Ravens week 5 scouting report: A look at the Cleveland Browns

The Ravens are about to take on the Cleveland Browns:

The Ravens next opponent is quite interesting. The Browns are coming off a 45-42 loss to the Oakland Raiders. This was a game where the improvements the Browns made were very evident, but they still lost in Browns fashion. The Browns had an eight point lead and the ball with over two minutes on the clock and they still lost. They gave up over 400 passing yards to the Raiders, while Marshawn Lynch rumbled for over 100 yards. The Browns defense was up and down in this game, but the end result wasn’t good for Cleveland.

The Browns are in the process of hoping for the first time in a long time. Baker Mayfield is still a rookie, but he’s easily the best quarterback Cleveland has had for a very long time. Mayfield has given the Browns a new energy. The Cleveland crowd is always hostile to the Ravens, but this game should see the Browns’ stadium rocking like never before. The Ravens are going into a very loud crowd, but they just tamed Heinz Field.

Baltimore has an unbelievable amount of confidence after beating the Steelers in Pittsburgh. In years past this would be a prime candidate for a let down game, but it’s hard to see this year’s team doing that. These two teams are very familiar with one another but both teams are quite different than they were last year. Let’s break down what the Browns look like, based on their performance against the Raiders.

When the Browns are on offense:

Baker Mayfield makes the Browns a different team. The Browns have some weapons for Mayfield to work with. Antonio Callaway is a constant concern as a deep threat. The Ravens have to be physical with Callaway at the line of scrimmage to knock off his timing. They also must contest the catches. Callaway had some drops last Sunday. Jarvis Landry is one of the most productive receivers in the NFL and David Njoku is a legitimate threat at the tight end position.

Mayfield is a rookie quarterback but he has traits that don’t make that obvious. He has a quick release, accuracy and he sees the field really well. He will however force some throws, he has more confidence than he should sometimes. Don Martindale should have his secondary bait Mayfield into some throws that he’ll want back.

The Ravens have to pressure Mayfield responsibly. They can’t give him all day to throw, but they can’t let a quick triggered quarterback have match up advantages down the field. The defensive line has to get their hands up. The Oakland Raiders were able to tip some of Mayfield’s passes. Tipped passes can lead to turnovers and turnovers can win games.

The Browns offense can throw some clever things at you. When Jarvis Landry lines up as a running back, it’s probably going to be a pass to Landry. Another thing they did well was having Duke Johnson catch a big pass on a wheel route. Mayfield looked at his three receivers on the other side of the field and slyly hit Johnson for a first down.

The key to everything with the Browns is the running game. The key to stopping the run is to not allow their running backs to get a full head of steam. When the Browns backs get some momentum, they are dangerous runners. This is especially true of Nick Chubb who had a couple huge runs against the Oakland Raiders. On his 63 yard touchdown, the Browns pulled a guard and a tight end and blasted a rushing lane open. The Ravens defensive front has to read their keys and make plays in the backfield. Baltimore must own the line of scrimmage.