Browns vs Ravens: Preview, score prediction for Week 2

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

On Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens plays host to the Cleveland Browns at M&T Bank Stadium. This will be the second divisional matchup for each team, despite it only being Week 2. The Browns enter this game 0-1 after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home last week and are nine point underdogs for the second consecutive game. The Ravens shutout the Cincinnati Bengals on the road last week, despite being considered three point underdogs entering last Sunday.

The Ravens proved last week that they might have the best defense in the NFL. Baltimore’s defense held the Bengals to less than 250 offensive yards and forced five turnovers. Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was also sacked on five occasions.

The Browns might have lost their opener, however not all was bad. Browns were considered large underdogs against the Steelers but only lost by three points as they Steelers held onto their 21-18 lead. Rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer also looked surprisingly good in his debut. Kizer completed 66% of his passes for 222 yards and a touchdown. He also threw one interception.

Keys to Victory

The Browns will need to protect Kizer if they stand any chance at winning this game. Last week, the Steelers sacked Kizer seven times. Kizer is a strong, durable quarterback. However, he won’t be able to stay healthy all season if Cleveland’s offensive line cannot provide some protection. The Ravens also recorded five sacks in their first game, so it won’t be an easy task to keep Kizer upright.

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It will also be important for the Browns to limit what Kizer is required to do. In Baltimore’s first game, Andy Dalton had one of the worst performances in NFL history. Dalton looked lost, but more importantly, the Ravens defense looked that good. If Kizer throws four interceptions, as Dalton did in Week 1, it could torpedo his confidence and negatively affect the rest of his season. Kizer looks talented but is still a rookie, so it would make sense for the Browns to try to setup the run a little more and make Kizer’s job easier.

The Ravens need to do exactly what they did in Week 1 and what they will likely do all season; be decent on offense and amazing on defense. This is a team that has won two Super Bowls using this same strategy. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco only completed nine passes for 121 and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Baltimore rushed the ball 42 times.

A large reason for the amount of run plays called is likely due to the fact that they were up early in the game, yet I do believe this trend will continue throughout the season. Flacco will drop back a limited number of times in a game and Baltimore will run early and often, while relying on their defense to keep the game low-scoring.

Betting Odds

Point Spread: Baltimore -9
Moneyline: Baltimore -390, Cleveland +310
Over/Under: 38.5

All betting odds provided by BookMaker via The Sportsbook Review

Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 2

Score Prediction

Despite the appearance that the Browns might have actually found a starter in Kizer, I expect him to struggle against this Ravens defense. The Browns might be a team on the rise but the Ravens have an established culture of defensive excellence and it appears that this year’s defense might be something special.

Final Score: Baltimore Ravens: 24, Cleveland Browns: 13