The weekend is almost here, which means it is time for some Baltimore Ravens Week 15 bold predictions. They will be back on the road to face the Cleveland Browns at the FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday.
The Ravens are coming off an important 16-14 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were without quarterback Lamar Jackson, something that might happen again in Week 15. Now at 9-4, the team is at the top of the AFC North, sharing the record with the Cincinnati Bengals, only getting the advantage thanks to a perfect division record.
On the other hand, the Browns are 5-8 and third in the AFC North. Last week, they lost 23-10 to the Bengals. Now with Deshaun Watson in the starting lineup, Cleveland is hoping to turn its season around.
While Baltimore is having a better year overall, injuries can always be game-changing factors. With that being said, here are four bold predictions for the Ravens as they play the Browns in Week 15.
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4. Baltimore holds Cleveland to less than 100 rushing yards
One of the main reasons why Baltimore is at the top of the rankings is its solid defense. In six games this year, the Ravens held opponents to 20 or fewer points, winning all of them. The defensive dominance becomes even more evident on the ground.
Baltimore has one of the best rushing defenses in the 2022 NFL season. With 1,055 yards allowed, this is the second-best mark in the league, only trailing San Francisco's 976 yards. In nine opportunities, the Ravens' defense held teams to less than 100 rushing yards, even less than 50 in four games.
On Saturday, the Ravens should have a tough challenge. The Browns have accumulated 1,943 rushing yards, which places them in the top five in that category. However, the team failed to reach 100 yards against the Bengals, even with running Nick Chubb having a career year. Now with Watson, Cleveland might opt for more passes than usual.
Because of that, the bold prediction is that Baltimore's defense will win the battle on the ground. Do not expect to see Cleveland surpass 100 rushing yards, which will make the Browns' day very complicated.
3. Anthony Brown starts at quarterback
In Week 13, the Ravens had a major setback with Lamar Jackson going down with an injury. With the star out, Tyler Huntley took over starting duties versus the Steelers. The problem is that he had to leave the game with a concussion.
That left undrafted rookie Anthony Brown as the lone healthy quarterback for the Ravens. He made his debut by going 3-for-5 for 16 yards. Despite not producing much, Brown was able to maintain the team's lead and take an important win on the road.
With Jackson still recovering from his injury and Huntley in concussion protocol, the bold prediction is that Brown will earn his first NFL start on Saturday. It will be interesting to see how much it will affect Baltimore's offense, which might opt for more runs.
2. Justin Tucker is the team's leading scorer
There is no secret that Baltimore's success heavily depends on Justin Tucker. In 2022, the kicker is 28-for-31 in field goals and has missed just one extra-point attempt. His 28 makes leads the league among kickers.
Against Cleveland in Week 7, Tucker scored 11 out of the team's 23 points in the game. The Ravens ended up winning by three points.
If there is one player Baltimore can trust in Jackson's absence, that is Tucker. For his career, the kicker has hit 91% of his field goals, the best mark among players with at least 100 attempts.
With the Ravens dealing with key injuries on offense, Tucker should have an even bigger role on Saturday. It would not be a surprise if he scores more than 10 points again and leads the team in scoring. If that is the case, this could turn out to be a low-scoring performance for the Ravens.
1. Ravens win by one score
What could be an easy win for the Ravens, Jackson's injury now makes them underdogs. According to FanDuel, the Browns are the favorites to win this contest with a spread of -2.5.
Despite the odds, the bold prediction is that Baltimore will still come out with a victory. However, this should be a thrilling game that should be decided in the final possessions. Also, considering Baltimore could be playing with a third-string quarterback, this could be a low-scoring game thanks to the Ravens' elite defense.
Expect a lot of punts and runs from both sides. This could potentially become a kicking battle between Tucker and rookie Cade York, and the veteran's experience could come in handy.
At the end of that day, despite all the problems they are having recently, the Ravens will have a crucial victory that will maintain them at the top of the AFC North.
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