Ravens Are Unanimous Pick to Beat Browns
The Ravens enter Saturday's regular-season finale against the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium as one of the NFL's hottest teams, having won three consecutive games – including two against playoff teams – by an average of 22.3 points.
Conversely, the Browns (3-13) have lost five straight and been outscored 65-16 in their past three games. This is their worst season since going 0-16 in 2017.
It's no wonder the Ravens (11-5), who can clinch the AFC North title with a win or a Pittsburgh Steelers loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Saturday night, are massive favorites (as much as 20 points in some sportsbooks).
It's also not surprising that all 58 pundits we sampled predicted the Ravens to avenge their surprising loss to the Browns in Week 8.
Here's what pundits are saying about Saturday's game:
The Ravens will win big.
NFL.com’s Dan Parr: "I know the Browns beat the Ravens in Week 8, but that's ancient history, a fading memory from a bygone era when Kevin Stefanski wasn't choosing between Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe at quarterback. … Yes, I expect a lopsided Ravens victory."
CBS Sports’ John Breech: "Someone in the NFL scheduling department definitely hates the Browns, because that's the only way to explain why they'd put the Browns in a nationally televised game where they're probably going to get embarrassed. The Browns are averaging 5.3 points per game over the past three weeks, and now, they have to play a Ravens team that's averaging 30.2 points per game, which makes them the third-highest scoring team in the NFL. The Ravens scored more points (17) in the first TWO QUARTERS of their last game than the Browns have scored in their past three games combined (16)."
The Los Angeles Times’ Sam Farmer: "The AFC North is within reach, so the Ravens are going pedal to the metal. It's going to be cold and that home crowd will be amped. Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Bailey Zappe versus Lamar Jackson?"
The Baltimore Sun’s C.J. Doon: "Other than how many yards Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry pile up, how the Ravens defend red-hot receiver Jerry Jeudy is just about the only thing worth watching. Well, that, and how many interceptions Zappe throws."
The Ravens will pull away in the second half.
The Athletic's Jeff Zrebiec: "With Zappe starting for the Browns, I think the Ravens break open a game that could be relatively tight at halftime."
The Ravens won't take the Browns lightly.
The Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker: "The Ravens will face the Browns coming off 10 days' rest with a largely healthy roster and plenty of incentive to finish strong. Despite being huge favorites, they're unlikely to look past a team that upset them earlier in the season."
Lamar Jackson shines in the final weeks of the season. The Browns, not so much.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "Jackson has flourished at this point of the season with a 4-0 career record in games played in Weeks 17 and 18, throwing 10 touchdown passes and one interception. Cleveland has typically struggled late in the season, winning only two of its past 14 regular-season finales."
The Ravens will ride their passing game to victory.
The Athletic's Vic Tafur: "While the Browns defense does a pretty good job of containing Lamar Jackson, they have no answers against the pass. Zay Flowers had seven catches for 115 yards in the first matchup, while tight end Mark Andrews' 149.9 target passer rating is the best among NFL receivers and tight ends since Week 9."
The rejuvenated Ravens defense will clamp down on the Browns.
The Baltimore Banner's Brandon Weigel: "The first Browns game of the season, a 29-24 Ravens loss in Week 8, provided some of the worst lowlights in the defense's early season funk. Specifically, multiple dropped interceptions that should have flipped the game to the Ravens' win column. A lot has changed since then, with Zach Orr's unit making huge strides thanks to the safety duo of Kyle Hamilton and Ar'Darius Washington and a streamlined system for communicating the play calls. The defense's improvement is just one reason this Browns game will be different."
| Source | Prediction | Commentary |
|---|---|---|
| ESPN | 10 of 10 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Baltimore Sun | 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “The sportsbooks say this might be the greatest mismatch of the year (Baltimore is favored by 17 1/2 points), and who are we to disagree? Even if Myles Garrett and friends put up some resistance to Lamar Jackson and the league’s most efficient offense, there’s no reason to believe the Browns will score against a reborn Baltimore defense. This one won’t get complicated.” — Childs Walker |
| Baltimore Banner | 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “Barring an executive order or an act of divine intervention, the Ravens will win this game, and win it by a lot. The margin depends on just when they decide to ease up and turn their focus to the playoffs.” — Jonas Shaffer |
| USA Today | 6 of 6 panelists pick Ravens | |
| NFL.com | 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens | “John Harbaugh's Ravens have not been content to simply win games since their Week 14 bye. They have not settled for anything less than a shellacking, winning their last three games by an average margin of 22.3 points. Two of those blowouts came against teams that will represent the AFC in the playoffs, so forgive me if I don't anticipate Lamar Jackson and Co. having much of a problem dismissing the Browns – who are tied for the league's worst record – especially when Baltimore has the added incentive of being a win away from locking in the No. 3 seed and at least one home playoff game.” — Dan Parr |
| NFL Network | 10 of 10 panelists pick Ravens | |
| Sporting News | Ravens 31, Browns 10 | “The Ravens want to keep rolling, with Lamar Jackson's bid for two consecutive MVPs hanging in the balance. They will be relentless in ripping the Browns. Cleveland is like New Orleans, showing little hope of being competitive on the scoreboard.” — Vinnie Iyer |
| CBS Sports | 8 of 8 panelists pick Ravens | “The Ravens can lock up the division title with a victory. The Browns have been done for a long time. The Cleveland offense has been bad the past month, while the Ravens can score on anybody. Lamar Jackson has another big day as the Ravens roll.” — Pete Prisco |
| Pro Football Talk | 2 of 2 panelists pick Ravens | “The Ravens are trying to take the division title. The Browns are tanking.” — Mike Florio |
| Sports Illustrated | 6 of 6 panelists pick Ravens |
Before Thriving With Ravens, Kyle Van Noy Contemplated Retirement on Several Occasions
In an in-depth feature on outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, The Athletic's Dan Pompei noted that Van Noy considered retiring on three occasions over his first nine years in the league, the most recent being after the 2022 season when the Los Angeles Chargers did not re-sign him.
No team made Van Noy an offer until the Ravens reached out to him nearly a month into the regular season. After having played most of his career as a strongside linebacker or in a hybrid role, Van Noy finally had an opportunity to be an edge rusher.
He responded with a career-high nine sacks. This season, the 33-year-old Van Noy set a new career-high with 11.5 sacks heading into the regular-season finale.
"Ravens Pass Rush Coach Chuck Smith appreciates the way Van Noy has approached the latter stage of his career with what Smith calls a 'learning heart,'" Pompei wrote. "Instead of wanting to do things the way he's done them in the past, or thinking he knows more than his coaches, Van Noy has been open to new approaches.
"The result is growth, rare growth in a player who is closer to the end than the beginning. … Age, we are always told, is a thief. And then someone like Van Noy exposes the lie."
Pompei also reported that doctors suggested season-ending surgery when Van Noy suffered a fractured orbital bone in Week 1, but Van Noy declined and never missed a game because of it.
Ravens Signing Henry Ranked Among Top Five Moves of 2024
Sports Illustrated’s Gilberto Manzano named the best decision each team made in 2024 and ranked them. The Ravens' signing Henry in the offseason came in at No. 4.
"The Ravens turned into an elite offense thanks to the arrival of Henry," Manzano wrote. "I'm pretty sure this is no longer a hot take: This is the best Ravens offense in the Lamar Jackson era. Henry being in the backfield has made Jackson more dangerous as a passer and that's saying a lot for a two-time MVP quarterback.
"It's wild to think the Ravens were one of few teams that made a true run at Henry in free agency and it only took a two-year, $16 million contract to lock down the bruising running back. In his age-30 season, Henry is still putting up dominant numbers, with 1,783 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns this season."
