My Take on Ravens/Browns on Sunday

The Ravens will begin their three game road trip.  On Sunday, they travel to Cleveland and to take on the Browns.  In order for the Ravens to be successful, here is what they need to do:

Pressure Derek Anderson: During Week 2, the Ravens did a fantastic job of pressuring Derek Anderson and forcing him to make bad decisions. The last time Anderson faced the Ravens defense, he completed a dismal 14 out of 32 pass attempts for only 125 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Stop Jamal Lewis: Just like the Ravens defense stopped former Ravens all pro running back Jamal Lewis in Week 2, they will need to do the same thing.  After getting off to a shaky start, the 2003 Offensive Player of the Year has steadily improved his numbers, but has yet to break of a 100 yard game.  Lewis rushed for only 58 yards against the Ravens in Week 2.

Keep Flacco’s Jersey Clean: The Browns front four and linebackers have done very good at getting to the quarterback and putting some pressure on him.  Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco, just like any other quarterback, does not fair well when there is pressure in his face. Browns DT Shaun Rodgers and rookie Alex Smith will look to put Flacco on his back.

No Mistakes: Some of this is redundant.  Flacco, stay cool in the pocket and McGahee HOLD ON TO THE BALL!

A Heavy Dose of the Three Headed Monster: Thanks to some key turnovers by the Ravens defense, Willis McGahee, Le’Ron McClain, and Ray Rice had a tremendous day.  To go along with their 131 yards on the ground, they accounted for three Ravens touchdowns.

This game will come to which quarterback makes the fewest mistakes.  While Anderson threw two interceptions in Week 2, Flacco also threw two.  However, when the Ravens made those turnover, the offense capitalized on those mistakes and turned them into touchdowns.

The Browns have improved significantly from their 0-3 start and their defense has shown that they can force turnovers by getting pressure on the quarterback. The truth is thought, when I look at the defensive rankings, I see the Ravens at the top of the list and the Browns, not quite at the top. The Ravens defense is still the best in the league and will get that much needed pressure on Anderson because when he gets pressure on him, it’s a disaster for the Browns.  Jamal will not rush for over 100 yards against our defense either. Flacco is MUCH improved as he gets more and more playing time and is establishing himself as a very versatile quarterback.

Look for another big day from the Three Headed Monster, over 150 yards, and a very solid performance from Joe Flacco managing the game and not making too many costly mistakes.  The defense will have another big game and will leave the Pound Puppies in the dog house and out of the hunt for the AFC North Division Championship and once again prove that the Browns are all hype.

Ravens 17         Browns 6

Fun Fact: This photo was taken back in 2004 during the Sunday Night game when the Ravens debuted their kick ass black uniforms.  In that game, Ravens safety Ed Reed picked off Browns quarterback Jeff Garcia (seen in the background with his head down) in the endzone and returned the interception an NFL record 106 yards for a touchdown.  The Ravens won that game 27-13 and Reed went on to win his first NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.