3 Baltimore Ravens to blame for brutal meltdown against the Browns

The Baltimore Ravens faced the Cleveland Browns on Sunday. The red-hot Ravens looked to add another statement win to their resume. The game started that way, following an immediate Kyle Hamilton pick-six and a score from Keaton Mitchell score, the Browns found themselves in a 17-6 hole by the start of the second quarter. For the rest of the half, the Browns struggled to find the endzone adding a couple of field goals going into half.

But in the second half, the Browns flipped the script. Despite a pair of scores from Odell Beckham and Gus Edwards, the Ravens had become the team that struggled to move the ball, while Cleveland moved the ball at will. Here’s who we can blame.

Blame the Baltimore Ravens defense

It’s hard to blame an entire unit, but the Baltimore defense deserves some blame. The first half versus the second half were night and day for the unit. The unit started quickly, posting a pick-six (something they haven’t done since 2019) and holding the Browns to six points in the first quarter, showing why they are a top defense in the NFL. Many, including the commentators, thought the Ravens were on the way to another blowout. The Browns added two more field goals capping off a dominant first-half performance by the defense.

In the second half, everything changed. After the offense's quick strike for six coming out of the half, the Browns and Deshaun Watson led a ten-minute touchdown drive to respond. The Browns would add two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and a game-winning field goal. In the second half, the Browns marched down the field twice for a pair of 75-yard scores and one 63-yard drive for a score. The Browns offense possessed the ball for five minutes leading to their game-winning field goal.

The defense will have four days to get on track before another clash with a divisional foe.