ExtremeRavens Posted 3 hours ago Posted 3 hours ago 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. 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 Quote
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