5 Best NFL games to watch on Sunday in Week 1
By Lucas Schuh
4. Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
We all know about the Cleveland Browns hype train that went off the rails last year. Expected to dominate after adding the likes of Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon, Baker Mayfield’s team went just 6-10. Instead of them taking over the AFC, another dominant force emerged in the division.
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Yes, the Baltimore Ravens finished with a record of 10-6 in the 2018 season but no one expected what they accomplished a year ago. The Ravens finished with the NFL’s best record at 14-2 while second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson captured MVP honors.
Despite the discrepancy between what these two teams did in 2019, though, this NFL Week 1 matchup has the potential to be quite a good one on Sunday.
The primary reason for that is the improvements the Browns made in the biggest areas of weakness from last year. Cleveland’s offensive line was abysmal a year ago but they replaced both tackles, signing Jack Conklin in free agency and using their first-round pick on Jedrick Wills Jr. Moreover, they replaced head coach Freddie Kitchens, who dropped the ball majorly, with Kevin Stefanski.
Even with the disparity between the Browns and Ravens last season, these two AFC North rivals still split the season series in 2019. So with Cleveland improving and Baltimore entering the year as one of the favorites, Sunday’s matchup should be exceptionally entertaining.