Reigning MVP Lamar Jackson is his team's leading rusher once again. (Dallas Morning News)
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Browns v. Baltimore Ravens
Monday, 8:15 p.m., in FirstEnergy Stadium
Record: 7-5.
Last game: Defeated Dallas Cowboys, 34-17, Dec. 8, in Baltimore.
Coach: John Harbaugh, 135-86, 13th year.
Series record: Ravens lead, 32-11.
Last meeting: Ravens won, 38-6, Sept. 13, in Baltimore.
League rankings: Offense is 23rd overall (first rushing, 32nd passing), defense is eighth overall (13th rushing, 14th passing) and turnover differential is plus-3.
Things to watch
1.After scoring 33.1 points a game last year, the Ravens sought to expand their offense by improving their vertical passing game. Mission has been aborted. For a variety of reasons, they have had to resort to quarterback Lamar Jackson’s running to stay alive in the AFC wild-card chase. A 294-yard rushing game against Dallas pushed the Ravens ahead of the Browns in the race for the No. 1 rushing team. For the second year in a row, Jackson (669 yards) is the team’s leading rusher. Gus Edwards (487 yards) and rookie J.K. Dobbins (451) have taken over as the leading backs. Mark Ingram (260) has faded in what is expected to be his last year with the club.
2.The demise of the passing game is rooted in the following: Wideouts Marquise Brown and Miles Boykin have underperformed; the team’s vaunted three-tight end offense was disassembled, leaving only Mark Andrews as a viable playmaker; injuries to left tackle Ronnie Stanley and others have resulted in seven different offensive line starting combinations; and Jackson’s accuracy downfield has not improved.
3.After winning five of their first six games, the Ravens had a Covid-19 outbreak. Over a 10-day period, the Ravens placed a total of 23 players on the Covid reserve list. At least a dozen players tested positive and the others were high-risk close contacts. Receiver Willie Snead is the last starting player expected to come off the Covid list this week.
4.The Oct. 23 trade for Yannick Ngakoue was supposed to give the defense a lethal complement to Matthew Judon and fortify the pass rush. But it hasn’t happened. In six games, Ngakoue has one sack, six tackles, and one forced fumble. In addition, tackles Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams have been slowed by injuries. Rookie linebacker Patrick Queen has been an active tackler but inconsistent playmaker, which leaves the strength of the defense in the back end. Cornerbacks Marlon Humphrey and Marcus Peters and safeties Chuck Clark and DeShon Elliott are a formidable starting combination.
Did you know … ?
1.A year ago, the Browns beat the Ravens, 40-25, in Game 4. The Ravens responded by going 12-0 and the Browns went 4-8. This year, the Ravens won, 38-6, in Game 1. The Browns have gone 9-2 since then and the Ravens are 6-5.
2.This will be the Ravens’ third prime-time game in a row. They lost to the Steelers, 19-14, on a Wednesday night, and defeated the Cowboys, 34-17, on a Tuesday night.
3.Kicker Justin Tucker’s field-goal miss from 36 yards against Dallas ended a streak of 70 in a row made from 40 yards and closer.
4.The Ravens currently rank ninth in the AFC. They are behind the Browns, Miami, Indianapolis and the Raiders in the race for three wild-card spots. But after the game against the Browns, they have the easiest schedule of the playoff contenders. They have home games against Jacksonville and the Giants and finish the regular-season at Cincinnati.
Small world: Executive vice president Ozzie Newsome, who retired as GM in 2019, is the Browns’ all-time leader in receptions and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1999 … Former Browns include quarterback Robert Griffin (2016), linebacker L.J. Fort (2012) and receiver Willie Snead (2014 training camp) … Senior vice president of football operations Pat Moriarty is a Cleveland native who played at Benedictine High School and played running back for the Browns in 1970 … Director of player personnel George Kokinis was Browns general manager for eight games in 2009 … Senior player personnel executive Vince Newsome played safety for the Browns (1991-92) and was a special assignment scout (1993-95) … Offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. is the son of the late Orlando Brown Sr., who played for the Browns in 1993-95 and 1999.