MNF PREVIEW: BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS

BY ADAM GREENE

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine decided that it was OK for 12,000 fans to attend Monday night’s game as the Baltimore Ravens face off against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. Expect them to sound more like 80,000 because there’s a lot of historical bad blood between these two franchises and we’ll get a steady dose of why during ESPN’s Monday Night Football broadcast.

BALTIMORE RAVENS AT CLEVELAND BROWNS (-2.5, O/U: 47)

Location: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Kickoff: Dec. 14, 8:15 p.m. EST

Broadcast: ESPN

THE HISTORY

When you talk about history between these two franchises, it’s best to start at the beginning. If you’re younger than 30, you might not know this, but the Baltimore Ravens were built out of the Cleveland Browns that existed from 1946-1995.

The Ravens came into being when team owner and the most hated man in Ohio, Art Modell, decided he wanted to move his franchise from Cleveland to Baltimore. A deal was struck with the NFL to leave the Browns colors and history behind in the city and Modell could move the actual roster and coaches to Crab Town.

Cleveland regained its team four years later as an expansion squad and watched the Ravens win two Super Bowls since. The Browns have won considerably fewer everything in that span. In fact, since returning to the league Cleveland has made the playoffs once, losing 36-33 in the 2002-03 Wild Card round to the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 20 year Browns II era we will call it, they have exactly three winning seasons, and one of them is this year.

Baltimore, as you’d expect, has a considerable advantage in the all-time series. The two teams have played 43 times and the Ravens hold a commanding 32-11 advantage. Their last game was the season opener this year in which Baltimore ran the Browns off the field to the tune of 38-6.

Lamar Jackson threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns in the game and rushed for 45. Baker Mayfield was good for 189 yards, one touchdown and a pick. Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb teamed up for 132 yards rushing.

BALTIMORE RAVENS (7-5)

The Ravens halted a three-game losing streak last week with a 34-17 win over the pathetic Dallas Cowboys. Jackson threw for just 107 yards, but managed three touchdowns, with two coming through the air. He rushed for 94 yards and threw a pick. Gus Edwards carried the ball seven times for 101 yards.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (9-3)

Cleveland secured its first winning season since 2007 with an emphatic 41-35 win over the Tennessee Titans. Mayfield enjoyed one of his best games a pro, throwing for 334 yards and four touchdowns. Chubb rushed for 80 yards and a score. The Browns defense sacked Ryan Tannehill three times and forced three turnovers.

THE PICK

This is a very different Browns team than Baltimore faced in Week One. Which is a big deal since the Ravens are very much the same team, running the same predictable Pop Warner offense, they were during the NFL’s opening week. I’ll write this as long as Baltimore is playing. No good team with good coaches should ever lose to the Ravens again. Browns 31, Ravens 23

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