dealing with injuries. Jim Schwartz's defense also has plenty of talent and could make things difficult for Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry, especially if Zay Flowers' ankle is not 100%. This could be a lot closer than expected, but it would take a small miracle for both the Browns' offense and defense to step up and knock off their AFC North rivals."
The Associated Press’ Rob Maaddi: "The Browns are turning to Jameis Winston after losing Deshaun Watson for the season. That's an upgrade. Cleveland is playing for pride against a division rival, still has a tough defense and Baltimore is coming off a short week after a Monday night win. That'll keep it closer than it should be."
The Athletic's Zac Jackson: "I can't pick the Browns to win, but I do think they'll play well and keep it close — at least for a while. I'll take the Ravens in a close and relatively low-scoring one."
The Browns' run defense poses a challenge for Henry and the Ravens' No. 1 rushing attack.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "RB Derrick Henry, the NFL's rushing leader, goes against a Browns defense that has not allowed a running back to gain more than 67 yards this season. Henry has been on a tear with 873 yards rushing, which is his most in his first seven games of a season over his nine-year career. But last season, Cleveland held Henry -- who was with the Titans -- to 20 yards on 11 carries."
Bold prediction: Winston will be sacked at least five times but will also throw two touchdown passes.
ESPN’s Seth Walder: "I'm betting Cleveland's inability to deal with the blitz wasn't only a Watson problem. But at the same time, the quarterback play should improve with Winston."
| Source | Prediction | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 11 of 11 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Baltimore Sun | 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “This matchup, pitting the league’s best offense against its worst, doesn’t feel complicated. Perhaps there’s some fear Cleveland will discover a spark with Jameis Winston in place of Deshaun Watson at quarterback and Nick Chubb in the backfield. The Browns still have notable defensive talent and seem unlikely to roll over against the Ravens, even if their season is lost. But no one has discovered a counter to the Lamar Jackson-Derrick Henry machine, and it’s hard to imagine a Cleveland offense that averages four yards per play keeping up.” — Childs Walker |
| Baltimore Banner | 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles tendon injury denied us the opportunity to watch a quarterback in the middle of a historically good season take on a quarterback in the middle of a historically bad season. Then again, we can’t be sure Jameis Winston is that much better than Watson. He’s certainly nowhere close to Lamar Jackson.” — Jonas Shaffer |
| USA Today | 6 of 6 panelists pick Ravens | |
| NFL.com | 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “Maybe Winston and a change at play-caller will provide a spark for a team that hasn't eclipsed 20 points and ranks dead last in total offense in 2024, but even against a middle-of-the-road Ravens defense, it feels like a steep climb for a unit without a true No. 1 receiver. The Browns' defense is their strength, and while Lamar hasn't historically balled out against this division foe -- with a 6:6 TD-to-INT ratio and 40 rush yards per contest in five career games vs. Cleveland -- I trust the reigning MVP more than just about anyone right now. All of my marbles are going in the Ravens' basket.” — Brooke Cersosimo |
| NFL Network | 10 of 10 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Sporting News | Ravens 30, Browns 10 | “The Ravens won't shy away from staying aggressive on the ground with Derrick Henry flanking Lamar Jackson vs. a reeling defense. The Ravens also will get a break against a weak passing game minus Deshaun Watson (Achilles). They should easily win this division game running away with a familiar winning formula.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| CBS Sports | 8 of 8 panelists pick Ravens | “The Ravens are playing a second straight road game and they are doing it on a short week. Does it matter? The way the offense is playing and the way Cleveland's offense is struggling, it won't. Jameis Winston will likely start for the Browns, but he won't be able to keep up with the Ravens and Lamar Jackson.” — Pete Prisco |
| Pro Football Talk | 2 of 2 panelists pick Ravens | “The original Browns are back in town. And they have a modern-day Jim Brown at tailback, along with a quarterback who is better than any quarterback the Browns have had since Otto Graham.” — Mike Florio |
| Sports Illustrated | 6 of 6 panelists pick Ravens |
Former Ravens DC Chuck Pagano Says Ravens' Pass Defense Issues Are Correctable
As good as the Ravens offense has been this season, the defense – specifically against the pass – has been uncharacteristically shaky.
Despite an abundance of talent in the secondary, the Ravens are last in the league in passing defense and have been prone to giving up big plays.
Former Ravens Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano said the defense is still trying to find its way after losing three coaches in the offseason (Defensive Coordinator Mike Macdonald, Defensive Line Coach Anthony Weaver, and Defensive Backs Coach Dennard Wilson). He believes the issues are correctable, but added the Ravens need to figure things out sooner than later.
"They've got a new signal-caller in Zach Orr. I think he's doing a phenomenal job. They lost a lot of good coaches. They got new coaches in there. Sometimes this takes time," Pagano said on "The Pat McAfee Show." "There's some plays that from a communication issue are just too easy.
"These are all correctable things, but they better get them corrected in a hurry."
Three Defensive Backs the Ravens Could Target Before Trade Deadline
Pundits continue to discuss how aggressive the Ravens will be ahead of the Nov. 5 trade deadline and which positions and players they might target.
The consensus is that the Ravens don't necessarily have to make a move, but they will if – as always – the right player is available at the right price.
The Baltimore Banner's Jonas Shaffer agreed with other pundits who have said an edge rusher is the most likely addition if the Ravens make a deal. He ranked defensive back as the No. 2 priority and identified three potential candidates:
New Orleans Saints CB Marshon Lattimore
"Injuries have limited Lattimore to 23 games over the past three seasons, but when healthy he's one of the NFL's most talented cornerbacks. Lattimore has allowed just 68 yards when targeted in coverage this season, according to Pro Football Focus. He's under contract through 2026, but he has a base salary of just $1.2 million this year and it's unclear how committed New Orleans would be to keeping him during its rebuild."
Arizona Cardinals S Budda Baker
"The Ravens would have to pay a lot to get Baker. He's earned Pro Bowl honors at safety in five straight seasons and has a $14.2 million base salary in 2024, the last year of his deal. Baker last picked off a pass in 2022, but he'd give the defense another versatile playmaker. He's played 57 snaps in the slot, 170 snaps in the box and 212 snaps as a free safety this season, according to PFF."
Jacksonville Jaguars S Andre Cisco
"Don't be surprised if Cisco, playing in the last year of his rookie deal, finds a new home. He made headlines two weeks ago when he said he saw 'a lot of quit' in the Jaguars' defense during their blowout loss to the Chicago Bears in London. Cisco has playmaking potential as a center-field safety, recording seven interceptions over the 2022 and 2023 seasons."
