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In what sounded like a move somewhere between gamesmanship and expectation tempering, Ravens coach John Harbaugh alluded to Jaire Alexander’s potential return for their Week 3 prime-time matchup against the Detroit Lions. “It’ll be much sooner rather than later. Can’t wait until he’s out there,” Harbaugh said at his Monday news conference. “Maybe it’ll be this week.” The big-name cornerback who was lured to Baltimore in the offseason hasn’t made the immediate splash many had anticipated. After a dismal debut in Buffalo in which he allowed three catches for 100 yards, Alexander was a healthy scratch Sunday against Cleveland. Harbaugh and defensive coordinator Zach Orr cited the three weeks of practice Alexander missed in August and September that left him unprepared for the Bills. He’s healthy, they said, having recovered from right knee surgery in January. He’s just not yet in football shape. “But it’s going to be when he feels, and when you can see, that he’s right to go out there and just play like top-level Jaire,” Harbaugh said. “I don’t want to put him in a situation where he’s got to try to overcome not quite being as right as he can be, especially if we’ve got guys that can play well.” Thus was the case against an overmatched Cleveland. It might not be so simple heading into Monday night with a potent Lions offense in town. All-Pro cornerback Marlon Humphrey suffered a groin injury early in the fourth quarter on Sunday. Harbaugh declined to comment on his status, revealing only that it will not put him out for the season. If he can’t go, the Ravens likely run with Nate Wiggins, who nearly had a pick six on an errant throw from the 40-year-old Joe Flacco, and Chidobe Awuzie. Then their options are Alexander, if they can trust him, and T.J. Tampa, an inexperienced sophomore who made a nice fourth-down pass breakup against the Browns. If Alexander needs another week, expect Baltimore to get funky in how the back end shuffles against the fourth most productive passing offense in the NFL through two weeks. Perhaps undrafted rookie Keyon Martin sees reps after his one defensive snap at Buffalo then 22 in a blowout against Cleveland. All-Pro Swiss Army knife Kyle Hamilton could also drop down toward the line of scrimmage while Sanoussi Kane or Reuben Lowery, another UDFA, backfill. Baltimore entered the season touting its five first-round picks in the secondary. Should Humphrey and Alexander miss Monday night’s game, that number drops to a slightly less-impressive three, rounded out by inexperience. Meanwhile, the Lions have five pass catchers averaging double-digit yards per reception. Three eclipsed 100 combined yards through the air over two games, paced by Amon-Ra St. Brown’s 160 on 13 catches. Related Articles 5 key numbers from the Ravens’ blowout win over Browns | COMMENTARY Cowboys sign veteran pass rusher and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney Ravens OLB Kyle Van Noy to miss time with hamstring injury READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens through two games? Bengals QB Joe Burrow ‘looks like’ he needs toe surgery, head coach Zac Taylor says A healthy Alexander, “playing like top-level Jaire,” as Harbaugh said, could be a much-needed boost. But that decision likely won’t arrive until the end of the week. The longtime coach never likes to show his hand. “I wish it was really black and white,” Harbaugh said. “I think he’ll be out there soon.” That decision won’t fall solely on the coach’s read of how Alexander looks in practice. Harbaugh noted there will be some shared dialogue about his timeline. Those comments came less than 24 hours after Harbaugh shared that he was the one who decided to scratch Alexander, even after the cornerback pushed back some. “He wasn’t quite there yet,” Harbaugh said. “It’s good now, though. I don’t know, we’ll just see him in practice, he and I will talk about it, and we’ll get him out there just as soon as we can. But I think it’s going to be real soon.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens needed a response after the collapse in Buffalo. They delivered it Sunday with a convincing 41-17 win over the Browns that showcased a defense on the attack and an offense that rebounded from a slow start and turned explosive when it mattered most. These five stats help explain how Baltimore evened its record (1-1) and reclaimed its early season identity. 102.648 The league has never seen a quarterback blend efficiency and explosiveness quite like Lamar Jackson. His turnover-free afternoon helped Jackson push his career passer rating to 102.648, nudging him past Aaron Rodgers for the best mark in NFL history. Jackson’s rise on the passer rating leaderboard is a testament to how he’s evolved from a dazzling scrambler into a fully formed, elite passer. While Jackson had a couple misfires earlier in the game that he’ll want back, he dug deep and picked up Baltimore’s offense to effectively secure victory No. 1. Against a Jim Schwartz-led Browns defense built to bait mistakes, Jackson played within himself, taking what was available and finding a different set of playmakers outside of his go-to weapons. He also flashed his trademark brilliance, uncorking a scrambling heave to veteran wideout DeAndre Hopkins, who impressively tracked the football down the left sideline, just shy of the end zone. “I’ve seen it [Hopkins’] whole career,” Jackson said. “Even when I wasn’t in the league, I’ve been watching ‘D-Hop’ make spectacular catches and when he was on other teams as well. But just seeing him at camp, just building chemistry there, and I feel like everyone called him — I believe people called him ‘washed’ and stuff like that, but he’s showing otherwise.” Baltimore’s Super Bowl hopes rest on that balance of brilliance and restraint. Sunday was the latest proof that Jackson (19-for-29, 225 passing yards, four touchdowns) can adjust and still distribute the ball effectively even when the offense isn’t humming. All four of Jackson’s touchdown completions targeted a receiver more than 10 yards downfield. Since the start of the 2024 season, Jackson has thrown 32 such touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats, which ranks first in the NFL and 10 more than the next closest quarterback (Joe Burrow, 22). 2 Following a week — actually a summer — of questions about whether the Ravens’ defense had lost its opportunistic edge, Zach Orr’s group delivered a booming response. The defense’s two takeaways, Nate Wiggins’ interception and Roquan Smith’s fumble return for a touchdown after Tavius Robinson’s strip sack, were not just the season’s first takeaways, but also momentum swings that uplifted the home sideline. Wiggins’ pick halted a promising Cleveland drive, and Smith’s touchdown cemented the result. Baltimore produced only 17 takeaways all of last season, so producing a multi-takeaway outing is the sort of statement this unit needed to make. It was a loud rebuttal to the chatter that this defense could no longer win games on its own. “At the end of the day, it’s only about the guys inside of our locker room and the guys that we’re going to war with,” said linebacker Roquan Smith, who recorded a game-high 15 tackles. “So, all the noise, honestly, I don’t really hear it, nor do I care about others’ opinions. It’s more about the guys who I’m going to war with. …[We] got that sour taste out of our mouth. Left a couple of plays out there today, but it’s just more so about being who we are for the rest of the season, not having any let ups and playing four-quarter football.” Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson sacks Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and forces a fumble. Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith returned the fumble 63 yards for a touchdown, taking advantage of a Ravens pass rush that showed improvement in Week 2. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) 38 One week after struggling to breathe on Josh Allen, the Ravens’ pass rush roared back. Cleveland quarterbacks Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel were pressured on 38% of their dropbacks as Baltimore’s pass rushers were frequent visitors in the pocket. Despite playing from behind throughout, Cleveland never registered a down-field passing game. Orr mixed occasional blitzes with four-man rushes, keeping protection calls off balance and letting the secondary tighten its coverage. A couple of key adjustments to the lineup resulted in nine quarterback hits, hurried throws, forced errors and, ultimately, those two takeaways. 45 One week after getting his feet wet in Buffalo, outside linebacker Mike Green, 22, went from rookie cameo to near full-timer against Cleveland. The second-round draft pick out of Marshall logged 45 defensive snaps, almost doubling the 26 he played in his NFL debut and matching his jersey number. Green also added 21 snaps on special teams. With 2024 sack leader and veteran Kyle Van Noy sidelined for the foreseeable future with a hamstring injury, Green suddenly looks like a key piece of the Ravens’ edge rotation. He’s still chasing his first career sack, but Sunday brought his first tangible impact. Green registered his first career quarterback hit on Joe Flacco that forced an incompletion and helped stall the Browns. Ravens rookie linebacker Mike Green, shown practicing in early September, could take on an important role in the coming weeks with Kyle Van Noy injured. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) For Green, 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, who led college football with 17 sacks last season, it marked the type of incremental step that the coaching staff and front office hoped to see. Expecting immediate dominance from a rookie is unfair, but Green does arrive in Baltimore with sack pedigree. His workload should only grow as he mixes in with main edge pieces Tavius Robinson and Odafe Oweh during a brutal early season stretch that features four playoff teams before the Week 7 bye. Consider the next month as a prime opportunity for Green to grow into a consistent difference-maker. “It’s tough knowing [Van Noy] won’t be out there with us, but he was talking to me, making sure I stay on top of my get-off,” Green told The Sun. “That was the big emphasis from him…making sure I’m getting off the ball and disrupting the quarterback.” 2.1 This was the cold splash of reality in an otherwise convincing win. Cleveland’s front seven stacked the box and repeatedly beat Baltimore’s offensive line and run blockers to the punch, holding Derrick Henry to a mere 23 rushing yards across 11 carries, finishing with a lowly 2.1 average. It was Henry’s worst outing in a Ravens uniform. Henry’s previous single-game low average as a Raven was 3.5 yards per carry in the team’s Week 1 loss to Kansas City in 2024. Related Articles Cowboys sign veteran pass rusher and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney Ravens OLB Kyle Van Noy to miss time with hamstring injury READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens through two games? Bengals QB Joe Burrow ‘looks like’ he needs toe surgery, head coach Zac Taylor says 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Browns For a veteran tailback who has built his career on wearing down defenses, there was no late-game surge nor a series of punishing runs to close it out. The Ravens finished with just 45 total rushing yards, their lowest total in a Lamar Jackson start since 2018. “They were triggering the run right away,” coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “They were blitzing the run. It wasn’t a blitz call, but it was a blitz reaction to the run. Those guys were coming downhill immediately. That was the plan for them. They weren’t going to get beat by the run. That’s smart football. They did a great job with it.” It was a rare Sunday when the Ravens survived without their trademark power run. But for this offense to reach January at full throttle, Henry will have to turn a quiet outing like this into an exception. The Ravens showed they can adjust on a day when the run game stalled, but their ceiling still depends on Henry eventually imposing the kind of will that has defined his storied career. Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. View the full article

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — The Dallas Cowboys have signed Jadeveon Clowney a little more than two weeks after trading star pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay, team owner and general manager Jerry Jones said Sunday. Jones told reporters after a thrilling 40-37 overtime victory over the New York Giants the club would add the veteran defensive end who visited the Cowboys this past week. The 32-year-old Clowney joins a group that was already young and got younger when Dallas ended a long contract stalemate with Parsons by sending the 26-year-old in his prime to the Packers in a stunner. Clowney had 5 1/2 sacks for Carolina last season after tying his career high of 9 1/2 in 2023 with Baltimore. The 2014 No. 1 overall pick out of South Carolina has 58 sacks in 140 games over 11 years. Clowney’s signing with Dallas takes a potential pass rushing addition off the market for the Ravens. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who had 12 1/2 sacks in 2024, is expected to miss some time with a hamstring injury suffered in Baltimore’s Week 2 win over the Browns. In Van Noy’s absence, the Ravens are expected to give increased time to pass rushers Tavius Robinson and rookie Mike Green. Robinson recorded a sack in Sunday’s victory, forcing a fumble that was recovered by linebacker Roquan Smith and returned for a touchdown. While the Ravens have been hesitant to give specifics about Van Noy’s health, his injury is not considered a season-ending ailment. Coach John Harbaugh said Monday that he’s confident in the team’s current depth behind Van Noy. The Baltimore Sun sports staff contributed to this article. View the full article

The Ravens won their first game of the season on Sunday, but it came at a cost. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy, who suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter of Baltimore’s blowout of the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium and did not return, will miss at least some time, a source with direct knowledge of the situation told The Baltimore Sun. It’s not yet clear how long his absence will be. He was also not the only player injured in the game. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey (groin) left early in the fourth quarter and running back Rasheen Ali (concussion) in the first. On Monday, coach John Harbaugh declined to provide an update on how long Van Noy and the others could be out. “There’s nothing season-ending or long, long-term,” he said. “Everything else is either day to day, something might stretch week to week. There’s really no advantage for us in sharing that information today for our opponent.” That next opponent features one of the most high-powered offenses in the league. The Ravens will host the Lions on Monday night. Detroit is coming off a 52-21 rout of the Chicago Bears on Sunday and ranks third in the NFL in points per game (32.5), first in completion percentage (80.6) and sixth in passing yards per game (267). Being without Van Noy, 34, for any length of time also leaves the Ravens thin at outside linebacker. Last year, Van Noy led Baltimore with 12 1/2 sacks and was named to his first Pro Bowl. Baltimore still has Odafe Oweh, who had a career-high 10 sacks in 2024, but lacks sack production beyond that. Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson is better suited against the run, rookie second-round pick Mike Green is still developing and David Ojabo has been a healthy scratch each of the first two games. With Van Noy out, Green, who led college football with 17 sacks for Marshall last season, saw a big uptick in snaps (45) against the Browns, and that could continue. “He made another step in this game,” Harbaugh said of Green. “He tightened up a little bit with some of his angles on his pass rushes and his run defense. Very physical off the edge in both of those, yet like rookies, there’s a ways to go. “I’m happy with the way Mike’s playing. He’s playing good football for us.” Ravens outside linebacker Mike Green practices during training camp. Green is expected to play an increased role in Week 3 with Kyle Van Noy nursing a hamstring injury. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Another potential option on the outside, Harbaugh said, could be to deploy inside linebacker Trenton Simpson as a strong-side linebacker. Simpson, now in his third season, has struggled to maintain his spot inside and on Sunday was widely outsnapped by rookie inside linebacker Teddye Buchanan. “He’s in the right place doing the right thing,” Harbaugh said of Buchanan. “I thought he played another really good game.” Being without Humphrey against the Lions could also be problematic, particularly for a secondary already dealing with the absence of cornerback Jaire Alexander, who has been slowed by a knee injury and was not active Sunday against the Browns after struggling in the season opener against the Buffalo Bills. If Humphrey and Alexander can’t go against the Lions, that would mean an increased role for Chidobe Awuzie, T.J. Tampa and undrafted rookie free agent Keyon Martin. Related Articles 5 key numbers from the Ravens’ blowout win over Browns | COMMENTARY Cowboys sign veteran pass rusher and former Ravens DE Jadeveon Clowney READER POLL: How would you grade the Ravens through two games? Bengals QB Joe Burrow ‘looks like’ he needs toe surgery, head coach Zac Taylor says 5 things we learned from the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Browns Meanwhile, one player the Ravens expected to already have back is fullback Patrick Ricard. However, the 31-year-old All-Pro has been plagued by a nagging calf injury that has kept him sidelined since mid-August. When he’ll be back, Harbaugh also couldn’t say. “It hasn’t been as quick as we thought,” he said. “I’m disappointed, but Pat’s more disappointed than anybody. “It’s been slower than we hoped for sure. We’re kind of in that week-to-week mode with Pat.” Last year, the Ravens were the healthiest team in the NFL by a wide margin in terms of adjusted games lost, but the injuries have started to pile up. They have also come at an inopportune time, with four straight games against 2024 playoff teams over the next month. After facing the Lions, they’ll play at the Kansas City Chiefs and then at home against the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Rams before a bye in Week 7. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Ravens fans can finally relax — at least a little bit. After a crushing Week 1 collapse against the Bills, Baltimore got back on track and dominated old friend Joe Flacco and the Browns in a 41-17 victory in its home opener for its first win of the year. It’s been an up-and-down first two games, though. How would you grade the Ravens after a 1-1 start to the season? We want to hear from you. After you vote, leave a comment and we might use your take in The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To read the results of previous reader polls, click here. View the full article

The Cincinnati Bengals are going to be without Joe Burrow for a while. Burrow needs surgery for the turf toe injury he suffered Sunday and is expected to miss at least three months, according to ESPN. The 28-year-old quarterback came up limping after he was sacked by Arik Armstead in the second quarter of Sunday afternoon’s 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in Cincinnati. Third-year quarterback Jake Browning replaced him, and Burrow did not return. Monday’s development came about 12 hours after ESPN reported images of Burrow’s injured left foot were being sent to specialist Dr. Robert Anderso for review. Burrow was seen after Sunday’s game in a boot and with crutches. Turf toe describes a sprain of the big toe’s joint and typically occurs when the toe is hyperextended. Missing exactly three months would allow Burrow to return for Week 15 against the division-rival Baltimore Ravens at home on Dec. 14. Burrow, a two-time Pro Bowler and former No. 1 overall pick, led the NFL in passing yards (4,918) and passing touchdowns (43) last season. He’s completed 21-of-36 passes for 189 yards and two touchdowns without an interception in just over five quarters this year. This is the third significant injury in six NFL seasons for Burrow, who suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee as a rookie in 2020 and a season-ending right wrist injury in 2023, both of which required surgery. He missed a total of 13 games in those two seasons. Browning replaced Burrow after the 2023 injury and went 4-3 as the Bengals’ starter. On Sunday, Browning completed 21-of-32 pass attempts with two touchdowns and three interceptions and led the game-winning drive in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter. Browning’s go-ahead rushing touchdown on a one-yard sneak with 18 seconds left served as the game-winner. Still, the loss of Burrow is a significant blow for a Super Bowl-hopeful Bengals team off to a 2-0 start. Cincinnati is looking to rebound from a disappointing 2024 season in which it finished 9-8 and missed the postseason. The injury is also likely to affect the production of star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who both signed big-money contract extensions during the offseason. Burrow is the second quarterback to suffer a turf toe injury this season. Brock Purdy of the San Francisco 49ers sustained a less serious version of the injury in Week 1 and missed Sunday’s 26-21 win over the New Orleans Saints. Purdy could return as soon as this weekend. View the full article

Baltimore learned its lesson and closed out a double-digit lead, this one a 41-17 win over the Cleveland Browns. It marked the first time the Ravens scored 40-plus points in back-to-back games since December 2020. A few unexpected heroes made the difference. Here are five things we learned from the game: Wide receivers can turn any target into a touchdown The pass lofted high, then careened down into Devontez Walker’s waiting arms. The second-year wide receiver gained a beat on his defender with plenty of room to spare in the back left corner of the end zone for his second touchdown on as many targets. Coupled with his lone catch in 2024, Sunday stacked this wonky stat line: three career catches, three career touchdowns. Talk about efficiency. The advice trickling down from veterans DeAndre Hopkins and Tylan Wallace was simple in that the fifth receiver buried down the depth chart needs to take advantage of the opportunities when they’re presented — an NFL truism, easier said than done. Hopkins and Wallace practiced what they preached, arguing for the thesis about the malleability of Baltimore’s offense. Hopkins caught both of his targets for 64 yards. The first was initially ruled a touchdown, then called back when officials noticed his knee touched down at the half-yard line. His second, a touchdown (for real this time), required some sneaky maneuvering to slip under the defender and make the catch. Wallace was similarly efficient, with two catches on as many targets and a touchdown. Sunday’s beatdown against Cleveland actualized all the offseason chatter about an offense bearing a surplus of playmakers. And it tempered egotistical concerns. “Anybody could spark us to just start moving the ball,” said Zay Flowers, who paced the Ravens with 75 yards on seven catches. “I feel like everybody in our receiver room has something that we need.” What unfolded in the home opener was a reminder that Flowers is still the top option. But the depth chart runs deep with guys who can contribute on any given Sunday — the separating factor in games like this one, when the usual suspects aren’t producing. Baltimore couldn’t get its run game going all afternoon. Derrick Henry’s 23 rushing yards were his fewest as a Raven. Rashod Bateman and Mark Andrews, the second- and third-most lucrative pass catchers from 2024, combined for three catches and 17 yards. At the break, the Ravens had only four first downs on 81 total yards. Harbaugh called the win “a grind,” as the offense struggled to find a groove in the first two quarters. Lamar Jackson widened his scope in the second half. It paid off with three more touchdown passes to two guys who can get lost in the shuffle of that group and a 13-year veteran who refuses to be labeled as “washed.” “Lamar just trusts in his players, guys who are going out there and making plays,” Hopkins said. “Just being able to scramble and not get a sack but create plays that aren’t on script, that’s what he’s been doing his whole career.” Wide receiver Tylan Wallace rolls at the feet of Browns safety Ronnie Hickman after catching a touchdown in the Ravens' 41-17 win on Sunday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) They were serious about holding defenders accountable Marlon Humphrey wasn’t kidding. These Ravens, as he said, won’t be “repeat offenders.” That is to say, their high-ceiling projections won’t be squandered by giving a long leash to any player not executing at the level they expect. Not like they did for 10 weeks last year when Baltimore owned the worst statistical secondary in football and refused to make changes. This would be different, Humphrey argued. They wouldn’t “protect this guy or protect that guy.” Sunday’s most glaring example was the decision to make Jaire Alexander a healthy scratch. The veteran cornerback struggled in Week 1, notably during the waning minutes of Buffalo’s 15-point comeback over the final four minutes: burnt twice and flagged for a consequential pass interference. Harbaugh said this week that he’s “healthy enough,” despite missing the lion’s share of training camp with a knee injury, but “we have to get him right.” Orr doubled down: “There’s no doubt in our mind that he’s going to be ready to go when it’s time.” The messaging didn’t change after the decision to scratch him worked out. “Jaire Alexander is going to play great football for us this year,” Harbaugh said. “I kind of made the decision — he was pushing me hard — but I made the decision, ‘Let’s get completely right and in football shape.’” Alexander’s absence opened the door for Reuben Lowery’s NFL debut. He saw garbage time reps. Second-year corner T.J. Tampa Jr. was a more obvious beneficiary after not playing a single defensive snap last week. Harbaugh noted how well he practiced this week, and Tampa took home a highlight to show for it. In the fourth quarter, he swatted a fourth-down pass to Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy with a parallel-to-the-ground effort. Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins returns the ball after intercepting a Joe Flacco pass in the third quarter of Sunday's win over the Browns. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Humphrey, Nate Wiggins and Chidobe Awuzie seem to have locked up the top-three cornerback spots. Wiggins intercepted Flacco and returned it 61 yards, getting tripped up a few steps shy of the goal line. Although Humphrey, who saw an interception slip through his hands into the waiting mitts of Cedric Tillman for a fluky touchdown, suffered a groin injury that might further test their depth. The other playing time decision that took all of one game came at inside linebacker. Fourth-round rookie Teddye Buchanan got the nod over third-year pro Trenton Simpson, playing beside All-Pro Roquan Smith. Against Buffalo, Buchanan and Simpson split time pretty evenly. Simpson started. But Buchanan finished with three more defensive snaps. A week later, he was named full-time starter. Buchanan saw his reps double, clocking 60 on Sunday, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s compared with last week when the Ravens leaned more heavily on sets using six defensive backs behind Smith as the only linebacker. Decision-makers felt they could trust Buchanan, who wore the green dot in the preseason, meaning he relayed the calls from the defensive coaches. He proved them right with five total tackles. Buchanan was asked if, when he first got drafted, he might have anticipated that by his second NFL game he’d already be a starter. The rookie’s eyes wandered around the locker room. He took a moment to find the right words. “I’m not sure I would have necessarily anticipated it,” Buchanan said, “but the mindset is always to stay as ready as I can.” Jake Hummel proves to be a worthy offseason acquisition Cleveland sat at its own 45-yard line. It was fourth-and-8, early in the second quarter and Corey Bojorquez came on to punt. When the ball was snapped, Jake Hummel burst through the middle the same way a raging bull does when the fence swings open. Hummel trucked the upback and dove forward, stretching out his right hand just enough to send the football tumbling in the opposite direction. That was the first blocked punt by a Raven since Chris Moore on Nov. 6, 2016, versus Pittsburgh. Hummel’s gave Baltimore prime field position. Two plays later, Jackson floated a touchdown pass to Wallace in the back right corner of the end zone. Linebacker Jake Hummel blocks a punt by the Browns' Corey Bojorquez, setting up the Ravens' first touchdown on Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Special teams is a point of pride for the Ravens — particularly Harbaugh, who famously got his start in coaching with the game’s third unit. It came as no surprise that the Ravens saw a need to invest in a veteran special teamer after a down year from that group in 2024. Enter Hummel, a veteran on a one-year deal signed on the heels of Malik Harrison and Chris Board signing elsewhere. In 2024, Hummel blocked a punt for a touchdown with the Rams. It took two weeks for him to block another as a Raven. Hummel explained postgame that in a couple of previous punt rushes, he got a similar look where he’d end up one-on-one with the furthest back protector. That opportunity presented itself again and, as Hummel said, special teams coordinator Chris Horton “gave me another chance to run a similar play and I was able to get the one-on-one and beat him.” Related Articles Mike Preston: Who are these Ravens? We still don’t know. | COMMENTARY Ravens learn from collapse, keep foot on gas vs. Browns | ANALYSIS Ravens’ Week 2 lesson? Accountability matters. | COMMENTARY The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-17 win over Browns Ravens dismantle Joe Flacco, Browns in 41-17 bounce-back win The 26-year-old had a quiet camp. He missed a chunk of practice time, at one point for the birth of his son, Hudson, and another chunk for a left-hand injury that required minor surgery in late August. Hummel called the injury “a pain” more than a major setback. He was able to work into practice before having the surgery and return in time for Week 1. In time to be the difference-maker Baltimore signed him to be. “I’m always just trying to do whatever I can to help the team win,” Hummel said. A smile broke across his face, “I’m happy to block as many punts as I can. I’m just going to try to affect every game that I’m in.” It was a vintage Roquan Smith performance Walker was standing off to the sideline when he noticed a pile in the pocket. Outside linebacker Tavius Robinson strip-sacked Joe Flacco, squirting the ball loose. Roquan Smith came flying into frame. He bent down to pick up the ball and took off. “I feel like it took me back to my high school days playing running back,” Smith said. Walker did a double take. “I looked up, like, that’s Ro?” he laughed. “I’m thinking that’s a safety or a corner. He was moving on that. That’s one of the fastest I’ve seen him move out there.” Smith downplayed his participation on the play, “I just had to do a little sprint for about 15, 20 yards.” He really sold himself short. Smith carried that ball 63 yards upstream for his first career scoop-and-score touchdown. That was the icing on the cake of what might have been his best individual performance as a Raven. Smith finished with 15 total tackles. His three tackles for loss tied a career high, and he reached that mark before halftime. Smith got his hands on the quarterback twice and logged his first fumble recovery since Week 10 of last year. “‘Ro’ makes all the difference on our defense and our team as a leader, so yes, all the credit in the world to him,” Buchanan said. “He has done an amazing job leading this team. From everything he does — his effort, his leadership — I can’t say enough good things about him.” “Man, he is our leader right there,” Robinson added. “Since I got here, with the way he practices, I’m not surprised that he has games like that. That’s someone who, when I’m on the field with him, I’m trying to play up to his standard, every time.” Baltimore didn’t forget how to close out wins Smith rewatched the Buffalo loss twice on the bus ride after the game. He ran the tape again on the plane ride home. The entire Ravens defense relived that loss again on Tuesday. After that, he said, “the game was flushed.” To say the Ravens one-flushed the Buffalo loss would be a logical fallacy. Even if that game lingered a little longer than other losses might, what happened in Buffalo seeped into a week’s worth of preparation. It remained a talking point even after the final whistle Sunday afternoon. Most importantly, it served as a reminder to not let that happen again a week later. Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson drives Browns quarterback Joe Flacco to the turf. Flacco fumbled, leading to a Baltimore recovery and touchdown in the fourth quarter Sunday. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) “That is what was nagging us since the Buffalo game, just not finishing in the fourth quarter,” Nnamdi Madubuike said. “But we showed today that we can.” The Ravens were in a not dissimilar situation a week ago. A double-digit lead going into the fourth quarter. ESPN Analytics projected a 90-plus-percent chance of victory. Both sides of the ball were sluggish in some ways, dominant in others. There was even a tipped pass touchdown for the other team. Baltimore wasn’t going to let this one loose from its stranglehold. The Ravens had the advantage and, in the way they didn’t against the Bills, closed the door on any shot at a comeback. It was midway through the fourth quarter, the Browns well into field goal range, when Robinson shed a block and strip-sacked Flacco from behind. The ball jarred loose, dribbling a few yards out into open space. Smith scooped it up and kicked 63 yards for a touchdown that extended the Ravens’ lead from 17 to 24. The Ravens didn’t let Cleveland cruise upfield like Buffalo did. They hunkered down defensively. The Browns passed midfield, but Tampa broke up a fourth-down attempt that gifted the ball back to Baltimore’s offense. As if the Bills loss was still looming large in their minds, the Ravens kept pressing. Jackson flung a 23-yard pass to Hopkins, the death knell for any shot at another miraculous fourth-quarter comeback. “Like I said last week, we should have kept it going, but this week that’s what we did,” Jackson said. “We got the job done, and shout out to all phases. Everyone played their part.” Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The Ravens breathed a sigh of relief Sunday. They won their first game of the 2025 season, smashing the woeful Cleveland Browns, 41-17, before an announced 70,487 at M&T Bank Stadium. That’s a good thing. Actually, it’s a great thing. Players spend all summer working out and going through difficult practices, so it’s good to release the tension that has been bottled up during the entire offseason. The Ravens couldn’t do that last week, losing 41-40 to the Buffalo Bills in a stunning collapse and failing to get revenge for last season’s AFC divisional round defeat. After Sunday’s win, the Ravens were in a celebratory mood, and it certainly beat the disaster left on the field in Buffalo to open the season. But the bottom line is that the Ravens are still a tough team to figure out, and very little could be determined from their beating of the Browns (0-2). The Ravens are expected to be one of the best teams this season, but the Browns are pathetic and have the worst offense in that city’s history since returning to the NFL in 1999. That in itself is a statement because there are only eight to 10 good teams in the league right now, and the rest aren’t very good. Yes, we can start with the Browns. Poor Joe Flacco, Cleveland’s starting quarterback. At age 40, the former Ravens star still has that smooth throwing motion but little else. A calendar is needed when he gets flushed out of the pocket. He was sacked twice Sunday and hurried on nine other occasions. Without star running back Nick Chubb, who now plays in Houston, the Browns don’t have an X-factor on offense. Shoot, they don’t even have a receiver who can catch the ball consistently. The Browns talked a lot of trash during the week leading up to Sunday’s game, but it just amounted to mostly hot air. The Ravens got some much-needed defensive confidence. A week ago, they allowed quarterback Josh Allen to run free and torture them for nearly 400 passing yards. On Sunday, things were different because they decided to attack. They blitzed a lot. They brought a lot of pressure, which we saw in training camp. They power rushed and shoved around Cleveland right tackle Cornelius Lucas, who has no business being a starter in the NFL. Absolutely none. And the Ravens forced turnovers, including a blocked punt by linebacker Jake Hummel that was recovered by safety Sanoussi Kane and turned into a 15-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson early in the second quarter. There was also a 61-yard interception return by cornerback Nate Wiggins that led to a 2-yard touchdown pass from Jackson to Devontez Walker early in the third. Those were great confidence builders. The Ravens now have a foundation to build on after being upset by the Bills last week. The only problem was that Cleveland’s offense was so inept. Vanilla might be a derogatory term. Flacco was a statue, and he had either two choices: Throw quickly or run for his life. That’s it. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews drops the ball after Browns safety Grant Delpit punches it out in the end zone during Sunday's game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) It appeared as if the Ravens blew Cleveland out, but let’s look at the scoring drives. One was two plays for 24 yards and resulted in a touchdown. Another was four plays for 5 yards and another touchdown. One was three plays for 25 yards and another score and the other was a legitimate 10-play, 81-yard march that produced a touchdown. That’s it. Another high-octane effort was expected, but the Ravens didn’t need one. They just needed to show up, eliminate turnovers, and win. But there was some intriguing stuff. Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed only 11 times for 23 yards. The Ravens ended the game with 47 yards on 21 carries, and they never got that running or play-action passing game going. Related Articles Ravens learn from collapse, keep foot on gas vs. Browns | ANALYSIS Ravens’ Week 2 lesson? Accountability matters. | COMMENTARY The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-17 win over Browns Ravens dismantle Joe Flacco, Browns in 41-17 bounce-back win Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-17 win over Browns in home opener The Browns play great defense, but they aren’t that good. The Ravens were only 3-for-12 on third down. Worse yet, after Wiggins returned his interception down to the Cleveland 5-yard line, Henry, all 252 pounds of him, didn’t touch the ball on three straight plays. That’s ridiculous. Even worse, the Ravens brought in No. 2 guard Ben Cleveland and Henry still didn’t have a carry. It was a strange game, and to not get Henry involved in some form was even stranger. Let’s call the Ravens opportunistic. They did get the offense together in the second half, but it was an ugly game. Yet, when a team wins its first game of the season, it eliminates a lot of pressure. That is basically what the Ravens achieved Sunday. Now, it’s time to move on to Detroit. But before then, time for some relief. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith had a bitter taste in his mouth. So much so that he spent last week rewatching Baltimore’s stupefying collapse to the Buffalo Bills four times. “You just hone in on details and know that there’s small things that eventually adds up to a big thing,” he said Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. “It’s about being real with yourself and up front. If there’s plays out there, you have to look yourself in the mirror and say ‘Hey, there’s a play that I can’t allow to happen.’ “We just have to play our part for four entire quarters and not just three. That and it revealed some weaknesses and we said we’re not gonna allow that to happen again. That was the main thing and we kept the main thing the main thing.” The main thing was not letting up, offensively or defensively, against an overmatched Cleveland Browns team with a 40-year-old quarterback. It took a little while, but the response was resounding, a 41-17 thumping in what was anything but a joyful homecoming for Browns quarterback and forever Baltimore legend Joe Flacco. Flacco shared a pregame hug with his former coach, John Harbaugh, and caught up with former teammates Torrey Smith, Todd Heap and Dennis Pitta, but his hero’s welcome was anything but by a Ravens defense that often made him look like he belonged with the group of old Baltimore Colts stars in attendance for the festivities. “Finishing was a big thing,” outside linebacker Tavius Robinson said. “We wanted to play four quarters of good football. Then, we wanted to put emphasis on taking the ball away, taking shots at the ball. We might not get it every time, but that’s the style of defense we wanna be.” Check and check. The Ravens (1-1) sacked Flacco just twice, but were consistently in his face, registering nine quarterback hits. That included Robinson’s strip sack midway through the fourth, with Smith scooping up the bouncing ball and racing 63 yards for the touchdown. That was the exclamation point for a Baltimore defense that held Cleveland (0-2) to just 120 yards and 3.5 yards per play over the first 30 minutes, forced two turnovers on the day after none last week, and that was paced by Smith’s 15 tackles, including three for loss. It was also a fitting response to Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy’s double middle fingers to the crowd before kickoff and “no challenge” response when asked about the Ravens’ secondary earlier in the week. “We noted it,” Robinson said of the trash talk leading up to the game. “We talk with our pads. Nothing to say back.” Added Harbaugh: “I wanted to see a good defense, a defense I believe we could be. I saw that a lot.” The Browns eventually saw plenty of the Ravens’ offense, too. Though the first half of Baltimore’s home opener felt like a game from another era, with the Ravens bringing to life the old mantra of 3 yards and a cloud of dust with just 81 yards of offense on 27 plays, it wouldn’t last. A week ago, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett-led defense had limited the high-octane Bengals to 141 total yards and Joe Burrow to a paltry 113 yards passing. It did not hold against two-time NFL Most Valuable Player Lamar Jackson. In the second half, Jackson was as efficient as he was lethal, completing 9 of 12 passes for 148 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 155.6 over the final 30 minutes. That included a 23-yard touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins with under five minutes to play and the game already in hand. It was one of two long and sprawling grabs by the 33-year-old cagey veteran, the other a 42-yard snag initially ruled a touchdown but overturned to be marked at the 1-yard line earlier in the game. “What does it feel like to get in the end zone?” Hopkins said. “My answer: It feels good to win.” And for Jackson, it feels good to have a contested catch king at his disposal. “I seen it his whole career,” Jackson said of Hopkins’ ability to make spectacular grabs with the second game in a row that he has done so. “I believe people call him washed, but he’s showing otherwise. “A guy who can be covered and still make plays, I feel like we have that but he different. He’s a vet, he done seen it all.” Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins catches a pass from quarterback Lamar Jackson in Sunday's win over the Browns. Hopkins caught two passes for 64 yards and a touchdown in the victory. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) He’s also just one of many playmakers in a deep Ravens arsenal. Second-year receiver Devontez Walker snagged a pair of touchdown catches on two targets in the second half, giving him three scores on three career catches. Tylan Wallace had a touchdown. And once again, Zay Flowers, the first Ravens receiver to be selected to the Pro Bowl a season ago, continues to show his chemistry with his fellow South Floridian, racking up a team-high seven catches for 75 yards, including a 19-yarder on the first play of the third quarter to set the tone. Unlike last week, when the Ravens had a 15-point lead twice in the fourth quarter, there was no taking the foot off the gas. Related Articles Mike Preston: Who are these Ravens? We still don’t know. | COMMENTARY Ravens’ Week 2 lesson? Accountability matters. | COMMENTARY The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-17 win over Browns Ravens dismantle Joe Flacco, Browns in 41-17 bounce-back win Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-17 win over Browns in home opener “It’s an NFL game, wild things happen,” Jackson said. “Last week, we should’ve kept it going. Shout out to all phases. Everyone played their part.” It was why the message from Harbaugh going into the final quarter was “Game’s not over,” he said. “Let’s finish it up.” The Ravens did, but they also know there’s more work to come. Even though it was the first time the Ravens scored at least 40 points in two straight games since December 2020 against the Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars, a much stiffer opponent awaits next week. On Sunday, the Detroit Lions blew out the Chicago Bears, 52-21. The Lions, one of five 2024 playoff teams on the Ravens’ schedule in the first six weeks, come to M&T Bank Stadium next Monday night for another prime-time matchup in front of a national audience. Told the score of the game, Robinson’s eyes widened and a smile of disbelief stretched across his face. “Damn,” he said. “We all felt good, but at the end of the day, there’s so much to correct and so much to get better from,” Robinson said. “I think it was a step in the right direction.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

A week ago, the Ravens’ defense was licking its wounds. Buffalo hung 41 points on Baltimore, which collapsed in the final stages. The defense was defeated. The secondary appeared in disarray. Then came Marlon Humphrey’s public warning: “The guys that are doing it right are going to play. … We can’t protect this guy or protect that guy.” By kickoff Sunday, the Ravens backed his words with action. Cornerback Jaire Alexander, the high-profile newcomer and close friend of Lamar Jackson’s who was tormented in Buffalo, was a healthy scratch. The Ravens didn’t wait for another crisis. Instead, Baltimore’s defense delivered a signature performance in a 41-17 victory over Cleveland that evened the Ravens’ record to 1-1. This represented a different Ravens defense than the one that took the field a year ago. Back then, patience blurred into stubbornness. Baltimore rode struggling veteran defensive backs Marcus Williams and Eddie Jackson deep into the fall before turning to safety Ar’Darius Washington after the bye. Similarly, struggling linebacker Trenton Simpson stayed in the lineup until late November despite coverage lapses that screamed for change. Those moves eventually paid off, but only after valuable games had already been squandered. This time, the lesson landed quickly in Baltimore. Related Articles The Baltimore Sun’s Ravens report card: Position-by-position grades for 41-17 win over Browns Ravens dismantle Joe Flacco, Browns in 41-17 bounce-back win Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-17 win over Browns in home opener Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy injures hamstring vs. Browns, ruled out Ravens CB Jaire Alexander inactive; Reuben Lowery making debut vs. Browns With Alexander in street clothes, the defense looked like a group that took Buffalo’s embarrassment personally. Alexander, a 2018 first-round draft pick who signed a one-year deal worth $6 million after being cut by the Packers, wasn’t the only change to the lineup, either. Rookie linebacker Teddye Buchanan earned his first career start over third-year player Simpson. Additionally, defensive back T.J. Tampa Jr. saw an uptick in snaps. The tweaks turned into a defensive stomping. The Ravens registered nine quarterback hits on Joe Flacco — after just three on Josh Allen in Week 1 — and recorded their first two takeaways of the season. Cornerback Nate Wiggins jumped his assignment to rob an errant Flacco pass, while defensive captain Roquan Smith scooped a strip-sack from Tavius Robinson and returned it 63 yards to the house. As Smith high-stepped into the end zone, the sold-out crowd at M&T Bank Stadium roared in approval. The home sideline went into a frenzy. This was the defense many expected from second-year coordinator Zach Orr. “The emphasis this week was getting takeaways,” said rookie outside linebacker Mike Green, who registered his first career quarterback hit, helping force one of Flacco’s 20 incompletions. “We knew we had to come through with more adjustments and make sure we took care of him correctly. This week, we knew Joe was a great thrower. We had to keep him in the pocket and disrupt his throwing lanes, just keep disrupting the quarterback.” The unit’s lone blemish was another fluke. For the second straight week, a tipped pass became a touchdown, this one off Humphrey’s hands, bouncing backward into Cedric Tillman’s lap in the end zone. Veteran coach John Harbaugh and Orr didn’t wait for the bye in Week 7 to display accountability. Rather, the coaching staff drew a strict line after the Buffalo loss and enforced it during the home opener. Smith led the Week 2 AFC North showdown with 15 tackles, including three for loss, and two quarterback hits. Wiggins added three tackles and a career-high three passes defensed as Flacco struggled and looked mighty uncomfortable throughout. This was the type of defensive response and bounce-back outing that travels. Even Smith admitted that the team’s ugly defeat to Buffalo stung hard. He rewatched the loss four times before fully turning his head to Cleveland. “We all had a sour taste in our mouths,” Smith said. “It was more so about moving on and not letting last week beat us twice. … Last week is in the past for a reason. We learned from our mistakes and did a lot of great things.” Remember the part about the Ravens not waiting too long to make tough decisions? Said Smith: “It’s great to have your weaknesses revealed Week 1 than later in the season.” Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith scores a touchdown after recovering a fumble by Browns quarterback Joe Flacco in the fourth quarter. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Humphrey, who exited Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter with a groin injury, threw down the challenge. Baltimore proved it could answer much earlier. The only other touchdown the Ravens allowed was a Dillon Gabriel passing touchdown with backups on the field for both teams in garbage time. If the Ravens can carry this type of edge, the implications reach far beyond an early win over a middling Browns offense. The next month will pit the Ravens against MVP quarterbacks, creative offensive play-callers and four consecutive 2024 playoff opponents. Additional doses of necessary accountability and adjustments could be the only way to survive the incoming gantlet. Sunday showed the Ravens are willing to make tough calls before the standings and public outcry demand them. There was no wound licking in the home locker room, where Harbaugh embraced each player, including Alexander, with a celebratory handshake. “We want everybody to be able to respond that way,” Harbaugh said. “I wanted to see a good defense. I wanted to see the defense that we’ve been working to be. I wanted to see that. We saw that — and we can still get better. “We need to get better. We will chase that, too.” Have a news tip? Contact Josh Tolentino at jtolentino@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200, x.com/JCTSports and instagram.com/JCTSports. Ravens wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins reacts after catching a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Here’s how the Ravens graded out at every position after a 41-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in their home opener Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium: Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw touchdown passes of 15, 2, 24 and 23 yards. He showed some nice touch on all four, but he overthrew several receivers and should have had two passes intercepted, including two inside the red zone. Jackson completed 19 of 29 passes for 225 yards and had a passer rating of 128.6, but he had a lot of opportunities to run when he got outside the pocket and declined to do so. Some of those out patterns he threw in the first half were horrendous. Grade: C+ Running backs The Ravens never got 252-pound running back Derrick Henry free, but he did ice the game with several tosses in the second half. Henry finished with 23 yards on 11 carries and he had to be scratching his head at the Ravens attempting to pass after going with the jumbo package early in the third quarter. With Baltimore at the 1-yard line and then the 5-yard line after a penalty, Henry didn’t touch the ball on three straight plays and the Ravens settled for a 32-yard Tyler Loop field goal. Backup Justice Hill wasn’t much of a factor either, but at least the Ravens won with so little production from this group. Grade: D Offensive line Left tackle Ronnie Stanley had problems with defensive end Myles Garrett, but who doesn’t? The Browns star finished with five tackles, 1 1/2 sacks and two quarterback hits. At times, he made Stanley look slow. Overall, it was a solid performance by this group. As mentioned before, if the Ravens can’t run, they struggle in pass protection. Jackson was hit several times but did a great job of play-faking and avoiding the pressure. The Browns do a nice job of penetrating and that stifled Baltimore’s running game. Grade: C Receivers It will be interesting to see whether an opposing defense slows down slot receiver Zay Flowers from running all those crossing patterns. Flowers had seven catches for 75 yards on Sunday, and most of those were on shallow-to-midrange routes over the middle. He did a good job of working back to the ball when Jackson got in trouble. Veteran DeAndre Hopkins, for the second straight week, beat cornerbacks one-on-one in the end zone and had two exceptional catches, including one for a touchdown in the fourth quarter with a cornerback draped all over him. The Ravens got a good blend from this unit, but Flowers seems to be Jackson’s go-to receiver. He was helped when Cleveland cornerback Denzel Ward left the game with an injury in the second quarter. Grade: A Defensive line Cleveland had no running game coming into Baltimore, and the Ravens shut a lot of it off early. The Browns finished with 115 yards on 22 carries, but they weren’t a serious threat. Without any running game, quarterback Joe Flacco was quick to throw passes over the middle. The Ravens also took advantage of right tackle Cornelius Lucas, who started for the injured Jack Conklin. The Ravens harassed Flacco most of the time while he was in the pocket and he couldn’t outrun the Ravens around the corner. End/tackle Nnamdi Madubuike had one sack, seven hurries and one tackle for a loss. End/outside linebacker Tavius Robinson finished with six tackles and forced a fumble by Flacco that resulted in a 63-yard return for a touchdown by middle linebacker Roquan Smith. Grade: B Linebackers You knew the Browns were in trouble when Smith and the other Ravens linebackers were sitting in zones and smacking Cleveland receivers coming across the middle. Smith led all tacklers with 15, including three for losses. Weakside linebacker Trenton Simpson had four tackles and fellow weakside linebacker Teddye Buchanan had five tackles and earned the start. Starting outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy left near halftime with a hamstring injury, and it will be interesting to see how the Ravens handle that situation. Grade: A Secondary The Ravens weren’t challenged a lot on deep balls, only on short-to-intermediate passes. Cornerback Nate Wiggins picked off one pass from Flacco and returned it 61 yards to set up a touchdown. The Ravens were close to intercepting several other throws. They read the eyes of Flacco, who stared down his receivers. Rookie safety Malaki Starks led the group in tackles with seven while cornerback Chidobe Awuzie had five. Fellow safety Kyle Hamilton had five tackles while cornerback Marlon Humphrey had three. Grade: A Related Articles Ravens’ Week 2 lesson? Accountability matters. | COMMENTARY Ravens dismantle Joe Flacco, Browns in 41-17 bounce-back win Instant analysis from Ravens’ 41-17 win over Browns in home opener Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy injures hamstring vs. Browns, ruled out Ravens CB Jaire Alexander inactive; Reuben Lowery making debut vs. Browns Special teams Rookie kicker Tyler Loop converted field goal attempts of 43 and 32 yards, but he had two errant kickoffs (one out of bounds and one short of the landing zone) that allowed Cleveland to take possession at the 40-yard line. That’s a no-no against quality offensive teams. Rookie LaJohntay Wester returned one punt for 23 yards and was a shoe-string tackle away from scoring a touchdown. Tylan Wallace had three kickoff returns for an average of 26.3 yards, including a long of 33. Linebacker Jake Hummel also blocked a punt in the second quarter, which set up a touchdown pass from Jackson to Wallace. This group was much more sound than a week ago against the Bills. Grade: A- Coaching The Ravens did a good job of mixing and matching defenses, and coordinator Zach Orr did a good job of attacking instead of being attacked. He had an assortment of blitzes and called several pressures against Flacco. Offensively, the Ravens had 242 total yards but some of that resulted from Cleveland’s inept offense giving Baltimore short fields. Special teams contributed, including a blocked punt that led to a touchdown. Overall, it was a strong effort, but there is room for improvement. It was a good day to be playing Cleveland. Grade: B Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace scores on a 15-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson in the second quarter Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Over the past three seasons, the Ravens have allowed an average of 20 points per game to AFC North opponents. Marlon Humphrey — Baltimore’s longest-tenured defender — said nobody in the division feared the Ravens’ defense anymore. Then, after an offseason of promises and notable offseason acquisitions, Baltimore surrendered 41 points to the Bills to open the season. Not exactly an encouraging start. But perhaps the Ravens just needed Ray Lewis in the building. On a day with several of the franchise’s legendary defenders at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore’s defense responded with one of its most encouraging efforts in recent memory. The Ravens dominated the Cleveland Browns, 41-17, in their home-opener Sunday afternoon. The Browns’ offense, led by Joe Flacco, mustered just 4.5 yards per play and had two crucial turnovers. Flacco finished the day completing 25 of 45 passes for 199 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He was relieved late by rookie Dillon Gabriel, who was 3-for-3 for 20 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Lamar Jackson threw four touchdown passes, including two to second-year wideout Devontez Walker, en route to 31 second-half points. Roquan Smith punctuated the day with a 63-yard fumble return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Nate Wiggins also picked off Flacco in the third quarter and nearly returned it for a score. It set up a 5-yard touchdown drive. The defense needed every early stop because the dynamic offense that tormented the Bills last week didn’t appear until the second half Sunday. Jackson and the Ravens mustered only 81 yards, four first downs and eight rushing yards by halftime. But aside from a third-quarter touchdown drive, Baltimore’s defense ensured Flacco’s return wouldn’t end in his 97th win at M&T Bank Stadium. While nobody is mistaking the Browns’ offense for the Bills’, the Ravens’ defense simply looked more cohesive at home. The pass rush pressured Flacco throughout, a revamped secondary recorded five pass breakups and the star veterans made multiple splash plays. Even the special teams — a unit that was heavily criticized for multiple miscues in Buffalo — made arguably the game’s most crucial play. Veteran Jake Hummel blocked a punt in the second quarter that set the Ravens up at the Browns’ 24-yard line. It was the team’s first blocked punt since Nov. 6, 2016. Last week’s showing wasn’t just alarming; it was a direct contradiction to everything Baltimore’s players and coaches promised in the offseason. They needed to show last Sunday was an aberration, that this year wouldn’t start like the previous one when they started 0-2. Related Articles Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy injures hamstring vs. Browns, ruled out Ravens CB Jaire Alexander inactive; Reuben Lowery making debut vs. Browns Ravens vs. Browns, September 14, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Browns live updates: Baltimore leads 20-10 in 2nd half Ravens planned to draft Shedeur Sanders before QB nixed pick, report says Cornerback Marlon Humphrey said this week the defense was “immature.” Safety Kyle Hamilton thought they were “lackadaisical.” Defensive coordinator Zach Orr said the coaching staff would bench players if necessary. They made good on their word this week, making multiple key personnel changes before the game. Cornerback Jaire Alexander was a healthy scratch in favor of undrafted rookie Reuben Lowery III, and linebacker Trenton Simpson was benched for rookie Teddye Buchanan. While Lowery didn’t play any meaningful defensive snaps, Buchanan played nearly every drive. Cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and T.J. Tampa rotated opposite Nate Wiggins. But those moves involved players on the margins. Baltimore spent $116 million on their defense for their stars to play the way they did Sunday. Smith played one of his best games in a Ravens jersey. He finished with 15 tackles, including three tackles for loss, and impacted every level of the defense. In one drive, Smith pressured Flacco on a blitz then dropped a Browns receiver in the flat for a minimal gain. His three tackles for loss were nearly more than the four he had all last season. Playing next to a new running mate in Buchanan requires new communication signals and chemistry, but the two linebackers were both excellent. Ravens’ Devontez Walker celebrate with fans after scoring on a 24-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Ravens’ Roquan Smith recovers and returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Roquan Smith recovers and returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Roquan Smith recovers and returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Roquan Smith recovers and returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Tavius Robinson sacks and causes Joe Flacco to fumble the ball which was recovered by Roquan Smith and returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Tavius Robinson sacks and causes Joe Flacco to fumble the ball which was recovered by Roquan Smith and returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens outside linebacker Tavius Robinson sacks and causes Browns quarterback Joe Flacco to fumble the ball in the fourth quarter. Linebacker Roquan Smith, right, scooped it up and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown in Baltimore's lopsided victory in its home opener Sunday. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Devontez Walker scores on a 24-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the forth quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Ravens’ Tylan Wallace celebrate after scoring on a 15-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the secord quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Ravens’ Nate Wiggins returns the ball after intercepting a Joe Flacco pass in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Nate Wiggins returns the ball after intercepting a Joe Flacco pass in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Chidobe Awuzie, left, jumps on Nate Wiggins to celebrate Wiggins interception in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Nate Wiggins returns the ball after intercepting a Joe Flacco pass in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Nate Wiggins returns the ball after intercepting a Joe Flacco pass in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Devontez Walker celebrate after scoring on a 2-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Ravens’ Devontez Walker scores on a 2-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Ravens’ Mark Andrews cannot hold in the ball in the end zone in third quarter against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Mark Andrews cannot hold in the ball in the end zone in third quarter against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Mark Andrews cannot hold in the ball in the end zone in third quarter against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Mark Andrews cannot hold in the ball in the end zone in third quarter against the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Tylan Wallace scores on a 15-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the secord quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Ravens’ Tylan Wallace celebrate after scoring on a 15-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the secord quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Former Colts quarterback Bret Jones is introduced during pregame ceremony at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/staff)Browns’ Jerry Jeudy leaps to catch a Joe Flacco pass in front of Ravens’ Chidobe Awuzie at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Roquan Smith tackles Browns’ Jerome Ford in the second quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Several Ravens pressure Browns quarterback Joe Flacco to throw incomplete during game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens celebrate Tylan Wallace’s touchdown catch against the Cleveland Browns in the 2nd quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens celebrate Tylan Wallace’s touchdown catch against the Cleveland Browns in the 2nd quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Sanoussi Kane picks up the ball to return a blocked punt by Browns punter Corey Bojorquez in 2nd quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Sanoussi Kane picks up the ball to return a blocked punt by Browns punter Corey Bojorquez in 2nd quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Sanoussi Kane picks up the ball to return a blocked punt by Browns punter Corey Bojorquez in 2nd quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Jake Hummel blocks a punt by Cleveland Browns punter Corey Bojorquez, setting up Baltimore’s first touchdown of the game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Jake Hummel blocks a punt by Cleveland Browns punter Corey Bojorquez, setting up Baltimore’s first touchdown of the game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Jake Hummel blocks Browns punter Corey Bojorquez in 2nd quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Jake Hummel blocks Browns punter Corey Bojorquez in 2nd quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Tylan Wallace catches the ball for a first down against Browns’ Grant Delpit at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens HOFers’ Ray Lewis. Ozzie Newsome and Johnathan Ogden are on the field during pre game ceremony before the team takes on the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens HOFers’ Ray Lewis. Ozzie Newsome and Johnathan Ogden are on the field during pre game ceremony before the team takes on the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens HOFer Ray Lewis is on the field during pre game ceremony before the team takes on the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens HOFer Ray Lewis is on the field during pre game ceremony before the team takes on the Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Tylan Wallace catches the ball for a first down against Browns’ Grant Delpit at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens’ Tylan Wallace catches the ball for a first down against Browns’ Grant Delpit at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Browns quarterback Joe Flacco visits with visits with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti during warm up before the game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Ravens team owner, Steve Bisciotti, visits with QB Lamar Jackson during warm up before the team’s home opener with the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Cleveland Browns’ Shedeur Sanders visits with Baltimore Ravens’ LaJohntay Wester before game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Browns’ Shedeur Sanders is on the field before Ravens home opener at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Former Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, now with the Browns, warms up before game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff)Sep 14, 2025: Baltimore Ravens wide receiver LaJohntay Wester exchanges hugs with Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver LaJohntay Wester exchanges hugs with Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco practices before playing against the Baltimore Ravens during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens wide receiver LaJohntay Wester exchanges playful pushes with Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens head football coach John Harbaugh greets Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco listens to Baltimore Ravens principal owner Steve Bisciotti during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)With her first NFL regular season game as a fan, Cassie Walls, 10 of Rock Hall gets an autograph on her football from Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman who enters to play the Cleveland Browns during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)With her first NFL regular season game as a fan, Cassie Walls, 10 of Rock Hall gets an autograph on her football from Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Rashod Bateman who enters to play the Cleveland Browns during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles smiles for fans who take photos as he enters to play the Cleveland Browns during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles stops to autograph for young fans before entering to play the Cleveland Browns during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Show Caption1 of 62Ravens’ Devontez Walker celebrate with fans after scoring on a 24-yard pass from Lamar Jackson in the third quarter at M&T Bank Stadium. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff)Expand In the secondary, Wiggins was criticized last week after allowing six catches on seven targets for 82 yards. The second-year cornerback responded with an interception, one pass breakup and allowed just one reception. His third-quarter interception nearly ended in a pick-six, but it set up Jackson’s 2-yard touchdown pass to Walker on fourth down for a commanding 20-3 lead. Jackson’s day was filled with inconsistencies. He missed wide receiver Zay Flowers on a few short throws and the team struggled on third down (3-for-11). Still, the star quarterback also had his typical fair share of dazzling plays — two deep balls to DeAndre Hopkins, a third-and-long conversion to Flowers — and finished the day with 225 passing yards. Fautige eventually opened up cracks in Cleveland’s defense, sealing a blowout win. Anytime a team can rest its starters in a divisional game, they’ll be pleased. Nostalgia colored Sunday: Flacco’s return, the franchise’s 30-year celebration, and appearances by Lewis, Jonathan Ogden and Ozzie Newsome. Squint, and there were echoes of those vaunted Ravens defenses in Baltimore’s performance. Now, a Lions offense that scored over 50 points in Week 2 comes to town for a prime-time test on “Monday Night Football.” Next week will reveal just how real these defensive strides are. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Jane at sjane@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/Sam_Jane230. View the full article

Here’s what The Baltimore Sun sports staff had to say immediately after the Ravens’ 41-17 win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 2 of the NFL season on Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter: The first half felt like a game from another era, an unintentional homage to the Baltimore Colts of old in attendance for the 30th anniversary celebration of the Ravens’ existence against the city from which they came. Perhaps it was further evidence of the strength of the Browns’ defense, which stifled the high-octane Bengals in a squeaker of a loss last week. But an offense that was the best in the NFL last season can only be locked up for so long and unsurprisingly the Ravens found enough of their footing amid Cleveland’s own offensive ineptness to pull away. Unlike last week, this one never felt in danger of another big lead blown. The final dagger came courtesy of a Tavius Robinson strip-sack of 40-year-old Joe Flacco midway through the final quarter with Roquan Smith scooping up the bouncing ball and racing 64 yards for the touchdown. Then, for good measure, Lamar Jackson hit DeAndre Hopkins with the Ravens already up 34-10 inside five minutes remaining in an effort to not take their foot off the gas. As woeful as Cleveland is, Baltimore’s defense deserves a good bit of credit for not letting Flacco to find a rhythm and return a conquering hero. He was harassed all day and when Cleveland turning to its running game found little room against the defensive line and a surging Smith, who finished with 15 tackles. The line, linebackers and secondary answered the call after getting pushed around a week ago. Mike Preston, columnist: The Ravens toyed with Cleveland for nearly a half before finally taking control of the game in the third quarter. The Ravens still play either up or down to the level of their opponents, and it showed against the Browns. This Cleveland offense is the worst since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999. The Browns were one-dimensional on offense, throwing basically nothing but short passes, and they had virtually no running game. At least on defense, the Ravens got quarterback Joe Flacco to move in the pocket and he was under constant duress. The best news for the Ravens were that they won a game, and that’s important at this point. It’s a big relief to win the first game of the year after the Ravens failed last week in the season opener against Buffalo. There were no last-minute comebacks Sunday, just a Ravens team that turned up the heat on the Browns in the second half. Josh Tolentino, columnist: Cleveland backed up its week-long trash talk by bottling up running back Derrick Henry (11 carries, 24 rushing yards). Yet Lamar Jackson still distributed the ball plenty as the two-time NFL Most Valuable Player threw four touchdown passes, tallying 225 yards across 19 completions. Defensively, the Ravens swarmed old friend Joe Flacco, recording its first two takeaways of the young season. Nate Wiggins came down with an arrant Flacco pass, while linebacker Roquan Smith’s touchdown return off Tavius Robinson’s strip-sack put the game out of reach in the second half, a signature performance for Zach Orr’s group. DeAndre Hopkins’ big-catch ability has been on display in consecutive weeks; he had two explosive catches, including his 23-yard touchdown reception, against the Browns. The accomplished veteran wideout will only continue to build up his rapport and chemistry with Jackson as the season progresses. The home opener served as the perfect get-right spot for Baltimore (1-1), which is now scheduled to play four straight 2024 playoff opponents. Sam Cohn, reporter: This was a prime example of how versatile Baltimore’s offense can be. When Derrick Henry, Mark Andrews and Rashod Bateman were all nonfactors, Lamar Jackson found DeAndre Hopkins, Tylan Wallace and Tez Walker — all of whom made massive contributions in small sample sizes. The Ravens were sluggish to start. Neither side of the ball showed much firepower. Even against what is considered an impressive Browns defense, Jackson found a way to cut them up in the second half. It was exactly the kind of blowout win the Ravens needed after a crushing blow in Buffalo. C.J. Doon, editor: This performance didn’t do much to quell any fears that arose in last week’s collapse. The Ravens’ defense certainly played much better, but when considering the opposition, it wasn’t that impressive. Joe Flacco gave Baltimore a homecoming gift with his third-quarter interception that Nate Wiggins nearly returned for a touchdown. He should have thrown another pick near the goal line, but his pass inexplicably bounced off Marlon Humphrey’s hands and into the waiting arms of Cedric Tillman in the end zone. Then Flacco sealed the game with a fumble that Roquan Smith returned for a touchdown. He might not be wearing purple anymore, but he helped the Ravens almost as much as any player on the Baltimore sideline Sunday. The Browns’ top offensive threats are Jerry Jeudy, who catches the ball about as well as he talks trash; rookie running back Qunishon Judkins, who’s had one padded practice since June; and rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who played in his second career game. Baltimore still allowed more than 300 total yards. The Ravens might not be so fortunate against Jared Goff, Patrick Mahomes, C.J. Stroud and Matthew Stafford over the next few weeks. Until they face another elite offense, we just don’t know how good the defense can be. The Ravens’ offense, based on its own lofty standards when Lamar Jackson is healthy, was disappointing. The offensive line struggled to keep Jackson clean, allowing three sacks. The Ravens went three-and-out on three straight possessions to end the first half. Baltimore took advantage of some good field position before turning it on in the second half. The running game was surprisingly nonexistent, totaling just 16 carries for 48 yards before garbage time. Jackson was his usual efficient self, Zay Flowers continued to stand out, DeAndre Hopkins turned back the clock and Devontez Walker announced himself as a big-play threat with two TD catches, but it was far from a complete performance. Mark Andrews looked shaky and Zaire Mitchell-Paden had a rough sequence near the goal line early in the game. Isaiah Likely and Pat Ricard can’t come back soon enough. Related Articles Ravens’ Kyle Van Noy injures hamstring vs. Browns, ruled out Ravens CB Jaire Alexander inactive; Reuben Lowery making debut vs. Browns Ravens vs. Browns, September 14, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Browns live updates: Baltimore leads 20-10 in 2nd half Ravens planned to draft Shedeur Sanders before QB nixed pick, report says Tim Schwartz, editor: I didn’t learn much from this one, aside from two things: The Ravens will have no problem pressuring stationary quarterbacks, and their wide receiver depth behind Zay Flowers is about as good as it’s been in franchise history. Baltimore’s defense nearly outscored Cleveland — Nate Wiggins will surely hear from teammates after falling a few yards shy of a pick-six — but this is the Browns with a 40-year-old Joe Flacco under center. And they still outgained the Ravens, who could not establish their rushing attack with the game still within reach in the first half. This went about as expected. The Lions on “Monday Night Football” will be a great barometer for good this team really is right now. Bennett Conlin, editor: A win is a win in the NFL, even against the lowly Browns. A season ago, the Ravens suffered a stunning Week 2 home loss to the Raiders. They avoided that fate this year against a Cleveland team expected to lose in bunches. It was far from perfect offensively, though. The offensive line struggled to protect Lamar Jackson, and the running game wasn’t as dynamic as usual with Jackson and Derrick Henry in the backfield. Still, Jackson made plays when the pocket collapsed and Zay Flowers looked amazing yet again. Devontez Walker, Tylan Wallace and DeAndre Hopkins contributed, too. It was more than enough to win the home opener, as the Ravens dominated defensively — aside from Marlon Humphrey dropping an interception that fell into the arms of Cedric Tillman for a Browns touchdown. He’ll want that play back. A blocked punt helped create a first-half double-digit lead, and the Ravens’ defense handled the rest. A week after being embarrassed by Buffalo, the Ravens took advantage of an aging Joe Flacco to boost their confidence. It was a solid win for Baltimore given the defensive dominance, but there’s not a ton to take from this game. The Browns are deeply flawed, and the Ravens face the Lions, Chiefs, Texans and Rams in the next four weeks. The Ravens avoided disaster Sunday, but we’ll learn way more about Baltimore in the coming weeks. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

The Ravens lost outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy during Sunday’s home opener against the Browns. Van Noy, 34, left the game with a hamstring injury in the second quarter and did not return. He was ruled out early in the third quarter. The veteran led Baltimore in sacks last season with 12 1/2. How long he’ll be sidelined for remains to be seen. Van Noy had one tackle and a quarterback hit before leaving and has three tackles and no sacks on the season. The Ravens can also ill afford to be without him for a significant length of time with a pass rush that after Week 1 was near the bottom of the league in pass rush win rate. This article will be updated. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Ravens CB Jaire Alexander inactive; Reuben Lowery making debut vs. Browns Ravens vs. Browns, September 14, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Browns live updates: Baltimore leads 20-10 in 2nd half Ravens planned to draft Shedeur Sanders before QB nixed pick, report says Browns RB Quinshon Judkins on track to make NFL debut vs. Ravens View the full article

Ravens cornerback Jaire Alexander is inactive for Baltimore’s home opener against the Browns on Sunday. The move comes after the two-time Pro Bowl selection struggled in his Ravens debut in last week’s 41-40 loss to the Bills. Alexander, 28, came into that game off just a few days of practice after missing three weeks because of a knee injury. It was also not surprising after a few clues during the week that he might not play. “Practice is important, especially at that position [for] just being exactly right,” coach John Harbaugh said earlier this week. “So he and I have had that conversation. I recognize it and the main thing right now is just to get him right. He’s healthy enough, but we have to get him right so we can go out there and play like Jaire Alexander, which I fully expect him to do. We’ll just give him an opportunity to do that.” Over the past two seasons with the Packers, Alexander appeared in just 16 games because of injuries, including to his knee, quadriceps, back and shoulder. With Alexander inactive, that also means that undrafted rookie free agent safety Reuben Lowery will be making his NFL debut. Lowery, who was a healthy scratch last week, played at Tennessee-Chattanooga. He was also a standout during training camp, regularly making plays on the ball to land a spot on the 53-man roster. The remainder of the Ravens’ inactive players were less surprising. Running back Keaton Mitchell is a healthy scratch for a second straight week, as are outside linebacker David Ojabo and rookie offensive tackle Carson Vinson. Fullback Patrick Ricard (calf) and tight end Isaiah Likely (foot) were ruled out Friday. The Browns, meanwhile, are without starting right tackle Jack Conklin (eye, elbow), who was made inactive after being listed as questionable on Friday. Also inactive are rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, running back Raheim Sanders, defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., and guard Zac Zinter. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. Related Articles Ravens vs. Browns, September 14, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Browns live updates: Baltimore hosts rival in home opener Ravens planned to draft Shedeur Sanders before QB nixed pick, report says Browns RB Quinshon Judkins on track to make NFL debut vs. Ravens MTA adds shuttles, alters service for Ravens opener View the full article

Ravens team owner, Steve Bisciotti, visits with QB Lamar Jackson during warm up before the team’s home opener with the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Browns quarterback Joe Flacco visits with visits with Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti during warm up before the game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens wide receiver LaJohntay Wester exchanges hugs with Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Cleveland Browns’ Shedeur Sanders visits with Baltimore Ravens’ LaJohntay Wester before game at M&T Bank Stadium. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff) Baltimore Ravens head football coach John Harbaugh greets Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Cleveland Browns quarterback Joe Flacco listens to Baltimore Ravens principal owner Steve Bisciotti during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) Baltimore Ravens defensive lineman Aeneas Peebles smiles for fans who take photos as he enters to play the Cleveland Browns during Baltimore’s 2025 NFL home opener. (Karl Merton Ferron/Staff) View the full article

Football is back in Baltimore. The Ravens host their home opener Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Cleveland Browns in what will mark not only the 30th season of the Ravens in Charm City but the return of former star quarterback Joe Flacco to M&T Bank Stadium. Follow along here for live coverage and analysis. Wrinkle on first drive View the full article

Shedeur Sanders, Baltimore Raven? It almost happened, according to a new report. The Ravens were planning to pick the former Colorado quarterback in the fifth round with the 141st overall selection before Sanders let it be known that he didn’t want to be on a roster with superstar Lamar Jackson and not have a path to playing time, according to a report from ESPN’s Adam Schefter citing anonymous league sources. Baltimore instead drafted Alabama A&M offensive lineman Carson Vinson. Three picks later, Cleveland ended Sanders’ stunning fall by selecting him 144th overall, two rounds after picking former Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel. Sanders, who played for his father and Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders at Colorado, is currently listed third on the Browns’ depth chart behind Gabriel and 40-year-old former Ravens star Joe Flacco, who will start Sunday in his return to Baltimore. Sanders likely would have been QB3 as well in Baltimore, which signed former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush before the draft to a two-year, $6.2 million deal to be Jackson’s backup. “If this is true, I think this is crazy,” former NFL quarterback Alex Smith said of Schefter’s report during ESPN’s “NFL Countdown” on Sunday. “You’re in the fifth round. I understand you had higher hopes, but you dropped to the fifth round, and you’re thinking about being a starting quarterback the next year? I think this is incredibly short-sighted. If you’re in this situation, you want to go to an organization that is going to develop you. “Here we have the Baltimore Ravens, the model of stability in the NFL. This regime’s been together for how many decades now, and actually has a track record to develop quarterbacks. Joe Flacco, Lamar. Instead you choose the Cleveland Browns, because you think you have a chance to start the next year? And, mind you, the Cleveland Browns, who are on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to stability. This is the same organization that walked away from Baker Mayfield as the No. 1 pick in the draft. … There’s been 700 starting quarterbacks in the last 20 years for the Cleveland Browns. This makes zero sense.” Sanders had an up-and-down training camp and preseason with Cleveland, completing 14 of 23 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns in an impressive debut Aug. 8 against the Carolina Panthers before suffering an oblique injury Aug. 13 during a joint workout with the Philadelphia Eagles that kept him out for an extended period of time. He then struggled in the preseason finale against the Los Angeles Rams, which prompted a defense from coach Kevin Stefanski on his handling of Sanders’ development. Stefanski addressed claims that he was deliberately hindering Sanders’ progress, particularly after replacing him with Tyler Huntley, who led the game-winning drive. “I don’t concern myself with outside types of things, but I’m committed to his development, just like all of our rookies,” Stefanski said. “We’ll continue to focus on getting our guys better, and that’s what we’ll stay committed to, and that’s what’s important to me.” Cameras caught Sanders frustrated on the Browns’ sideline after being told he was done for the day. He asked to return, but Stefanski shook his head, adding to the controversy. Related Articles Ravens CB Jaire Alexander inactive; Reuben Lowery making debut vs. Browns Ravens vs. Browns, September 14, 2025 | PHOTOS Ravens vs. Browns live updates: Baltimore hosts rival in home opener Browns RB Quinshon Judkins on track to make NFL debut vs. Ravens MTA adds shuttles, alters service for Ravens opener “I think all of our guys are extremely competitive and want to be out there for every play. So, I never want a player to be less competitive,” Stefanski said. Sanders, Gabriel and practice squad quarterback Bailey Zappe all have been running Cleveland’s scout team in practice, quarterbacks coach Bill Musgrave said Friday. While Rush is entrenched as the backup quarterback in Baltimore because of his contract and performance, he’s 31 years old, leaving room for a developmental prospect behind him. The Ravens drafted quarterback Devin Leary in the sixth round in 2024, but he struggled and was released at the end of training camp last month, prompting the Ravens to bring Huntley back to the practice squad. The Associated Press contributed to this article. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor C.J. Doon at cdoon@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/CJDoon. View the full article

CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns rookie running back Quinshon Judkins was activated to the active roster Saturday, clearing the way for him to make his NFL debut against the Ravens. The second-round draft pick was on a roster exemption after signing his contract on Sept. 6. To make room for Judkins, Cleveland waived wide receiver Gage Larvadain. “I feel good. Just still taking day by day in the playbook, learning everything I need to know in case I have to play,” Judkins said on Friday. “As a competitor, you want to go out there and do your best every single day you step on the field. So if I have to play, I’m going to give it my all.” Judkins missed all of training camp after he was accused of domestic violence in Florida in July. Prosecutors declined to pursue a case against him on Aug. 14 following a state attorney’s office investigation that found inconsistencies in the accuser’s story. Coach Kevin Stefanski said that Judkins has done a nice job trying to get up to speed, but wanted to see how he progressed throughout the week before making a determination on his status. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do up to this point,” Stefanski said. “There’s football shape, and once you get in pads and get hit a little bit, that’s different than working out prior. But I do think he’s in good shape.” Stefanski and the Browns are looking for improvement in the run game after gaining only 49 yards on 24 carries in last week’s 17-16 loss to Cincinnati. The Browns drafted Judkins with the 36th overall pick in hopes he could become their main running back after he helped the Buckeyes win the national championship last season. Judkins rushed for 1,060 yards and had 16 total touchdowns. Cleveland also has fourth-round pick Dylan Sampson and four-year veteran Jerome Ford in the backfield. The Browns will face a Baltimore defense on Sunday that allowed the fewest rushing yards in the league last season at 80.1 yards per game. However, Cleveland has rushed for at least 100 yards in six of 10 meetings against the Ravens since Stefanski became coach in 2020. Baltimore is also 0-1 after a 41-40 loss at Buffalo last week. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said that Judkins has done a good job of retaining knowledge of the playbook from spring workouts, but one advantage is that things are limited once teams get into game weeks. “You have a finite number of plays within a game plan, there will be carryover in terms of the terminology,” Rees said. “So, for him it’s really focused on, all right, we have a new playbook for this week’s opponent, let’s try to master that instead of saying, here’s our seven installs at training camp. That’s a little bit more daunting than one game plan.” View the full article

The Maryland Transit Administration will operate all available trains on a regular Sunday schedule for the Ravens’ home opener against the Cleveland Browns at 1 p.m. as downtown continues to experience service disruptions tied to the ongoing demolition of three buildings on North Howard Street. Light Rail service through downtown remains suspended, with shuttle buses running between North Avenue and Camden Station. Riders traveling from Glen Burnie or BWI Airport are advised to allow for extra travel time due to limited train availability. Travelers from Hunt Valley should also plan ahead, as they will need to transfer to shuttle buses between North Avenue and Camden. To ease congestion and accommodate game day travel, beginning at 10:30 a.m. MTA will operate Express Shuttle Buses from Glen Burnie/Cromwell and Timonium Fairgrounds directly to the Convention Center Light Rail stop at Howard and Camden streets. Following the game, Express Shuttles will also run directly back to Glen Burnie/Cromwell and Timonium Fairgrounds. Other transit options remain available: Metro Subway: Riders can take the Metro to Charles Center station, exit via the West entrance escalator, and continue along Baltimore Street to CFG Arena before heading toward Camden Yards and M&T Bank Stadium. Local Bus: CityLinks Navy, Yellow, and Brown, along with LocalLinks 51, 54, 73, 76, and 94, all provide service to or near the stadium. MARC Train: The Penn Line will operate on its regular weekend schedule. Passengers arriving at Penn Station may take the Penn-Camden shuttle train to the Mt. Royal/MICA Light Rail stop and then transfer to a shuttle bus bound for Camden Station. MTA officials encourage riders to plan and allow for additional travel time when making their way downtown. View the full article

If the Ravens can’t pressure or move Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco in the pocket on Sunday, they are in trouble. Big trouble. A week ago, Bills quarterback Josh Allen tortured the Ravens’ secondary, completing 33 of 46 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns in Buffalo’s 41-40 come-from-behind victory. In that game, in which the Ravens had a 15-point lead with four minutes remaining, Allen was sacked only once. But the reigning NFL Most Valuable Player is part of the new wave of quarterbacks who are mobile and can improvise. Flacco, 40, is part of the old guard that has to stand in the pocket to be successful. Let’s be more specific. He’s a statue. But this is a Ravens squad that doesn’t have a dominant pass rusher. In the early days after the team moved here from Cleveland, Baltimore had outside linebacker Peter Boulware and later defensive end Michael McCrary. Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs was one of the most dominant players in the NFL from 2003 to 2018 and holds the club record with 139 sacks. So, maybe Sunday at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens can get to Flacco, forcing him to move in the pocket. In a 17-16 loss to Cincinnati last week, Flacco completed 31 of 45 passes for 290 yards and a touchdown. He also had two interceptions, but those were both catchable passes. “It’s crazy that he’s still playing, and he’s still playing at a high level,” Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr said. “The challenges he does pose is that he’s a veteran, so there is not a lot of stuff you’re going to be able to throw at him that he hasn’t seen. You have to make it as difficult as possible for him. And then, there is a reason why he’s still in this league. “His arm talent is still legit. He can still push the ball down the field at a very accurate and dangerous rate. So, we have to do everything we can to make him uncomfortable and get after him.” Translation: The Ravens have to mix coverages and pass-rushing responsibilities better. A week ago, they weren’t very aggressive. Actually, passive is a better word. Very seldom did the Ravens blitz safety Kyle Hamilton or nickel cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Both Orr and coach John Harbaugh talked about the Ravens being more disciplined in their rushing lanes because they allowed Allen to get outside and throw. Cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Nate Wiggins seemed to be stuck in last year’s early season time warp as far as knowing when to go into press coverage or when to back off. Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr, left, and coach John Harbaugh watch practice last week. "You have to have good rush lanes to ‘muddy up’ the picture for the quarterback so he can't step up cleanly and get in the rhythm," Orr said. (Kevin Richardson/Staff) To be honest, this was expected. There is a difference between practice and game speed. This group didn’t play together in a preseason game, so there was going to be some miscommunication. “Yes, well that was the biggest issue,” Harbaugh said of containing Allen. “We understand Josh Allen; we have played him quite a few times. We had a little more success here at our place last year. The last two times there, not quite as much, but we had a plan, and we just didn’t get it done. We weren’t able to execute; we couldn’t keep him in the pocket.” “That’s probably the No. 1 disappointment for me,” Harbaugh added. “I think when you let him extend plays like that, he’ll run for yards, but he’ll also find receivers downfield, and they do a good job of getting open. It’s just hard to extend that coverage long enough with his arm strength and accuracy on the move. So that’s the No. 1 thing.” The Ravens have needed a dominant pass rusher for years, someone in the Lawrence Taylor or Von Miller mold, and it’s one aspect that is missing. Regardless if that player is double teamed or chipped by a tight end, his presence will cause a disturbance. Rookie outside linebacker Mike Green, the second-round draft pick from Marshall, might be that guy one day, but not in his first season. Outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy plays well and was strong against the run versus Buffalo, but the 34-year-old was not much of a factor against the Bills’ offensive line, which surrendered only 14 sacks last season. As for fifth-year outside linebacker Odafe Oweh, stories have come out of training camp every year on how he has improved, but he had only one tackle and one hurry against Allen. Green had one tackle and was a nonfactor as well. “Like I said, you have to give credit to [Buffalo], but our rush lanes — when you talk about defense — it all has to work together,” Orr said. “You have to have good rush lanes to ‘muddy up’ the picture for the quarterback so he can’t step up cleanly and get in the rhythm. At times when we did that, we were just a little bit off in the coverage. At times when the coverage was really nice and tight, what happened? He got out of the pocket and extended plays, and that was a point of emphasis that we didn’t want to allow happen.” Related Articles MTA makes adjustments for Ravens opener Ravens injury report: Isaiah Likely closer to return; 2 Browns questionable Ravens vs. Browns staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s home opener in Baltimore? Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? Joe Flacco’s return to Baltimore: Ravens celebration and a critical game Flacco can’t move as well as Allen. Few can. But he still has that strong arm. In 11 seasons in Baltimore, Flacco was 96-67 as a starter and was 10-5 in the playoffs before being traded to Denver in 2019. Cleveland still has a good offensive line with tackles Dawand Jones and Jack Conklin and left guard Joel Bitonio, but it’s not the same group without star running back Nick Chubb, who rushed for 6,843 yards and 51 touchdowns in seven seasons with the Browns before signing with the Houston Texans. Sunday’s outcome might come down to Flacco. The Browns don’t have a lot of weapons offensively, and their defense is ranked a respectable No. 13 overall. Some Browns fans have complained about the Ravens celebrating 30 years in Baltimore while facing the franchise that moved here for the start of the 1996 season. They are minor issues. The Ravens have to make Flacco unhappy in the pocket. If they can flush him, they’ll win. If not … Oh well, they are in trouble. Big trouble. Have a news tip? Contact Mike Preston at epreston@baltsun.com, 410-332-6467 and x.com/MikePrestonSun. View the full article

The Ravens’ Isaiah Likely was in uniform on the practice field Friday in Owings Mills for the first time since undergoing foot surgery on Aug. 2, signaling that a return to the lineup for the ascendant fourth-year tight end could potentially come as soon as Week 3. As for this week’s home opener against the Cleveland Browns, Likely was unsurprisingly ruled out. He’s also just one of two players who won’t suit up for Baltimore this week, with fullback Pat Ricard (calf) the other. Wide receiver Rashod Bateman (personal) was also absent from practice Friday but is expected to play Sunday. A largely healthy roster bodes well for the Ravens, who are coming off a crushing 41-40 defeat to the Buffalo Bills and are already a game behind the division-leading Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals as the AFC North rival Browns come to town. Cleveland, meanwhile, could be without right tackle Jack Conklin (eye, elbow), who is listed as questionable after being limited in practice for a third straight day. Coach Kevin Stefanski told reporters that Conklin has a “50-50” chance to play. Rookie running back Quinshon Judkins (personal) is also questionable, albeit for a far different reason. The second-round draft pick out of Ohio State met with the NFL earlier this week as part of an investigation into a potential violation of the league’s personal conduct policy. Judkins missed all of training camp and practiced Thursday for the first time since mandatory minicamp in June after being accused of domestic violence in Florida. However, prosecutors declined to pursue a case against him on Aug. 14 after a state attorney’s office investigation. Judkins was one of the top running backs in the draft after rushing for 3,785 yards and 45 touchdowns and catching 59 passes for 442 yards over three college seasons between Ole Miss and then Ohio State. Related Articles Ravens vs. Browns staff picks: Who will win Sunday’s home opener in Baltimore? Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? Joe Flacco’s return to Baltimore: Ravens celebration and a critical game How players-only dinner set stage for Ravens’ defense response to collapse ‘Not hard’ to tackle? Ravens RB Derrick Henry’s play says otherwise. | COMMENTARY The only player ruled out for the Browns is reserve defensive tackle Michael Hall (knee). Cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder, Achilles tendon), offensive tackle Dawand Jones (knee) and guard Joel Bitonio (rest) were all full participants in practice Friday after being limited earlier in the week and do not have an injury designation for the game. Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article

Here’s how The Baltimore Sun sports staff views the outcome of Sunday’s Week 2 game between the Ravens and Browns at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore: Brian Wacker, reporter Ravens 24, Browns 13: Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy might think the Ravens’ secondary presents “no challenges,” as he told reporters earlier this week, but Cleveland’s offense as a whole doesn’t, either. Outside of Jeudy, tight end David Njoku and 41-year-old quarterback Joe Flacco, the Browns simply don’t have enough firepower to keep up with a Baltimore offense that racked up 432 yards against the Bills last week. Cleveland’s defense presents a different challenge with star edge rusher Myles Garrett, cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome and safety Grant Delpit, but the Ravens should be able to move the ball. Expect Baltimore’s defense to be more aggressive, too, as it looks to wash the stench emanating from last week’s collapse. Sam Cohn, reporter Ravens 35, Browns 21: The Browns are doing their best to stir the pot. Safety Grant Delpit said it’s “not hard” to tackle Derrick Henry. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said there’s “no challenge” in facing the Ravens secondary. The difference between these two teams is that one was projected to win five games and the other, despite a mystifying Week 1 loss, can contend for a Super Bowl. Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton was dismissive of the so-called bulletin board material. It won’t change how they play. They’re motivated enough by an 0-1 start. Expect Baltimore to play angry — not because of the comments coming out of Browns practice, but because of how their season opener unfolded. Mike Preston, columnist Ravens 28, Browns 21: The Browns don’t have enough quality players to pull an upset. Cleveland quarterback Joe Flacco is playing reasonably well, but the Browns don’t have a strong enough running game to complement him or the passing game. In the end, their defense will wear down. The Browns usually play well in Cleveland, but they get the Ravens on the road. Ravens, Browns: Josh Tolentino, columnist Ravens 31, Browns 13: Expect Baltimore to lean on a bruising attack led by Lamar Jackson’s option game and Derrick Henry’s freshly motivated downhill runs. With the M&T Bank Stadium crowd juiced for the home opener and the team’s 30th anniversary celebration, Zach Orr’s defense can dictate terms with a much-improved performance from its secondary. Looking back, the defense settled in nicely against Buffalo before the wheels came off in the second half. The Ravens can’t afford to repeat last season’s 0-2 start with four consecutive 2024 playoff opponents looming ahead of the team’s Week 7 bye. This early season date with lowly Cleveland feels like an emphatic bounce-back spot for an apparent AFC heavyweight. C.J. Doon, editor Ravens 20, Browns 17: Will the Ravens avoid a carbon copy of last year, when they lost a heartbreaker on the road to the Chiefs only to lay an egg at home against the Raiders? This has “trap game” written all over it, with Myles Garrett potentially playing the same game-wrecking role that Maxx Crosby did last season against the Ravens’ offensive line. It’s not a guarantee that the Ravens’ defense has figured out what caused its epic collapse against Buffalo either, and Joe Flacco is not going to be afraid to test a secondary that has perhaps lost some confidence. I’ve got my eye on tight ends Harold Fannin Jr. and David Njoku creating some mismatches with their size and skill, but it will be hard for the Browns to score enough points to steal a win on the road here. Related Articles Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? Joe Flacco’s return to Baltimore: Ravens celebration and a critical game How players-only dinner set stage for Ravens’ defense response to collapse ‘Not hard’ to tackle? Ravens RB Derrick Henry’s play says otherwise. | COMMENTARY Ravens injury report: Top DT returns to practice; Browns RB ramping up Bennett Conlin, editor Ravens 35, Browns 17: Jackson is 15-1 overall and 10-6 against the spread when playing as a double-digit favorite. He’s one of the best regular-season quarterbacks in recent memory, and he played exceptionally well against the Bills in Week 1. Baltimore has serious late-game lapses, but those often occur against capable teams. I give the Browns a better chance of contending for a top-three draft pick than finishing in the top three of the AFC North. After losing to the lowly Raiders in Week 2 a season ago, the Ravens won’t overlook this game or the importance of finishing off a big lead. Look for Baltimore to quickly bounce back and move to 1-1 before a “Monday Night Football” clash with the Lions. Tim Schwartz, editor Ravens 38, Browns 20: How loud will the applause be for Joe Flacco before the home team beats the brakes off Cleveland? That’s the only thing in question for me. The result should not be. But we learned Sunday night that the Ravens are still susceptible to falling apart when it’s time to close a game, and having Flacco back at M&T Bank Stadium could make things interesting. But I don’t think it will. The Browns are not nearly as good as the Ravens in any facet of the game, and an 0-2 start would be shocking to everyone in Baltimore. A comfortable win should be in store. Patrice Sanders, FOX45 Morning News anchor Ravens 28, Browns 17: You can’t overlook the fact that this is Flacco’s first time coming back to Baltimore to play against his former team. A lot of fans will cheer him, thinking back to when he was the quarterback of the Super Bowl-winning team. But then it’s game time. I expect the Ravens’ defense to be a lot better than it was against Buffalo, particularly late in the game. If the offensive line can contain Myles Garrett, then Baltimore’s offense should have no problem. The Ravens always bounce back after a bad loss, and I expect the same this week, especially for the home opener. Have a news tip? Contact sports editor Tim Schwartz at timschwartz@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/timschwartz13. View the full article

After spending all week lamenting a preposterous spiral and 15-point blown lead in Buffalo, the Ravens can finally turn their attention to their home opener against Cleveland. This matchup will do one of two things, offer a confidence-boosting beatdown or raise serious concerns about the veracity of this season’s end goals. Who will have the advantage in Week 2? Ravens passing game vs. Browns pass defense In more games than not, Lamar Jackson does something that nearly no other quarterback in the NFL can do. Against Buffalo, it was his 15-yard backward scramble, hounded by two hulking defensive linemen. Jackson had his back to the first-down line, he jabbed right then left, spun and slivered into an opening. He picked up 19 yards and a first down, traveling 75.9 total yards in the process, according to NextGenStats. That was the dazzling part of Jackson’s game we’ve come to expect. On top of that, he threw the ball for 209 yards and two scores on 14 of 19 passing. DeAndre Hopkins introduced himself to his new team with a one-handed grab for a touchdown. And Zay Flowers torched the secondary for 143 on seven catches. Baltimore’s offense looked unstoppable – at least for 3 1/2 quarters. Cleveland’s pass rush and defensive line is its strongest positional group. Myles Garrett is the head of the snake. The 2023 defensive Player of the Year has 14 or more sacks in four consecutive seasons, but managed only one quarterback hit in two games versus Baltimore last year. He’s flanked by Mason Graham, who saw more double teams than Garrett against Cincinnati. That opened lanes for Isaiah McGuire and Maliek Collins, too. Per Pro Football Focus, Cleveland had the fourth-best pass rush grade of any team in Week 1. The Ravens’ offensive line — and more notably the versatility of Todd Monken’s play calling — should be enough to keep the defense a step off balance. EDGE: Ravens Browns passing game vs. Ravens pass defense A familiar face makes his return to M&T Bank Stadium Sunday afternoon. Joe Flacco hasn’t been back in Baltimore since a 2018 injury gave way to his successor in Jackson. The last time he faced a Ravens’ defense was Week 1 2022. The then-Jets quarterback threw the ball 59 times, with one touchdown and an interception. Flacco flirted with a similar volume last week, completing 31 of 45 attempts. As coach John Harbaugh said before the start of the season, “we know Joe can sling it.” In Buffalo, the Ravens struggled mightily with passing lanes. They barely got hands on the quarterback and brought him down only once. Don’t be surprised by a corrective step from the Ravens defense. One of Flacco’s top targets had no issue taking a shot at his quarterback’s former team this week. Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy was asked on Wednesday what challenges the Ravens secondary presents. Jeudy deadpanned, “No challenges.” That’s motivational jet fuel for a group of five first-round picks and the highest paid safety in NFL history, collectively in need of a rebound performance. That is, after letting up 397 passing yards, 251 of which came in the fourth quarter on Sunday. A 40-year-old Flacco can’t hold a candle to Josh Allen, the reigning Most Valuable Player. If there’s a chance to capitalize on bulletin board material for that group and bounce back from a sickly showing, it’ll be this home opener. Looking at Week 1 in a vacuum, Cleveland gets the edge. But based on talent and the expectation for how Sunday plays out, it goes the other way. EDGE: Ravens Ravens running game vs. Browns run defense Based on what we saw Sunday night in Western New York, there may not be a better run game in the NFL. Derrick Henry, at 31 years old, built like a brick designed to trample defensive backs, still has a second gear in open space. Henry turned 18 attempts into 169 yards with two touchdowns, a dominant performance despite his costly fumble in the fourth quarter. According to NextGenStats, he hit a top speed of 21.07 miles per hour, eight-tenths slower than his career high. Through one week, he leads the NFL in rushing yards — 26 more yards than the next best on that list. Harbaugh called him explosive and fast — “it’s what we expected to see.” “Their mentality is that they don’t want to give you anything,” offensive coordinator Todd Monken said. “You have to be able to run the football against these guys. You can’t just let them tee off and get after you.” There’s still emotionless confidence in Cleveland. Browns safety Grant Delpit was asked how hard it is to bring down the 6-foot-2, 250-pound Derrick Henry. Delpit shook his head, “Not hard.” On a follow-up question, Delpit continued, “Somebody’s got the ball, you got to bring him down.” Henry returned serve with a stoic, “We’ll see on Sunday.” To Cleveland’s credit, they allowed the fewest rushing yards in the NFL last week. Cincinnati managed only 46 yards on the ground, split between Chase Brown’s 43 and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow’s three. Henry is four inches taller and about 40 pounds heavier. Plus, he combined for 211 yards on 31 carries in two meetings against the Browns last year. EDGE: Ravens Ravens running back Derrick Henry, shown in Week 1 against the Bills, ran for an NFL-best 169 yards in the season opener. (Jeffrey T. Barnes/AP) Browns running game vs. Ravens run defense The biggest question mark here is Quinshon Judkins. Cleveland’s second-round rookie running back returned to practice on Thursday for the first time since minicamp. How Judkins looks in two practices will determine his availability but it would be a surprising choice to play him off two practices. Cleveland’s ground game was paced by rookie fourth-rounder Dylan Sampson, who took 12 carries for 29 yards (he was more effective as a pass catcher). Jerome Ford contributed six carries for eight yards. That lack of production against Baltimore’s top-tier run defense might leave Cleveland more inclined to push for Judkins. But that shouldn’t be enough to tip the scale. EDGE: Ravens Ravens special teams vs. Browns special teams Both the Ravens and Browns have a kicker who missed an extra point in Week 1. Both the Ravens and Browns wound up losing by one point. But there’s more reason for confidence in Baltimore’s Tyler Loop than Cleveland’s Andre Szmyt. Loop nailed two field goals, one from 52 yards, in his NFL debut. He was transparent about the timing issue of the errant extra-point. Szmyt made one 45 yarder on two attempts, a performance that required coach Kevin Stefanski to confirm he will be the kicker on Sunday. Baltimore made one other major special teams gaffe in Week 1. Jordan Stout skied a near-perfect punt that likely would have died inside the 1-yard line until linebacker Trenton Simpson came screaming into frame, sliding down and ever-so-slightly crossing the end zone line for a touchback. That’s a mistake you don’t make twice. EDGE: Ravens Related Articles Joe Flacco’s return to Baltimore: Ravens celebration and a critical game How players-only dinner set stage for Ravens’ defense response to collapse ‘Not hard’ to tackle? Ravens RB Derrick Henry’s play says otherwise. | COMMENTARY Ravens injury report: Top DT returns to practice; Browns RB ramping up Ravens’ Zay Flowers isn’t a typical WR1: ‘I’m all about winning’ Ravens intangibles vs. Browns intangibles The Ravens have far more at stake. Most pundits are guaranteeing victory. Baltimore’s 0-1 start can’t drop to 0-2 heading into four straight games against playoff teams. At risk of sounding like a prisoner of the moment, the ‘confidence in this team’ scale tips pretty far if they roll over in the home opener. By no stretch would the season be over, as evidenced by the poor start to last year that still yielded a 12-5 record and second consecutive division title. It would just derail the discourse. Cleveland, meanwhile, is coming off a near upset against the Bengals. They’re projected to finish in the realm of five wins, at the bottom of the AFC North. There’s kerosine being dumped on the fire: Jeudy chirped the defense, Delpit downplayed Henry and a corner of fans on social media are irate about the Ravens’ 30th anniversary celebration being scheduled for Sunday considering the history of the two teams. If Flacco slings it and the defensive line can disrupt Jackson to extreme levels, this could turn into quite the upset. What do they have to lose? EDGE: Browns Prediction No one is looking at this game saying anything other than Baltimore is outfitted with a far more talented roster. The disparity between Super Bowl contender and projected 5-win team is stark. This is – to pull a phrase from the college ranks – the Ravens’ cupcake game in a six-week start that includes five playoffs teams. It also feels similar to Baltimore’s Week 2 loss to Las Vegas last year. And against Miami Week 2 of 2022, another late unraveling. But Joe Flacco can “still sling it,” so he should find ways to put points on the board against what appeared to be a leaky secondary. Ravens 35, Browns 21. Have a news tip? Contact Sam Cohn at scohn@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/samdcohn. View the full article

The last time Joe Flacco was at M&T Bank Stadium, chants of “We want Joe!” emanated through the stands. It was January 2019, and a frustrated mob was calling for Super Bowl 47’s Most Valuable Player six years earlier to save the day against the Los Angeles Chargers. He never got the chance, of course. The baton was officially passed to Lamar Jackson before that wild-card defeat and Flacco was traded to the Denver Broncos in the offseason. Sunday though, Flacco, 40, will return to the house of some of his greatest triumphs. This time, the Ravens’ winningest quarterback in franchise history will be on the opposing sideline with the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns for Baltimore’s home opener. The Ravens will also be celebrating their 30th anniversary, marking the occasion of their controversial 1996 exit from Cleveland as the then-Browns to the Charm City with a plethora of former stars on hand for the festivities in what could be construed as an awkward confluence. “Listen, they do these things and I think you can take it however you want,” Flacco told reporters in Cleveland earlier this week. “If you’re from Cleveland, you can take it one way and if you’re from Baltimore you can say it’s not a big deal, it’s just one of those things. “Honestly, for me, it kind of makes it more exciting. We get to go in there when they’re having some people back and just more ex-players, more eyes on you. It’ll make it more interesting.” Time often heals old wounds, so if there’s animosity toward Baltimore for moving on, Flacco isn’t showing any. “We were on good terms when I left,” he said. “But at the same time, you know, it’s natural to feel a certain way when you’re going against a team that you’re not playing for anymore. I’ve been a part of other players that do that and you kind of try to act normal, but it is a big deal. You do want to go beat them, and it’s a little bit of a difference.” Flacco added that Baltimore is a “very special place” and said it’s somewhere that he made “many good memories.” But he’s also wise enough to understand the significance of the moment that awaits — which is why, he said, he will likely venture onto the field a little earlier than normal to connect with what will be many familiar faces. The Ravens will be trying to do the same, particularly after a stunning collapse against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night in Orchard Park, New York, where Baltimore inexplicably twice squandered a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter, including one with under five minutes remaining and fell, 41-40. Cleveland is likewise coming off its own crushing defea, 17-16 to the Cincinnati Bengals, despite holding Joe Burrow to 113 passing yards and one touchdown. Flacco, meanwhile, threw for 290 yards and a touchdown, though he did toss a pair of interceptions. Now comes a reunion against his former coach, John Harbaugh, whom the Ravens hired three months before drafting Flacco 18th overall out of Delaware in 2008. Joe FlaccoSun photo by Kenneth K. LamFormer Ravens first-round pick Joe Flacco talks to the media in 2008 during a news conference. Flacco will visit M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday playing for a division rival. (Kenneth K. Lam/Staff file) “Joe is iconic, I think, in Baltimore football history,” Harbaugh said. “I respect that and admire that, and I still keep in touch with him, except not this week. This week, it’s not about that for us as a football team. It’s about us getting prepared for a good quarterback that knows how to play the game, that’s capable of making plays against you. We’re going to have to be at our very best to defend against Joe and the whole offense.” The occasion will also be Flacco’s second career game against Baltimore. He last played against the Ravens in 2022 when he was with the New York Jets. Baltimore won, 24-9, at MetLife Stadium, where Flacco chucked it 59 times, completing 37 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown with an interception. Now in his 18th season, Flacco can still fling it. “He operates the passing game really well,” Harbaugh said. “He does a good job with all the play-action stuff. He’s going to get them in the runs they want to get in. … He is still big, he’s still got a good arm, he’s very accurate. It’s a good catchable ball, and he knows where to go with it. So that’s kind of the classic drop-back quarterback kind of guy that Joe is, and that’s the way they’re playing with him.” A handful of Baltimore players are looking forward to seeing and going up against their former teammate as well. Jackson along with tight end Mark Andrews, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, cornerback Marlon Humphrey, defensive end Brent Urban and fullback Patrick Ricard, who likely won’t play because of a calf injury that has kept him out of practice since mid-August, all played with Flacco when he was in Baltimore. Each remembers their experience fondly. “How cool he was with things he would say, and how funny he was,” Jackson said when asked what he remembers about his rookie season alongside the player he replaced midway through the season. “I don’t know if people know, but ‘Flacc’ is funny. He used to have me rolling as a rookie. I used to be like, ‘Man, this man just says stuff so nonchalantly.’ It is great. He is a great person to be around.” Nick Wass / APRavens quarterbacks Lamar Jackson and Joe Flacco walk onto the field before a playoff game in January 2019. Soon after the loss to the Chargers, Flacco was traded to the Broncos. (AP file) Though the dynamic of incumbent quarterback being replaced by a rookie — it was a month after an overtime loss in Cleveland that Baltimore subbed Jackson in for the injured Flacco — can be uneasy, Jackson didn’t necessarily feel it. “I was just trying to learn as much as I could my rookie year,” he said. “I can’t speak for ‘Flacc.’ I was cool. I feel like we had a great relationship.” Though the two don’t keep in regular contact, they also had a moment years later. At the 2024 NFL Honors, Jackson was on hand to collect his second NFL MVP Award; Flacco the Comeback Player of the Year Award. Though Jackson also said that seeing him in a Browns uniform inside M&T Bank Stadium will be “different,” he isn’t surprised that his former teammate has lasted this long. Jackson recalled an 80-yard bomb from Flacco to Chris Moore during one practice that still resonates. “It was ridiculous,” he said. “So for me to see that back then, no doubt in my mind.” Humphrey’s recollection also stems from his rookie season in 2017 when Flacco surprisingly joined him for lunch. “I just thought that a quarterback, a Super Bowl MVP would not just join a rookie at the lunch table, so I thought that was cool,” he said. “I was young coming in [and thought] quarterbacks were probably just arrogant guys. So, that’s my first memory of Joe.” Watching him nearly a decade later not much has changed, Humphrey said. “He’s kind of still the same Joe,” he said. “He looks at all his reads. To me, it’s almost a lost art [of] quarterbacks — the three-step drop, five-step drop [and] go through all their progressions the way Joe does. Obviously, it’s a familiar face coming back to Baltimore. It is a weird thing, being in that Browns’ jersey, but we’re excited to go against him and hopefully come out on top.” This past offseason, Flacco also had a chance to be back in a Ravens uniform. Related Articles Ravens vs. Browns scouting report for Week 2: Who has the edge? How players-only dinner set stage for Ravens’ defense response to collapse ‘Not hard’ to tackle? Ravens RB Derrick Henry’s play says otherwise. | COMMENTARY Ravens injury report: Top DT returns to practice; Browns RB ramping up Ravens’ Zay Flowers isn’t a typical WR1: ‘I’m all about winning’ Baltimore talked to Flacco’s agent, Joe Linta, about bringing him back and there was interest from both sides. It never materialized, though, and Flacco signed with the Browns two weeks before the April draft, marking his second stint with Cleveland after joining the Browns late in the 2023 season and leading them to the playoffs. A wild-card loss to the Texans that year also ended a chance for a return trip to Baltimore to face his old team in the divisional round, and Flacco spent the 2024 season with the Indianapolis Colts, making six starts. When he finally returns to Baltimore on Sunday, the stakes won’t be quite as high, but it will be an important game for both teams. It will also be a chance for fans and players to remember one of the organization’s most popular players who will one day after he retires end up in the team’s Ring of Honor. “Once a Raven, always a Raven,” Jackson said. “I believe that’s a fact.” Have a news tip? Contact Brian Wacker at bwacker@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/brianwacker1. View the full article