{"id":254668,"date":"2025-11-15T21:27:39","date_gmt":"2025-11-16T02:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=254668"},"modified":"2025-12-01T09:00:48","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T14:00:48","slug":"browns-ravens-ii-elite-defense-broken-offense-and-the-only-path-to-an-upset","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2025\/11\/15\/browns-ravens-ii-elite-defense-broken-offense-and-the-only-path-to-an-upset\/","title":{"rendered":"Browns\u2013Ravens II: Elite Defense, Broken Offense, and the Only Path to an Upset"},"content":{"rendered":"

Browns\u2013Ravens II: Elite Defense, Broken Offense, and the Only Path to an Upset<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Browns and Ravens meet for the 54th time on Sunday, with Baltimore leading the series 38\u201315, but the last eight split evenly. Cleveland enters the rematch under intense pressure. Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry face a home crowd frustrated by a season in which an elite defense has been wasted by offensive dysfunction and special-teams catastrophes. Baltimore, meanwhile, arrives with Lamar Jackson, a deep roster, and the organizational steadiness Cleveland desperately wants but hasn\u2019t matched.<\/p>\n

If the Browns are going to steal this one, their defense must again limit Lamar Jackson and dominate Derrick Henry\u2014and the offense must stop dragging the entire operation underwater. That starts with addressing the Dillon Gabriel problem.<\/p>\n

\n

The Heat on Stefanski & Berry<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A home loss marked by offensive stalls or another special-teams meltdown will supercharge the hot seat conversation.<\/p>\n

What cools the temperature:<\/strong>
\u2022 Replicating Week 2\u2019s run defense (45 Ravens rushing yards; Derrick Henry held to 23 on 11 carries)
\u2022 Avoiding catastrophic field-flipping mistakes\u2014no turnovers, no special-teams implosions
\u2022 Making a real decision at quarterback if Gabriel sputters again\u2014Cleveland fans are already calling for \u201cSuperman\u201d Shedeur Sanders<\/p>\n

\n

What Really Happened in Week 2<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Baltimore\u2019s 41\u201317 win in September looked like a blowout, but the game remained competitive until Cleveland imploded late.<\/p>\n

Score flow:<\/strong>
10\u20133 at halftime, 20\u201310 after three quarters, and still within reach before a fourth-quarter avalanche.<\/p>\n

Despite the final margin, Cleveland out-rushed Baltimore 115\u201345<\/strong>, smothered Derrick Henry, and forced Baltimore into long fields. Lamar Jackson was outstanding\u2014225 yards and four touchdowns\u2014but the Ravens didn\u2019t dominate the trenches. They simply capitalized on Cleveland\u2019s mistakes.<\/p>\n

The \u201cHidden 21\u201d: Gifts to Baltimore<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2022 Third-quarter INT \u2192 TD
\u2022 Strip-sack \u2192 63-yard scoop-and-score
\u2022 Blocked punt \u2192 short-field TD<\/p>\n

Baltimore earned roughly 20 points; Cleveland handed them 21.<\/p>\n

\n

The Jets Game: 36 Seconds That Defined a Season<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Last week, the Browns went from a potential 14\u20130 lead to a deficit in 36 seconds<\/strong>:
\u2022 99-yard kickoff return TD
\u2022 74-yard punt return TD<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t a fluke. It\u2019s been a recurring disaster under special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone.<\/p>\n

\n

Where Cleveland Actually Stands<\/strong><\/h2>\n

This is a playoff-caliber defense trapped inside a 2\u20137 record.<\/p>\n

Defensive Ranks (ESPN):<\/strong>
\u2022 264.9 yards allowed \u2014 2nd<\/strong>
\u2022 167.0 pass yards allowed \u2014 2nd<\/strong>
\u2022 97.9 rush yards allowed \u2014 10th<\/strong>
\u2022 27 sacks \u2014 T-7th<\/strong>
\u2022 +1 turnover differential<\/p>\n

Their official 23.7 points per game allowed is inflated by non-defensive scores. Remove the Ravens\u2019 14 from turnovers and the Jets\u2019 14 from special teams, and the adjusted 20.6 ppg<\/strong> allowed puts them even with the 8\u20132 Colts.<\/p>\n

This is an elite defensive unit being squandered<\/strong>. With even a middle-of-the-pack offense, their record would look like Indianapolis or New England at 8\u20132.<\/p>\n

\n

Star Power<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Myles Garrett remains the best defensive player in football, but Cleveland is stacked elsewhere: DT Maliek Collins, CB Denzel Ward, S Grant Delpit<\/a>, and DROY frontrunner MLB Carson Schwesinger are all playing at All-Pro or Pro Bowl levels.<\/p>\n

Garrett vs. Lamar: A Real Rivalry<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Garrett has been uniquely effective against Lamar Jackson:
\u2022 8.5 sacks<\/strong> on Lamar in career meetings
\u2022 1.5 sacks<\/strong> in Week 2
\u2022 10 total<\/strong> sacks vs. the Ravens<\/p>\n

Even while calling Lamar the toughest QB in the league to sack, Garrett keeps finding him. Cleveland can generate pressure with four while maintaining rush-lane discipline\u2014critical in this matchup.<\/p>\n

\n

The Gabriel Problem \u2014 and Why Delay Is Pointless<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Dillon Gabriel<\/a> hasn\u2019t shown \u201crookie inconsistency.\u201d He\u2019s shown historic ineffectiveness<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

He stares down the line of scrimmage, drifts into pressure, and sprays high balls or one-hoppers. He threw a safety against New England and took two sacks on 4th down last week versus the Jets.<\/p>\n

The numbers are worse than the film.<\/p>\n

Per Zac Jackson (The Athletic):<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u2022 5.0 YPA<\/strong> \u2014 worst by any rookie with 200+ attempts since 2006<\/strong>
\u2022 Last<\/strong> among all qualified QBs in YPA
\u2022 36th of 40<\/strong> in completion % (58.6%)
\u2022 \u20130.18 EPA\/dropback<\/strong> \u2014 41st
(meaning the Browns lose 0.18 expected points every time he drops back<\/strong>; 25 attempts = 4.5 lost points<\/strong>)<\/em>
\u2022 33% dropback success rate<\/strong> \u2014 worst among NFL starters
\u2022 42.9%<\/strong> completion rate to WRs
\u2022 Browns offense \u2014 31st<\/strong> in total yards<\/p>\n

Since replacing Joe Flacco, Gabriel is 1\u20134<\/strong> as QB1. This is collapse, not development.<\/p>\n

\n

Why Shedeur Sanders Must Play<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sanders brings timing, anticipation, and the ability to attack single coverage. He gives Cleveland a pathway to explosive plays\u2014something Gabriel cannot manufacture.<\/p>\n

Starting him only if Gabriel gets hurt is coaching malpractice.
There will be seven games left after this week<\/strong>\u2014enough to find out if Sanders is the future.<\/p>\n

Start Shedeur on purpose, not by accident.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Special Teams: Harbaugh vs. Ventrone<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Baltimore is annually polished in the third phase. Cleveland is annually chaotic.<\/p>\n

Since 2023, the Browns have allowed:
\u2022 six<\/strong> return TDs
\u2022 three<\/strong> punt-return TDs (most in NFL)
\u2022 two<\/strong> returns in 36 seconds last week
\u2022 the worst<\/strong> net punt-coverage metrics in the league<\/p>\n

Sunday\u2019s requirement: be invisible. No disasters.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

Matchups That Swing It<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u2022 Myles Garrett vs. protection:<\/strong> Single him and expect a multi-sack game.
\u2022 Judkins vs. Baltimore linebackers:<\/strong> 20+ carries and a 40+ rush day for the team is Cleveland\u2019s path.
\u2022 Third-down conversions:<\/strong> Win this by two and you\u2019re in it late.<\/p>\n

\n

Prediction<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Cleveland has the defense to win. If they pair it with competent QB play, a strong Judkins performance, and neutral special teams, the upset is realistic.<\/p>\n

If Gabriel starts wire-to-wire:<\/strong> Ravens 23, Browns 10
If Shedeur plays 3+ quarters:<\/strong> Browns 20, Ravens 19<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cleveland Browns vs Baltimore Ravens preview: matchup history, Myles Garrett impact, Lamar threats, Judkins on the ground, and the path to a Cleveland upset.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5662,"featured_media":234399,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10,8,32810],"tags":[7723,7809,33827,32805,32479,7638,32477],"class_list":["post-254668","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ravens","category-browns","category-predictions","tag-baltimore-ravens-news","tag-cleveland-browns-news","tag-nfl-previews","tag-predictions","tag-quinshon-judkins","tag-ravens-featured","tag-shedeur-sanders"],"modified_by":"Michael Kovacs, ADMIN","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254668","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5662"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=254668"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254668\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":254918,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/254668\/revisions\/254918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/234399"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=254668"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=254668"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=254668"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}