No player on the Baltimore Ravens’ roster needs a fresh start quite like Mark Andrews does. He’s coming off one of the worst games of his career in Week 5 — drops on a potential touchdown and two-point conversion, and a fumble that led to six points, threatened to single-handedly lose Baltimore a game they were fortunate to win.
Thankfully, he gets a prime opportunity to bounce back. Andrews has the Cleveland Browns number. He might even own some property in that stadium.
In 16 career games against the Browns, Andrews has recorded 63 receptions, 789 yards, and 12 total touchdowns. He also has 41 rushing yards, including that memorable 35-yard back-breaking touchdown run last year.
If there’s any time for Andrews to look like his former Pro Bowl self, Week 6 is it. It has to be.
Mark Andrews needs to look more like his old self in Week 6
When the Ravens extended Mark Andrews on a three-year, $39.3 million contract last year, they took a risk. They were banking on the 31-year-old putting the injuries behind him and returning to the consistent playmaker fans grew to love. To make it an even bigger risk, the deal resulted in Isaiah Likely and Charlie Kolar departing. And so far, Andrews hasn’t been worth it.
Andrews looked decent to start the season. His 22 receptions for 177 yards and a touchdown don’t jump off the page, but he’s helped the offense keep the chains moving and does his part as a blocker. Unfortunately, the drops and issues in the big games under the lights have been a constant theme.
Andrews can’t have critical drops that take points off the board or gift-wrap the opponent points off turnovers again. Tyler Huntley is starting after all. While Baltimore earned a comeback win with Huntley under center last week, Cleveland is a tough crowd to play in front of — the Ravens own a 3-3 record on the road vs. the Browns.
If Andrews remains an unreliable threat and makes errors, the momentum and energy can shift in an instant. The team needs that version of Andrews who dominates Cleveland.
He might not do much damage in the yards department anymore, and his ability after the catch has clearly taken a hit with injuries and age. However, he can still be a dependable face to keep drives moving and find success in the red zone.
Andrews has 12 touchdowns against the Browns and 58 career touchdowns for a reason. He has a knack for finding soft spots in the end zone.
Cleveland also isn’t perfect when covering tight ends. They rank 14th in the NFL with 53.8 receiving yards allowed to tight ends per game. Their defense has also allowed 3 touchdowns to tight ends through five games.
And with Matt Hibner out, the stage is set for Andrews. He becomes an even more imperative part of the receiving game. Josh Cuevas may get more opportunities, but he still needs to prove himself. Andrews needs to be the trustworthy security blanket on Sunday.
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