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NFL Preview - Baltimore Ravens vs Cleveland Browns

September 24, 2006

The Baltimore Ravens can lock up the first 3-0 start in franchise history this Sunday when they visit the Cleveland Browns in a divisional battle.

The Ravens' only 2-0 start to a season came in 2000 and the last Baltimore team to begin a campaign with three straight wins was the 1977 Colts.

Baltimore has bullied teams this season with its hard-nosed defensive approach. The Ravens have given up just six points in eight quarters of play after posting a 27-0 season-opening win in Tampa and pounding the Oakland Raiders, 28-6, in last week's home opener.

Meanwhile, the Browns come into this week's game trying to avoid their first 0-3 start since dropping the first five games of the 1999 season. That was the same year Cleveland returned to the NFL after a three-year absence when Art Modell moved the Browns to Baltimore.

Cleveland was handed a 19-14 loss versus New Orleans in Week 1 and was pounded, 34-17, by the rival Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.

SERIES HISTORY

Baltimore holds a 9-5 lead in its all-time series with Cleveland, splitting a home-and-home with the Browns in 2005. The Ravens were 16-3 home winners when the teams met in Week 6, then dropped a 20-16 decision by the Lake in Week 17. The Ravens' most recent win in Cleveland came in 2003, by a 35-0 count.

Baltimore's Brian Billick is 9-5 against Cleveland in his career, while the Browns' Crennel is 1-1 against both Billick and the Ravens as a head coach.

RAVENS OFFENSE VS. BROWNS DEFENSE

Great defenses and bruising running attacks go hand in hand, and that has been the case for the Ravens, who are averaging 120.5 rushing yards per game this year. Oakland had a very tough time slowing down Baltimore's ground game last week, as the Ravens pounded out 138 yards on 31 attempts. Jamal Lewis (148 yards, 1 TD this season) led the way for the Ravens with 70 yards on 19 carries. Also, the top three rushing days of Lewis' career have all come against the Browns, including his NFL-record 295-yard performance from the 2003 season.

Crennel was the defensive coordinator for all three New England championship teams, but he has yet to reproduce that success in Cleveland. The Browns have surrendered a whopping 807 yards of offense in two games and were lit up by the Bengals last Sunday. Cincinnati posted 481 yards of total offense and dominated the line of scrimmage with 160 of those yards on the ground. Rudi Johnson was the star for the Bengals with 145 yards and two TDs on 26 carries. Tackle Orpheus Roye led the defensive line with four tackles, but is doubtful for Sunday's game with a shoulder injury. The Browns did play last week without outside linebacker Willie McGinest, who was sidelined with a calf injury. McGinest is listed as questionable for this week's game.

The Ravens signed veteran quarterback Steve McNair in the offseason to help improve a struggling passing game, and so far the move has produced mixed results. McNair (324 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) had a mediocre game against the Raiders last week, completing just 16-of-33 passes for 143 yards. He did throw a touchdown pass, but was also picked off once. Wide receiver Derrick Mason (9 receptions, 96 yards) had five catches for 46 yards and tight end Todd Heap (10 receptions, 63 yards, 1 TD) hauled in five passes for 17 yards and a touchdown. Smith was the only other player with multiple receptions, as he caught two balls for 33 yards.

The Browns made some big plays against the Cincy passing game last week, with four sacks and two interceptions, but that is the only positive they can take out of their defensive performance. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer still finished the game with 352 yards passing and two touchdown passes. Defensive backs Sean Jones and Gary Baxter led the team in tackles with 14 and 10 stops respectively. Linebacker Andra Davis and cornerback Leigh Bodden posted the interceptions for Cleveland.

BROWNS OFFENSE VS. RAVENS DEFENSE

Both of Cleveland's touchdowns against the Bengals last week came on the ground, but the team finished with just 57 rushing yards. Running back Reuben Droughns (59 yards, 1 TD) led the team with 32 yards on 14 carries and also posted a rushing TD. Droughns is questionable for this week's game with a shoulder injury. Quarterback Charlie Frye, who had four scrambles for 10 yards, scored on a two-yard TD run with less than a minute to play in the game. Cleveland is ranked 27th in the NFL with just 142 yards on the ground this season.

There aren't enough superlatives to describe the play of Baltimore's defense in the first two weeks of the season, but dominating would be a good start. The Ravens are ranked first overall in total defense and first in rushing yards allowed. The team has surrendered just 65 total yards on the ground in eight quarters, and the majority of those yards (39) came last week against the Raiders. LaMont Jordan carried the ball 19 times for Oakland and finished with just 35 yards. Middle linebacker Ray Lewis, a seven-time Pro Bowl selection, notched seven tackles as did defensive end Terrell Suggs. Defensive tackle Kelly Gregg led the interior linemen with four tackles. Lewis is questionable for this week's game with a neck injury.

The Browns did a solid job of moving the ball through the air last week, but Frye was responsible for all three of Cleveland's turnovers (2 INT, 1 fumble). Frye, a second-year QB out of Akron, completed 20-of-33 passes for 244 yards and relied heavily on wideout Braylon Edwards, who finished with 110 yards on four receptions. Frye (376 yards, 1 TD, 4 INT) has a poor quarterback rating of 56.0 in two games. Tight end Kellen Winslow (12 receptions, 105 yards, 1 TD) had four catches for 42 yards against the Bengals. Winslow is listed as probable this week with a knee injury. Cleveland is averaging 172.5 passing yards per game.

The Ravens dominated the dismal Oakland offensive line last Sunday, and caused nothing but trouble for whoever stepped under center. They posted six sacks and caused Oakland quarterbacks Andrew Walter and Aaron Brooks to fumble a combined five times. Brooks, who left the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury, lost both of his fumbles before getting to attempt a pass. The Ravens posted six sacks in the game, and one of them, by Adalius Thomas, resulted in a safety. Thomas and Suggs notched two sacks apiece in the massacre. Baltimore also forced Walter to throw three interceptions and the young QB finished with 162 yards on just 10-of-27 passing. The Ravens lead the NFL with six interceptions this season and are also first with a plus-8 turnover margin.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

The Browns have won their last two home games against the Ravens, but that streak should come to an end this Sunday. Baltimore's defense is as scary as it's ever been, and should have no problem wreaking havoc against the talented but inexperienced Cleveland offense. It's also hard to argue against Lewis' track record against the Browns.

Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Ravens 20, Browns 10

-- Dan Di Sciullo (SportsNetwork.com)

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