5 Key matchups ahead of Browns vs Ravens in Week 8
The Cleveland Browns as you know them will look completely different on Sunday when they face their second straight rival, the Baltimore Ravens.
All-Pro guard Wyatt Teller looks to rejoin them this week (if not, next) after missing every game since week three. Halfway through the season and week eight may be the first time the Browns field their offensive line at full health.
The weapons have changed substantially as well. Legendary running back Nick Chubb has defied the odds again and has returned from the devastating knee injury he sustained in week two of last year. Wide receiver Amari Cooper was traded to the Buffalo Bills and in his place, Cedric Tillman took over.
Finally, the Deshaun Watson era unceremoniously came to an end last week and now former first-overall pick Jameis Winston will start at quarterback for the rest of the season.
The new-look Browns offense will not find time to gel on their own as they face off against the Ravens who’ve been an absolute road grader so far. But if the Browns want to shock the world, here are five matchups they must win.
Browns Defensive Line vs. Derrick Henry
Derrick Henry is a problem. In four of the last five weeks, Henry has cleared 130+ rushing yards and has scored eight times. He’s ripped off an explosive run in all but one game this year which includes two 80-yard rushes. He leads the league in rushing by over 200 yards.
Derrick Henry is a freight train.
The Browns have been adequate against the run. They rank 15th in rushing yards allowed per game but have had their most success against running backs this past week against the Bengals. Two weeks ago they limited Saquon Barkley to just 47 yards on 18 attempts. Prior to that however they gave up back-to-back 120+ running back yards to the Washington Commanders and Las Vegas Raiders.
Which version of run defense we’ll see from Cleveland has yet to be seen but they’re at risk of getting run over if they don’t play their absolute best.
David Njoku and Nick Chubb vs. Kyle Hamilton and Roquan Smith
Double trouble! Both teams feature a dynamic pair in the center of the field on either side of the ball. David Njoku had his season breakout last week and is now going to be relied upon to be the team's more reliable pass catcher. Nick Chubb can take pressure off him if he can return mostly to form sooner than later with the threat of a ground game.
The Ravens feature two players who cover a lot of field and have the IQ to know where to be. Roquan Smith has been one of the league's best midfielders for some time now and has been truly unlocked by the defensive coaching. Kyle Hamilton is one of the young stars in the league and has given Baltimore ultimate versatility on the back end of their defense.
It’s unfair to put so much expectation on Nick Chubb this early in his return but the Browns no longer have the time remaining to drop many more games. The Browns duo getting the better of the Ravens is the main ingredient of a potential upset.
Browns Secondary vs. Lamar Jackson
If there's an area where the Browns can win the day against a MVP candidate then it's probably here. The matchups themselves favor the Browns with only Zay Flowers as a legit outside threat, though they must be cautious to not let Rashod Bateman rip off a big play either. Otherwise, the Ravens' passing attack has shifted toward the middle of the field with their tight ends.
Lamar Jackson has been on fire to start the season regardless of who the ball is going to. He's already thrown 15 touchdowns to just two interceptions and is on pace to set his career high in passing yards. That's despite being the Ravens being the league leader in rushing.
The Browns have had success suppressing quarterbacks so far though. They have yet to allow a 300+ yard performance and have only let up 250+ yards once, and most recently held Joe Burrow to just 181 yards. However, the Browns have only picked off a quarterback once so far, meaning a takeaway is more likely to come on the ground through the air. Making sure the passing game doesn't take off will go a long way toward keeping the run game in check.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah vs. Lamar Jackson
I haven’t mentioned Owusu-Koramoah in a couple of weeks but that had nothing to do with his own play. If he’s going under the radar then it’s because he’s playing at such a consistently high level that it has become commonplace for him. Now, even though he’s already faced off against high-caliber mobile quarterbacks such as Jalen Hurts and Jayden Daniels, he’ll be partially responsible for an entirely different beast in Lamar Jackson on Sunday.
Keeping an eye on Derrick Henry in the backfield is one thing, but to have to keep your passing lanes cleared, gap-covered, and ready to take off and chase Lamar Jackson at any time is another. Jackson is currently sitting at 445 yards rushing through seven games which would put him on pace for 1,105 over an entire season. The Browns meanwhile have been solid against rushing quarterbacks, only giving up 20 yards on the ground to Daniel Jones and 33 to Jalen Hurts, but Jayden Daniels chunked them for 84.
They have yet to allow a quarterback to get into the endzone themself but that'll surely be tested this week.
Myles Garrett vs. Lamar Jackson
Are we noticing a trend? It's simply what has to happen when you're facing an MVP-level player who is as multi-faceted as Lamar Jackson is. You must stop the pass, the run from him and others, and put an immense amount of pressure to make him uncomfortable.
While stopping him completely is almost impossible, there is an area that the Browns can disrupt. Jackson has taken nine sacks thus far and more importantly, has fumbled five times. Myles Garrett has played through the pain and continues to wreck havoc most weeks and they'll need it more than ever now against this offense. Equally as important will be to keep gap integrity while rushing the passer, another area where Jackson puts defenders in a bind. Garrett is a very capable run defender and has the twitch and athleticism to keep Jackson in check before he can break the pocket, but it'll take his best effort yet to do it consistently at a high level all game.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 5 Key matchups ahead of Browns vs Ravens in Week 8