The Cleveland Browns are spiraling in the wrong direction and look to halt a three-game slide when they visit the Baltimore Ravens in Sunday’s AFC matchup.
Cleveland (2-4) was whipped 38-15 at home by the visiting New England Patriots last weekend and the latest setback was so concerning that it prompted quarterback Jacoby Brissett to address the team afterward.
Brissett threw two interceptions against New England but has been serving as the team leader while filling in for suspended Deshaun Watson.
“The man loves football,” Browns star defensive end Myles Garrett said of Brissett. “It’s his team. He loves being here, and he wants to win. It means a lot to him, which really speaks to me. It’s early on in the season and we aren’t where we’re supposed to be, but it means a lot to him.”
Watson isn’t eligible to play until Week 13, which means it is up to Brissett (1,326 passing yards, six touchdowns, five interceptions) to keep Cleveland in the playoff mix.
The Browns are one game out of first place in the AFC North so a win over the Ravens (3-3) is crucial. Cleveland plays the other team sharing first — the Cincinnati Bengals — next week.
The residue of last week’s loss was still hanging over the team at mid-week though Brissett is doing his best to sidestep chatter about the 23-point defeat.
“We’re spending all our time worrying about the Ravens,” Brissett said on Wednesday. “We can’t worry about last week because it’s over. … Our focus is on moving forward.”
Baltimore is looking to move on from its own disappointment after blowing a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead during a 24-20 road loss to the New York Giants.
It marked the third time this season that the Ravens held a double-digit lead and lost the game.
Baltimore led Miami by 21 points after three quarters before the Dolphins used a 28-point fourth quarter to post a 42-38 victory in Week 2. Two weeks later, the Ravens led Buffalo by 17 late in the second quarter before the Bills rallied for a 23-20 win.
Veteran defensive end Calais Campbell said it’s time for the Ravens to protect their big leads.
“We know what we’re capable of doing, we’ve made some mistakes and let some ballgames slip away,” Campbell said. “We can use it as fuel to get better. Or you can let it eat at you and make more mistakes.
“It’s still early in the season. We’re not going to hit the panic button. You feel like you have the game won, and you give it away late in the game, it’s a story we’ve seen too much this year.”
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson threw a costly third-down interception in the fourth quarter against the Giants to set up New York’s winning touchdown. He later lost a fumble while being sacked to end the Ravens’ last chance.
Jackson sees this week as a time for the Ravens to get on a roll.
“Our attitude is we’re (ticked) off about losing,” Jackson said Wednesday. “… But at the same time, we can’t dwell on it. We have to move on and focus on the Browns.”
Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, has passed for 1,277 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions this season. He has added 451 yards and two scores on the ground.
Tight end Mark Andrews is having a stellar season with 39 catches for 455 yards and five touchdowns. He is bothered by a knee ailment and was one of six Ravens who missed Wednesday’s practice due to health reasons.
Also sitting out were Campbell (foot), running back J.K. Dobbins (knee), fullback Patrick Ricard (knee), guard Ben Cleveland (foot) and offensive tackle Morgan Moses (heel). Jackson (hip) was a limited participant.
Garrett (shoulder, biceps) was one of seven Browns not to practice due to injuries or illness. The others were defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (ankle), offensive tackles Jack Conklin (ankle) and Joe Haeg (concussion), guard Wyatt Teller (calf), cornerback Denzel Ward (concussion) and linebacker Tony Fields II (illness).
Cleveland won last season’s second meeting 24-22 over the Ravens to end a four-game skid in the series.
–Field Level Media
