The Baltimore Ravens are by far the biggest betting favorite of the Week 2 slate. Oddsmakers expect them to bounce back emphatically following a frustrating regular-season opening fourth-quarter meltdown loss to the Buffalo Bills. Yet, a member of the opposing team is doing the talking, setting himself up for a rude awakening.
Cleveland Browns Pro Bowl wide receiver Jerry Jeudy spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of their upcoming divisional clash with the Ravens. He was asked about the problems Baltimore's secondary presents. The response was short, but not sweet, taking a clear jab at the two-time reigning AFC North champions that could age quite poorly.
"No challenges," Jeudy told reporters as he nodded his head and nonchalantly moved to the next question.
Browns WR Jerry Jeudy hands Ravens extra motivation they didn't need for Week 2
Jeudy is a talented player who's earned the right to speak confidently and ostensibly has confidence in his Browns teammates. However, the 26-year-old may be biting off more than he can chew here. The Ravens are already a daunting matchup, boasting one of the premier defensive backfields in the NFL, if not the best.
You'd think the back end of the Ravens' defense was an area of weakness based on the raw counting stats from 2024. They allowed the second-most yards per game (244.1), though that was largely a product of their foes constantly trailing and having to play catch-up. But looking under the hood, Baltimore ranked in the top half of the league in net yards per pass attempt and passer rating.
Baltimore already had a group headlined by a pair of All-Pros, Marlon Humphrey and Kyle Hamilton, and a budding second-year pro in Nate Wiggins. The offseason acquisitions of veteran Jaire Alexander and first-round safety Malaki Starks present even more star power. In case the aforementioned trio wasn't enough for Jeudy.
Coming off an excruciatingly painful self-inflicted defeat, the Ravens figure to come eager to avenge themselves. They're going to come out for blood, ready to exercise the demons that continue to haunt them in Buffalo. Jeudy is poking a bear that's freshly riled up; what is he thinking?
Across two contests against the Ravens last season, Jeudy caught 11 of his 21 targets for 142 scoreless yards. How he fares after calling out Humphrey, Hamilton and Co. will be one of the more intriguing games within the game.