The Cleveland Browns will have to have one of their most complete games of the season when they face off with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Cleveland Browns have a tall order ahead of them. The Baltimore Ravens may not have as good of a record as the Browns, but some still see them as the better team. Frankly, that Raven defense is as violent as ever but is it as good as ever? That’s going to be the question posed by the Browns on Monday night.
The Browns are going to have to show up in primetime. The Ravens, while stumbling, are still capable of beating a good team. The Browns, who have handled top defenses before in the Washington Football Team and the Indianapolis Colts, will need to really showcase what they’re capable of against the Ravens. It won’t be easy, but it is necessary.
These are the three players who need to step up against the Ravens.
Porter Gustin
The Browns are going to be lucky to get back Porter Gustin. While not the dynamic pass rusher that Myles Garrett is, what Gustin does well is contain the edge. He’s long and strong, allowing him to ride all the way out to the flats in order to contain running backs. That’s going to be a needed skill against the Ravens. While Lamar Jackson is a threat to run every which direction, keeping the edge contain allows the defense to funnel Jackson to where they want him to go.
This is aided by the fact that the offensive line isn’t great in Baltimore. Injuries, retirements, and under-performing players have really affected the team. Gustin could make the Ravens hurt if they’re not able to move him off the block.
Myles Garrett
Obviously, right? The defense doesn’t have anyone fast enough to spy on Lamar Jackson. They don’t have anyone skilled enough to match up one on one and stick to him like a fly. So instead you’re going to want to keep Myles Garrett near Lamar Jackson as much as possible.
The problem with that is that Jackson isn’t a lateral runner. See some quarterbacks will run for the boundary and then turn upfield. That’s what Michael Vick and Josh Allen do, they just try to beat a guy to the edge, and if/when they do, that’s when they go lateral. That’s not what Jackson does. Very similar to Cam Newton, Jackson will find any hole and go for it. Turning upfield extremely fast.
That’s when he has time to let things develop, however.
As mentioned before, the Ravens offensive line is not very good and they’re not the same running team they used to be. That means Jackson isn’t getting time to let things develop around him. That means the Browns can get to Jackson. Especially if Garrett isn’t the only one getting depth.
The Browns are going to need to scheme Garrett to high heaven. We’re not just talking bull rushing or cutting inside with a rip move. We’re talking about letting him take one step back and letting Garrett spy every so often. That’s only if the Browns can get pressure on Jackson without Garrett. If Porter Gustin, Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, and others can actually get pressure on Jackson, you can afford to drop Garrett back into coverage. Since Jackson likes going with shorter throws, the flats are going to be where he throws a lot of the time. If you can surprise Jackson once or twice with Garrett leaping up at the line of scrimmage then you might just be able to get a pick or two.
Baker Mayfield
This will be a huge test for Baker Mayfield. As a quarterback, Mayfield has finally silenced a lot of the critics, but they can come back just as loud as they were before if he plays below his expectations against the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens defense isn’t built around one, two, or three dynamic players like they used to be. Instead, the team is built around more schemes and stunts.
This may seem like it’d be an easier situation for Mayfield to thrive in but it’s just the opposite. Instead of trying to gameplan for an Ed Reed or Ray Lewis type, instead, you have to worry about everyone. In years past the Ravens defense would have two or three Hall of Famers, one or two fringe Pro Bowlers, and then a bunch of cheap options scattered about.
Now they have five, maybe even six or seven fringe Pro Bowl players. On their own, they’re not scary but together they can be truly hard to handle.
Mayfield is going to have to have a huge game if the Browns are going to win. Not just that, but he’s going to have to use his feet to extend plays. Head coach Kevin Stefanski will also need to call faster plays as well, to help offset the blitzes. Two and three-step drops should be the order of the day.
At least until you established the running game.