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The Baltimore Ravens will return home in Week 4 to square off against the Cleveland Browns in an AFC North matchup. Baltimore is coming off of their first loss to the season versus the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday.
The Ravens have looked the part to begin the season with an impressive 2-1 record in their first three contests. Lamar Jackson has been nothing short of spectacular in his first full season as the starting quarterback.
In the first three games of the season, Jackson has inserted his name into the early MVP discussion. The electrifying quarterback has thrown for 863 yards and seven touchdowns along with 172 yards and a touchdown with his legs.
During the offseason, many questioned Jackson's ability to throw the ball but he has silenced those critics to begin the season. The Lousiville alum has completed 63 percent of his passes and has made some remarkable passes just three games into the season.
On the other side of the ball, Baltimore still has a formidable group with their secondary being their strong suit. Led by Earl Thomas and Marlon Humphrey, the Ravens are looking like a legitimate contender in 2019.
As for the Browns, they have fallen back to Earth after all of the offseason hype surrounding them. Nevertheless, they are motivated to get back on track after their 1-2 start to the season.
Despite that, here are four reasons why the Ravens will defeat the Browns in Week 4.
4. The Browns Offensive Line is an Issue
Over the course of the offseason, the Browns were being crowned as Super Bowl contenders after acquiring Odell Beckham Jr. from the New York Giants. What went overlooked was the fact that Cleveland's offensive line could be detrimental to their success.
After three games have been played, their offensive line has definitely hindered their ability to get much of anything going this season. The Browns offensive line has allowed Baker Mayfield to be sacked 11 times (tied for fifth-most in NFL).
Baltimore's defensive coordinator, Don Martindale, is going to dial up some blitzes to get after Mayfield. The Ravens only have seven sacks this season but they're going to add to that total on Sunday.
3. The Browns Secondary is Decimated With Injuries
Last week, Cleveland was without Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, Damarious Randall, and Morgan Burnett in their secondary. Despite them missing the game, T.J. Carrie and company were able to hold their own against the Los Angeles Rams.
Throughout this week, Randall is the only one of four starters in the secondary who has practiced in any fashion this week. There's no doubt that Greg Roman, Baltimore's offensive coordinator, is aware of the decimated secondary of the Browns.
The Ravens offense with Jackson under center has shown an ability to stretch the field with Marquise Brown and others. Expect to see a heavy dose of deep passes for the Ravens on Sunday against an injury-riddled Browns defense.
2. Ravens Will Force Mayfield Into Making Mistakes
Along with applying pressure on Mayfield, Baltimore's defense will force the young quarterback into making mental mistakes. The Ravens only have two interceptions on the season but Mayfield has shown a tendency to make errant throws under pressure.
This season, the Browns quarterback has thrown five interceptions, which is the second-most in the NFL behind Matt Ryan. These are the types of games that Earl Thomas and the Ravens secondary love to play in.
The Ravens are at home playing against an offensive line who is allowing pressure on their quarterback at an alarming rate. Due to this, Mayfield has tried to force the ball into tight windows while defenders are in his face. The Browns offense will have another week filled with disappointment in Week 4.
1. Browns Won't Have Any Answers for Lamar Jackson
With all of the plays that Jackson is making to begin the season, there aren't enough adjectives to describe his play on the field. The Ravens signal-caller is making it nearly impossible to stop him with his improved ability to throw the ball with efficiency.
Of course, what makes Jackson even more dangerous is his ability to create mind-numbing plays with his legs. At this point, what can you really do to slow down the Ravens offense with Jackson leading it?
Cleveland has Myles Garrett wreaking havoc but his aggressiveness can actually work against him with a quarterback like Jackson. Regardless of what the Browns defense throws at him, they won't have any answers for the 22-year-old quarterback on Sunday.
