The Baltimore Ravens open the season with the Cleveland Browns. Here is the three things you need to watch for:
Though it seemed impossible throughout much of the off-season, the wait is finally over and the Baltimore Ravens are officially back. And though it will be a season opener unlike any other before it, that has done little to quell the storm of Ravens fans chomping at the bit to see their favorite team return to the gridiron.
First up for the 2020 Ravens is an AFC North match up with the Cleveland Browns in front of an empty M&T Bank Stadium. What promised to be a raucous crowd for the opener will have to wait for another week as the Ravens have not yet been given the green light to allow any fans at their games at this point in the wild and wacky year of 2020.
This offseason also saw the Ravens play in no preseason games and have a limited number of practices during their offseason program as the corona virus continues to impact the Ravens and the nation as a whole. This could have played a factor in the Ravens streak of having an undrafted rookie free agent make their 53-man roster ending this summer as well.
The Ravens and the Browns will take the field Sunday at 1:00 pm beginning what many Ravens fans hope will be a season long journey to the team’s third Lombardi Trophy. Both teams have made some changes this off-season but many of the usual suspects remain on each side of this rivalry.
So here are the three things I am watching for as the Ravens take on the Browns in the 2020 season opener.
1) Ravens revamped rushing defense
Why would a team that finished fifth in the NFL in rushing defense allowing just 93.4 yards per game need to revamp their rushing defense? The obvious answer is what occurred on that fateful 1/11/2020 night that saw the 14-2 Ravens succumb to the Wild Card Tennessee Titans in a 28-12 embarrassment.
For those of you that don’t know or have chosen to forget what happened that night, here are the realities: Derrick Henry torched the Ravens defense for 195 rushing yards on 30 carries. And while Earl Thomas isn’t around to shove to the ground anymore, it was clear and obvious that the Ravens needed to fortify their defensive front heading into the 2020 season.
Enter Calais Campbell. Elite run stuffer and pass rusher, added to the fray because the Jacksonville Jaguars are tanking like an M1A2 SEP (It’s a tank). He projects to solve some of the Ravens issues with their run defense but he doesn’t arrive alone. The Ravens signed pass rusher Derek Wolfe who is an above average run defender as well. They join Brandon Williams to form one of the better defensive fronts in the NFL.
The Ravens weren’t done fixing their front seven though as the draft saw them enhance the unit as well. 28th overall selection ILB (Inside linebacker) Patrick Queen projects to start from day alongside of LJ Fort who did a nice job after joining the Ravens off the streets last year. The Ravens also drafted ILB Malik Harrison who will compete to earn more snaps as the season goes along and DT’s (defensive tackles) Broderick Washington and Justin Madubuike. The Ravens have done a great a job addressing this need.
But I am a show me guy and what a first test for the Ravens new defensive front in the RB duo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt and a much improved Browns offensive line. Chubb had 20 carries for 165 yards and three touchdowns in the Browns Week Four 40-25 win over the Ravens in Baltimore last year and has emerged as one of the NFL’S best backs. Hunt could likely start for 80% of NFL teams as well. The Browns also added 10th overall pick LT Jedrick Wills and prized free agent RT Jack Conklin to join an offensive line that already boasts Pro Bowler Joel Bitonio and steady veteran JC Tretter.
Sign me up for this match up.