The Baltimore Ravens have been on a mission since their bye in Week 7. After a 1-5 start, they have rattled off three straight wins, and own a record 4-5 heading into their Week 11 meeting with the Cleveland Browns.
The Ravens took care of the Browns in blowout fashion earlier in the year, defeating their AFC North rival 41-17 in their Week 2 showdown. Still, divisional games never come easy, and Baltimore has definitely had their struggles against them in recent years.
When it comes to games in Cleveland, the Ravens have lost three of their last four. The fans at Huntington Bank Field are loud and relentless, and it clearly has an effect on the game.
Those three losses have been ugly. Last year, Baltimore had countless opportunities to seal the win in their Week 8 game in Cleveland, but fumbled away countless chances. They won there in 2023, but in 2022 and 2021, they came up short in each of their road matchups.
Regardless, the Ravens’ troubles in Cleveland are the last thing on their minds heading into this pivotal clash. When asked about it on Wednesday, versatile safety Kyle Hamilton highlighted that the team is just focused on winning the football game.
“I actually didn’t know [about our recent record in Cleveland],” Hamilton said. “Each game is mutually exclusive…Nobody’s been talking about it, we’ve just gotta go win a game.”
The difference between those losses and this upcoming week, though, is the health of quarterback Lamar Jackson and a transformed defense.
Ravens face opportunity to end Cleveland curse on Sunday
Last year, the Ravens were running out one of the worst defenses in the league by the time they traveled to Cleveland to take on the Browns. They were able to turn around those defensive struggles later in the year, and it has been a similar story this year. This time, though, it appears Baltimore has already completed its defensive transformation.
Offensively, quarterback Tyler Huntley was the starter in the team’s losses in 2022 and 2021. In 2022, Jackson was out due to a PCL sprain. In 2021, he started the game but was ruled out after sustaining an ankle sprain in the second quarter.
Jackson’s health could be in question for yet another trip to Cleveland. He was missing from Baltimore’s practice on Wednesday due to knee soreness, but Head Coach John Harbaugh mentioned that the two-time MVP is expected to be ready for Sunday and could be back on Thursday.
Despite the vast difference in records between the two teams, it should be an interesting matchup. Cleveland’s defense is one of the best in the NFL, and Baltimore has been a well-oiled machine over their past few games. While it is not a must-win matchup now since the Ravens sit just one game out of the AFC North, it is a game they should win and take advantage of ahead of key games with the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers later in the year.