NFL Game of the Week: Ravens vs. Browns

It is halfway through the NFL season and the Baltimore Ravens have been one of the hottest teams yet. The Ravens are sitting pretty with a 7-2 record, are tied with the Chiefs for first place in the AFC and stand alone atop the AFC North, comfortably.

This has all come thanks to the Raven's strong ground game. More specifically, Gus Edwards. Yeah, you read that right. Gus Edwards. Edwards is tied for third place in the league with seven rushing touchdowns. Edwards was quiet at first but has since picked it up, scoring six times in the last three games. Edward’s recent success is very positive and much needed for Ravens fans. Since he joined the team in 2018 this is the best season he has had so far and the most consistent workload he has received.

The Raven’s strong run game has also been accompanied by one of the best pass defenses in the league. The Ravens lead the NFL in sacks with 35, have the least amount of passing touchdowns given up with only six and have given the least amount of yards on completed passes with 4.6. To top it all off, Raven’s safety Geno Stone leads the NFL with six interceptions with five of them coming in the last six games.

The Ravens now turn their sights to one of their biggest matchups all year. The Ravens get to host their division rival the Cleveland Browns on Nov 12 in Baltimore. The Browns are also sitting pretty, currently being ranked as the No.10 team in the NFL. While holding a 5-3 record and are in a three-way tie for second place in the AFC North.

There will be tons of playoff implications on the line come Sunday. As of right now, the Ravens currently hold the second seed, while Cleveland holds the sixth seed and both are separated by another division rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers who have the five.

The Browns have also been playing pretty well defensively so far this season. The Browns come into this game with the lowest offensive completion percentage from defenses at 55.4%. They also have the lowest total number of offensive passing yards allowed at 1160. The Browns also have this guy Myles Garrett who is pretty good at football. Garrett has 9.5 sacks, 25 total tackles, two pass deflections and has forced four fumbles. All despite missing one game of the season. Many have him as the favorite to win his first Defensive Player of the Year Award.

The Browns are also a very good team in the trenches. They average 144.1 rushing yards per game which is the third most in the league. Kareem Hunt is not putting up insane stats but has found the endzone five times while only playing five games. The workload is being split among Hunt, Jerome Ford and Nick Chubb.

Despite everything, it’ll most likely be an AFC North defensive battle that comes down to the last snap in Baltimore.

Nico Rodriguez is a second-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email nfr5245@psu.edu.