Ravens Week Two: Five Things To Watch For Against The Browns
By Ronny Hurd
Sep 8, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden warms up before the game against the Miami Dolphins at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Coming off a disappointing week one loss against the Denver Broncos, the Super Bowl Champ Ravens look to bounce back in week two against the Cleveland Browns.
While the Browns have never been labeled as one of the leagues upper echelon teams, they are only going up from here and should not be looked at as cake walk.
The Browns should be looked at, like every other team in the NFL, as another team trying to stop the Ravens from becoming repeating champions.
Here are five things to watch for against the Cleveland Browns:
Containing Jordan Cameron:
Jordan Cameron is easily one of the leagues young and upcoming tight ends. He was also one of the very few bright spots for a Cleveland Browns team that struggled in last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins, catching nine balls for 108 yards and a touchdown.
The Ravens have a history of not being able to contain young and upcoming tight ends, dating back to last week’s game against the Denver Broncos. The Broncos young and upcoming tight end Julius Thomas only caught the ball five times for a staggering 110 yards, and also had two touchdowns.
The Ravens Defense:
The Ravens defense allowed Peyton Manning to throw seven touchdowns in week one. You cannot really pin-point who is to blame for on the defense since it was from little bit of every position on the field. The defensive line and linebackers didn’t do their job with providing the necessary pressure on Manning, and the secondary was beaten on almost every play.
This game today against the Browns, should present the Ravens defense with a great opportunity to redeem themselves from last weeks awful showing.
Second Year Trent Richardson:
The consensus around the league is that this is the year Trent Richardson will break out and emerge as one of the leagues elite running backs. He didn’t really do too much to make that case in last weeks game against the Miami Dolphins, but that could all change in today’s game against a struggling Ravens defense from last week.
Will Anyone Step Up At Tight End For The Ravens?
The Tight end group was a bit of a disappointment for the Ravens last week. Ed Dickson didn’t perform the way everyone expected him to do, and Dallas Clark looked like he was on the cusp of being release at any moment after dropping a couple of critical balls thrown to him.
Life Without Jacoby Jones:
Today’s game against the Browns will be the first, of a few, weeks without Jacoby Jones. While he isn’t a huge presence on offense for the Ravens, he will certainly be missed for his returning abilities on special teams.