The 2-7 Cleveland Browns return to AFC North play on Sunday when they host the 4-5 Baltimore Ravens.
Despite the losing record, the Ravens are red-hot as winners of three straight and the odds-on favorite to win their third straight division title. The Browns, meanwhile, are coming off of a humiliating loss to the New York Jets immediately out of the bye.
Cleveland has experienced success at home against Baltimore in recent years, however. The Browns have won three of their last four games at home against the Ravens, including last year’s matchup, where the eventual 3-14 Browns took down the eventual 12-5 Ravens by a 29-24 score.
Here are five matchups the Browns will need to win if they want to pull off another upset on Sunday.
Jim Schwartz’s defense vs. Lamar Jackson
Defense was not the problem for the Browns in their loss to the Jets last Sunday. They allowed just 42 net passing yards — all of which came on a busted screen-pass touchdown early in the fourth quarter — and held the Jets to less than 175 total offensive yards. Even as Cleveland has lost seven of its’ first nine games this season, the defense has remained an impressive unit, and any path to victory lies in that side of the football.
For Baltimore, the offense has not yet reached the highs they’ve shown at points over the last several years. The two-time MVP quarterback for that offense has been in-and-out of the lineup with injuries, but has been stellar at protecting the football this season, tossing just one interception against 15 touchdowns in six starts this year. The Browns will need to take better advantage of their pressure than they did in the first matchup between these two teams this year, when Jackson threw four touchdown passes and recorded a 128.6 passer rating en route to a 41-17 victory. Jackson was pressured on 42% of his dropbacks in that game, per PFF, but sliced up Cleveland when he was kept clean, going 14-of-19 for 147 yards and four touchdowns.
Carson Schwesinger vs. Derrick Henry
The Browns’ rookie linebacker is blossoming into a star. Just 14 days removed from suffering a high-ankle sprain, the second-round pick from UCLA played last week and was all over the field, recording double-digit tackles (10) and a half-sack. He’s now the favorite to win the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year award, per ESPN.
On the other side, the Ravens’ star running back has heated up after hitting a slump that coincided with Baltimore’s 1-5 start. Henry has rushed for at least 70 yards in four straight games, including a pair of 100-plus-yard efforts against Miami and the Los Angeles Rams. Henry was entirely shut down during the Week 2 matchup between these two teams, rushing for just 23 yards on 11 carries and fumbling once. Schwesinger’s active presence on the field will be key to ensuring a repeat performance from the Browns’ run defense.
Mason Graham vs. Ravens interior OL
Graham’s numbers may not be eye-popping on the stat sheet, but the fifth-overall pick from Michigan has been a reason why Cleveland’s defense has been so impressive this season. Graham leads all rookie interior defensive linemen in pressures so far this season with 16, per PFF. He’s also recorded a sack and a batted pass.
Graham will have the opportunity to take advantage of a Ravens interior group that has not been outstanding this year. Guard Andrew Vorhees and center Tyler Linderbaum are tied for most pressures allowed by Ravens offensive linemen this year with 16, per PFF, and Daniel Faalele — the team’s other starting guard — is not far behind with 14 allowed.
Dillon Gabriel vs. Baltimore’s defense
The Ravens’ defense, once again, has experienced an impressive turnaround considering how that unit began the season. That has coincided with their October trade that sent edge rusher Odafe Oweh to the Chargers in exchange for safety Alohi Gilman, which has allowed Baltimore to move star defensive back Kyle Hamilton around the defense to wherever they see fit weekly. Over the last three games, Hamilton has played 75 snaps at slot cornerback, 65 snaps in the box, and 42 snaps on the defensive line, per PFF. He’s also played six snaps at free safety and four snaps at boundary cornerback.
Baltimore’s improved defense will be a big test for the Browns’ quarterback, who has arrived at a crucial point in his rookie season. Gabriel has topped 200 passing yards just once in five starts, and he dropped back 58 times in said game to get there. If Gabriel continues to struggle on Sunday, it may be time to get a look at his fellow rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Cedric Tillman vs. Marlon Humphrey
The Browns’ passing game got its WR2 back last week, but he wasn’t much of a factor. In Tillman’s first game in over a month, he caught just two of his four targets for 11 yards. Cleveland will need more production from its pass-catchers to experience any sort of success through the air.
A breakout game from Tillman would go a long way in making that happen. His season-high in receiving yards came in Week 1, where he caught five passes for 52 yards. With Jerry Jeudy’s recent struggles, Sunday’s matchup against Marlon Humphrey — who has allowed the second-most receiving yards (461) of any cornerback in the NFL this season, per PFF — provides Tillman with a massive opportunity to step up.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns vs. Ravens: Five matchups to watch in Week 11 rematch
