The Baltimore Ravens are heavily favored going into their regular-season finale on Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.
After a dominant 31-2 victory over Houston on Christmas Day, which gave the Ravens a one-game lead over Pittsburgh in the AFC North, Baltimore (11-5) enters the game as a massive 17 1/2-point favorite. It’s easy to see why the Ravens are such heavy favorites, given how well they’ve been playing.
Meanwhile, Cleveland (3-13) has been struggling and seems focused on securing the No. 1 overall draft pick. The Browns have lost five straight games and could have a chance at the top pick if they lose again, coupled with wins from New England and Tennessee on Sunday.
There’s also the memory of their previous meeting on October 27, when Cleveland defeated Baltimore 29-24. In that game, Jameis Winston threw for 334 yards and three touchdowns, ending the Ravens’ five-game winning streak.
“You can look at the Browns’ record and say that’s a sorry team, but this is the NFL,” said Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson after that game. “Any week can be your day.”
Since then, Jackson has been playing at an MVP level. Last week, he broke the NFL record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback with an 87-yard performance, bringing his total to 6,110 yards, surpassing Michael Vick’s record by one yard.
Jackson also had a solid passing performance, completing 10 of 15 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns, giving him 39 touchdown passes and just four interceptions for the season. Jackson could be on track to win his third MVP award.
“He set the all-time NFL record for rushing yards (for a quarterback) in pro football,” said Baltimore coach John Harbaugh. “It’s just kind of what he does every week.”
While the Ravens are aiming for personal and team achievements, Cleveland is simply looking to end a disappointing season. After making the playoffs last year, the Browns hoped to improve this year but have instead returned to their losing ways.
Cleveland is considering a quarterback change after Dorian Thompson-Robinson struggled again in a 20-3 home loss to Miami. He completed just 24 of 47 passes for 170 yards and an interception, and has thrown six picks without any touchdown passes in 115 attempts.
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said that Jameis Winston, who is dealing with a shoulder injury, would likely be the backup quarterback behind either Thompson-Robinson or Bailey Zappe, who previously played for the Patriots.
If Zappe starts, he would be the 40th different starting quarterback for Cleveland since the team returned in 1999. “There’s potential to play both guys,” Stefanski said about Thompson-Robinson and Zappe.
If Cleveland has any chance of pulling off an upset, they will need to improve their offense, which ranks last in the NFL with an average of just 15.5 points per game. Browns quarterbacks have thrown 21 interceptions, tied with the Tennessee Titans for the most in the league.
On Wednesday, six Browns players missed practice: defensive end Myles Garrett (thigh), running backs Jerome Ford (ankle) and Pierre Strong (concussion), linebacker Jordan Hicks (concussion), tight end David Njoku (knee), and cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder).
The Ravens had only two absentees: running back Justice Hill (concussion/illness) and tackle Patrick Mekari (illness). Despite the Browns’ win over the Ravens in October, Baltimore has dominated the all-time series with a 36-15 record.
