The Baltimore Ravens are projected to be a Super Bowl contender with arguably the deepest roster in the league, and it would surprise no one if the Cleveland Browns earned the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. As such, Baltimore's Week 2 41-17 demolition after a heartbreaking opening night loss went about as everyone expected.
What made this win a bit sweeter than most triumphs over an AFC North foe was the fact that Cleveland was so chatty in the lead-up to this game. Between Jerry Jeudy saying the secondary did not pose a challenge and Grant Delpit downplaying Derrick Henry's quality, the Browns were basically asking for this one.
Even with Cleveland spiraling at 0-2 in a year that many see as a complete waste before a new regime takes over, the Browns seem to believe that they're capable of hanging with Baltimore atop the AFC. Jeudy didn't have much of an impact on Sunday, but that didn't stop him from poking the bear.
Jeudy, who caught four passes for 51 yards in this game, told those critical of his performance to "watch the film" and get back to him. Even in defeat, the Browns seem unwilling to admit that their rivals to the southeast convincingly got the better of them in this matchup.
Jerry Jeudy is in complete denial after Ravens dominate Browns
Jeudy hasn't even performed like a No. 1 receiving option in Cleveland, as rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has more catches and Cedric Tillman has two touchdowns in as many games. Even on film, Jeudy's slow start to the 2025 season is apparent.
While a much-hyped Ravens secondary was beaten up by Josh Allen in Week 1, their performance against Cleveland made them look like the unit many thought they would be at their peak. If Nate Wiggins keeps ascending from good to great and Malaki Starks adjust, this secondary might be nigh unbeatable.
It's OK to lose games. It's OK to start out 0-2. The Ravens did the same thing last year before rebounding in such a dominant way before the end of the season. The difference between these two teams, however, is the fact that Baltimore wasn't so openly delusional about their performance in these first few games.
With the Browns' schedule only getting harder from here on out, time will tell if Jeudy's claims about his true productivity being found in the film hold true.