Ravens at Browns: Game preview, odds, prediction
By James Dudko
Josh McCown faces a tall order keeping the Cleveland Browns from imploding against the tough Baltimore Ravens in Week 2 of the 2016 NFL season.
The Browns will welcome AFC North foe the Ravens to FirstEnergy Stadium at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday. Cleveland is still reeling from seeing quarterback Robert Griffin III placed on IR after Week 1’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
Head coach Hue Jackson isn’t going to trade for a quarterback, so it means 37-year-old Josh McCown will be under center. He’ll also be under the gun against a Ravens defense that looked back to its best in Week 1.
Baltimore held the potentially high-powered Buffalo Bills to just 7 points in a 13-7 win. They did it without standout edge-rusher Elvis Dumervil. He wasn’t needed thanks to a smart gameplan that effectively mixed coverage and pressure behind a host of disguised fronts.
Ironically though, McCown’s ascension to the starting job may be a blessing in disguise for the Browns. The 14-year pro is no slouch, having thrown 13 touchdowns in just five starts with the Chicago Bears in 2013.
Of course, McCown had the luxury of targeting Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery, Martellus Bennett and Matt Forte with Da Bears. He doesn’t have the same level of talent around him in Cleveland.
But Jackson is a creative offensive mind, albeit one a little too reliant on gadget plays. The Browns still have intriguing weapons, in the form of rookie wideout Corey Coleman and nifty running back Isaiah Crowell.
The latter is useful on cutback runs, but could struggle to get on track against the Ravens. Few teams in the NFL can match Baltimore’s power in the trenches, particularly beefy nose tackle Brandon Williams.
Odds
Line: BAL (-6)
Over/Under: 43.5
Where the Browns could turn a negative into a positive is by taking advantage of McCown’s superior skills in the pocket. Unlike Griffin, the veteran has the patience to diagnose pressure and read coverage.
The veteran can also make all of the throws, and without the read-option packaged trickery RG3 usually needs to fool defenses.
McCown could surprise many if a solid Cleveland offensive line, led by left tackle Joe Thomas, can keep him clean. He already sounds up for the challenge, telling PFT Live, via Dan Graf of FOX Sports, he won’t simply mail in the season:
"For me and the other veterans on this team, a Hall of Famer like Joe Thomas, that can’t and won’t be the mindset. Our mindset is to compete and play to win football games. The rest of that is down the road, but our mindset is to compete."
McCown is game, but the Ravens are just too tough and savvy for these Browns. Especially since the Baltimore passing game regained its deep-ball swagger against the Bills last week.
Quarterback Joe Flacco has a fleet of burners who can stretch the Cleveland secondary. Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton must decide who is the biggest threat between Steve Smith Sr., Mike Wallace, Breshad Perriman and Kamar Aiken.
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Star corner Joe Haden should follow the designated danger man everywhere while the rest of the coverage adopts a zone shell. Horton will need to marry this box-and-1 cover scheme with some clever blitzes to make Flacco uncomfortable.
The Browns lack dynamic pass-rushers, so the onus is on Horton to conjure some malevolent magic.
Still, cute coaching can only take a team so far. Sooner or later, top talents have to speak their piece. The Browns don’t have enough of the latter to subdue these Ravens.
Pick: Ravens 24, Browns 14