The Baltimore Ravens’ pass rush unit could finally break free on Sunday. Pressures have come in bunches in 2026; sacks have not. In Week 6, they’ll have a chance to feast on Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson.
The Ravens rank tied for 20th in sacks with 10. Not horrible, but not great. Thankfully, the perfect get-right test is lying ahead.
On the other side of the field, the Browns have allowed the most sacks in the NFL with 19. That’s a pace for 64 sacks this year. For Watson, that’d be the sixth-most sacks taken in a single season in league history.
Throw in Trey Hendrickson’s impending return, and the perfect storm is brewing for Baltimore’s defensive front to find a rhythm. The matchups should be favorable, and hopefully sacks come rolling in.
Baltimore Ravens should be able to feast on Deshaun Watson in Week 6
The Ravens have a boatload of talented pieces along their defensive line. Trey Hendrickson, Mike Green, Tavius Robinson, and Zion Young are a fearsome four firing off the edge, and Nnamdi Madubuike, Travis Jones, and Calais Campbell are shaking off the rust in the middle.
There’s really no reason that group can’t finish top-10 in total sacks this season. Slow start or not, if they catch lightning in a bottle, look out. The Browns could be the catalyst that helps them find that strike of lightning.
Cleveland’s 19 sacks allowed is two more than the second-worst Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Chargers. That number is heavily inflated from the 8 sacks allowed to the New York Jets in Week 5, but even before then, the Browns were in the bottom 10.
And allowing 8 sacks and 13 QB hits to the Jets last week? It sounds like the Ravens are catching this Cleveland offense at the perfect time. Their offensive line has flashed, but inconsistency has been a major problem — the overhauled five-man front has had communication errors, too.
According to Pro Football Focus, that unit ranks 26th on their list following Week 5. Baltimore should definitely gain the upper hand.
Now, Deshaun Watson isn’t absolved of fault. In fact, much of last week’s sack avalanche falls on his shoulders. After that game, Todd Monken said Watson needs to get the ball out quicker, and highlighted where he thinks the veteran quarterback is going wrong.
“[Watson trying to do too much with his legs] is an athletic quarterback issue,” Monken said. “[Athletic quarterbacks] so used to being able to escape and make plays … So the hardest part is when you’ve got to get the ball out, you’ve got to mitigate the loss. Because for every big play you make, it can’t be offset with a sack.”
That’s a pretty important test for Baltimore, as well. They’ve struggled to contain quarterbacks in 2026, with the likes of Tyler Shough, Dak Prescott, and Cam Ward evading pressure and making plays outside the pocket.
Nothing is more agonizing than having a QB in your grasp and letting them off the hook.
If Watson wants to keep trying to escape pressure, though, the Ravens would welcome that challenge. Because it’s clearly not working. Baltimore also has the pieces to win the battle.
They have a dangerous interior defensive line, a physical edge setter in Tavius Robinson, and an elite pass rusher in Trey Hendrickson. If they’re all playing at their best, Watson could be given fits.
No one’s asking for 8 sacks like the Jets tallied in Week 5. But 3 to 5 seems realistic. Maybe this matchup can light the pass-rush group on fire.
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