TLDR: Baltimore has won 3 straight and just took one from Atlanta without its MVP quarterback. The biggest question for Sunday's AFC North game in Cleveland is whether Lamar Jackson's sprained ankle lets him play in it.
Baltimore comes to Cleveland at 4-1 and on a 3-game win streak, and Lamar Jackson is pushing to return from an ankle sprain after Tyler Huntley won in Atlanta without him. The Browns are 3-2 and banged up after the loss to the Jets: Judkins and Schwesinger left in walking boots, the offensive line is thin, and Watson was sacked 8 times. The game likely comes down to whether Cleveland can protect Watson and whether Jackson is back. Baltimore opened as the road favorite.
+Won 3 straight one-score games before the Jets loss
+Dry home forecast after the rain game
−Watson sacked 8 times by the Jets
−Judkins left in a walking boot; Sanders hip
−Line missing Brailsford and Teven Jenkins; Howard's knee
Jackson sprained the ankle in the 24-18 win over Tennessee and was ruled out for the Falcons game. According to Ian Rapoport, his goal is to be back for Cleveland, and several people around the situation think he will be. Nobody has confirmed it yet, and nothing will be settled until the injury report firms up late in the week. Tyler Huntley filled in during the second half against the Titans and then got the start in Atlanta, where the Ravens won 30-23. That gives Baltimore a real floor at quarterback even if Jackson sits. Cleveland's side is simpler and shakier. Deshaun Watson is the starter with Dillon Gabriel on IR with a back injury, and Watson went 15-of-33 for 155 yards and a touchdown in the 17-12 loss to the Jets. He also lost a fumble and ran 6 times for 40 yards.
That Jets game also left Cleveland with a lot of injuries. Quinshon Judkins and Carson Schwesinger both left the stadium in walking boots, Judkins with a right foot injury that the team hadn't formally updated. KC Concepcion went into the concussion protocol, and Raheim Sanders (hip) and Tytus Howard (knee) were both questionable to return. That's before you count an offensive line that already had Teven Jenkins and Parker Brailsford inactive. If Judkins and Sanders are both limited, Cleveland's running game is down to whoever is left. Baltimore isn't fully healthy either. Cam Jurgens and Andrew Vorhees were both inactive in Atlanta, which leaves holes in the interior of the line, and Trey Hendrickson remains out.
The Ravens have scored at least 30 points in 3 of their 5 games, and the only loss was a 24-17 home game against New Orleans. They've also given up at least 23 points in 4 of those 5, so the defense hasn't been locking anyone down. The Browns have been winning close. They beat Tampa Bay, Carolina and Pittsburgh by 4, 3 and 3 points before that run ended against the Jets, when a high snap on a punt in the rain set up New York's winning touchdown with 3:01 left.
The number that should worry Cleveland is 8. That's how many sacks Watson took against the Jets, who pressured him on 69.6% of dropbacks and blitzed on more than half of them. "As long as I'm here, I hope we never give up eight sacks again," Todd Monken said, putting the blame on everyone: "coaching, playing, getting the ball out." Their line was already missing its center and a guard, and now Howard's knee is in question too. Baltimore's pass rush is without Hendrickson, so how much pressure it can generate on its own is one of the more interesting matchups of the week.
Weather shouldn't be a factor this time. The early forecast for Huntington Bank Field is 45 degrees, mostly sunny, with an 8 mph wind and a 4% chance of rain, a lot drier than the soaked game in New Jersey. Kickoff is 1:00 PM ET on Sunday, October 18. Cleveland's defense has held 3 of its 5 opponents under 20 points and kept the Jets to 17 even with the offense going nowhere, so the Browns can keep this close. To win it, Watson has to get the ball out faster, and whoever is healthy at running back has to give them a reason to stay balanced.
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns — Lamar's Ankle Hangs Over Ravens' Trip To Cleveland | Polymarket Odds · Barstool Bush
