Everybody has their good days and their bad days, but Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski had a dreadful day against New England last week. Near the end of the half, his team needed just a half-yard, but instead of pounding Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt against the NFL’s 22nd-best running defense, he threw two passes. He also had two timeouts, so he didn’t need to worry about the clock. Chubb leads the NFL in rushing, but Stefanski tried to hurry and throw the ball in the second half when the game was still in reach, but we learned once again that Jacoby Brissett is not that kind of quarterback. This week, the Browns look to regroup with a trip to Baltimore, where the Ravens also look to bounce back after a four-point loss to the Giants. We saw that the Ravens need to ride Kenyan Drake, who only needed 10 carries to pick up 119 yards. The passing game suffered, as protection kept breaking down, so both teams are looking to get matters in order to start a playoff push. Check out our sports betting prediction for this AFC North clash.
NFL Preview: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
(Sunday, October 23)
When: Sunday, October 23, 2022, 1:00 pm ET
Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore
TV: CBS
Radio: 850 AM ESPN Cleveland / WBAL 1090 AM Baltimore
Live Stream: Sling TV
NFL Odds: Baltimore -6.5 / O/U 45.5 // Baltimore -285 / Cleveland +228
Why should you bet on the Browns?
The bright side for Cleveland, as they try to end a three-game skid, is that no team in the division is above .500, so they are still in contention. The Browns lead the league with 172 rushing yards per game, as Chubb is the top individual rusher with 649 yards and has scored seven times. The Ravens have figured out how to put the clamps on im in the past, though, as he has only averaged three yards per carry against the Ravens. We might also be seeing teams figure out Brissett, as he has only two touchdown passes against four interceptions during the losing streak.
The Browns’ defense was supposed to be a strength once again this season, but the unit has struggled, permitting 27.2 points per game (30th of 32 teams) and 361.3 yards per game (23rd). Injuries have played a part in this, as cornerback Denzel Ward is in the concussion protocol, and Jadeveon Clowney remains questionable. Even so, the Browns have the talent on the field to contain and harass Lamar Jackson so that he cannot cause problems.
Why should you put your money on the Ravens?
The Ravens have three losses so far in 2022, but in each of those losses, they have led by double figures. This continued on Sunday, when the Ravens went up, 20-10, on the Giants early in the fourth quarter, but Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley keyed the comeback. It didn’t help that Jackson forced a pass that got picked off with 3:40 remaining in regulation, which put the ball back in the hands of the New York offense.
That gave Jackson six interceptions on the season (against 13 touchdown passes). He has also run for 451 yards and two scores. Given the performance that Drake provided (and given the fact that J.K. Dobbins is back at full strength), it is high time for the Ravens’ offense to become more multidimensional and put the ball in the hands of other runners. The offensive failings late have led to fatigue on the defensive end – which has contributed to these comeback losses.
Final Score and Prediction
Cleveland has covered in four of their last five games coming after a double-digit loss at home, while the Ravens have just won once in their last six games against losing teams. I think the Browns can keep things close for a while, but I’m not sure that Stefanski has the patience to let the running game drive the rhythm for Cleveland if the Ravens get an early lead. I predict a final score of Baltimore 27, Cleveland 17.
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