Browns-Ravens: Anything Can Happen When Cleveland Plays Baltimore Tonight

Tonight’s game between the Browns and Ravens has the potential to be a very exciting game.

I say potential because both teams need a win, but I’m not sure both teams are going to show up.

Brady Quinn is back under center, but that’s not going to mean too much with Brian Daboll still calling the shots as offensive coordinator on the sidelines.

Under Daboll, the Browns are ranked 31st in total offense. Only the Oakland Raiders are worse.

The Browns offense is averaging only 9.8 points per game with 78 total points scored on the year. The offense has gained 972 total yards, which somehow is worse than the Raiders, with 1,067 yards.

The Browns have only one play that went longer than 40 yards.

One. Lousy. Play.

The problems have been well chronicled. Our wide receivers can’t catch balls thrown right at them. Our two best receivers from the last few years now play for other teams. Our featured running back, Jamal Lewis, retired sometime in June but hasn’t left the field yet.

Did I miss anything?

There is the right side of the offensive line, or what passes for the right side of the offensive line. Statistics don’t do that side of the line justice for just how bad it is.

Just watch the games and try to take it all in.

As for the quarterbacks, Derek Anderson proved, once again, since the coaches weren’t paying attention, that all his success in 2007 was very fluky. Now he’s riding the bench again, so Quinn gets one last shot to prove he’s the quarterback of the future.

Not necessarily the Browns' future, but somebody’s future.

On the Ravens' side, they come into the game ranked 14th in overall offense with an average of 25.8 points per game and 1,937 yards of total offense.

Quarterback Joe Flacco hasn’t been as spectacular as he was his rookie year, but he hasn’t shown anything that the team should be overly worried about. Flacco is ranked 13th in the league with a 90.2 passer rating.

That’s not as good as Peyton Manning’s 104.2 rating, but it’s much better than the single-digit QB ratings the Browns' signal-callers turn in.

Flacco also has 12 touchdowns.

The Browns offense has three. The team has five total.

On the defensive side, the Browns are ranked last, giving up an average of 26 points and 409 yards per game.

The Ravens are ranked 12th, giving up an average of 19 points and 320 yards per game.

Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan has consistently fielded an interesting defense since coming to Cleveland. The players throw themselves out there and give teams some unusual looks from time to time, but usually fail to make tackles and cover receivers.

Ryan’s unit shows promise; it just doesn’t have much in the way of talent.

On the coaching level, there’s really nothing at stake for Baltimore. All they have to do is not turn the ball over and generally play decent football.

As for the Browns' coaching situation, I discussed that at length here.

While a miracle is always possible, the Browns have to prove they’ve made changes before anyone can start believing anything other than a blowout is going to happen.

Ravens 35, Browns 6