Ravens vs. Browns: Full Cleveland Game Preview

Usually, the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens are playing in meaningless November games. We’re used to that. Those are the ones that take place at 1 p.m. on Sundays—games that most people outside those respective fanbases tend to ignore.

Like the Browns, the Ravens are crumbling in 2015, but for very different and less troubling reasons. Yet still, they are ahead of the Browns in the win column, the only place judgments are made and levied on NFL organizations.

Baltimore has lost its starting quarterback, lead running back and No. 1 wide receiver for the season after having lost key defensive pieces earlier in the year. Still, the Ravens are sitting at 3-7 and one win above the lowly Browns in the AFC North standings.

But for Cleveland, the excuses and reasoning behind its 2-8 start begin with a coaching staff that appears to be in over its collective head. Losing 13 of its last 15 games is a bad look. Not being able to point to any development of its young players is a worse one.

Coming off of their bye week, the Browns have a golden opportunity to win another game to at least pull the Ravens back down to their perpetual cellar-dweller status.

Location: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland

Date: Monday, Nov. 30

Time: 8:30 pm ET

TV: ESPN (national)

Week 11 Results and Recap

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The Browns last played in Week 10 in what was an eventful but disappointing 30-9 loss to the Steelers. Last week, they took some time off to step away from the game before getting back into their routines in preparation for their prime-time matchup against Baltimore.

Speaking of the Ravens, they squeaked out a last-second win over the St. Louis Rams last week. Justin Tucker hit the game-winning field goal from 47 yards out.

The Steelers are also coming off a bye week.

Cincinnati dueled Arizona on the road and fell just short of a late-game comeback, dropping its second contest of the season in as many weeks.

AFC North Standings

Cincinnati Bengals (8-2)

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-4)

Baltimore Ravens (3-7)

Cleveland Browns (2-8)

News and Notes

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Johnny Manziel Benched After Losing Team’s Trust

Quarterback Johnny Manziel was handed the starting quarterback position after a commendable showing against Pittsburgh in Week 10 that was preceded by an impressive offseason and even a regular-season win over Tennessee.

The positivity from earning that promotion lasted less than a week, though, when he went full “Johnny Football” during the team’s bye week, slamming champagne from the bottle at a bar in Texas and allegedly doing the same thing the previous night, per the TMZ report that brought this to light.

“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of the trust and the accountability piece,” head coach Mike Pettine said. “This is where we had an obvious shortcoming.”

Whether or not you agree with Pettine or think he is being unfair, he seems to be acting within—in his mind—the best interests of his team and his young quarterback. Manziel did make certain promises to his coaching staff, so his actions show he either doesn’t respect them or thought he could get away with it—or both.

When asked whether Manziel has played his last game as a Cleveland Brown after being demoted to third string this week, Pettine was hopeful that wasn’t the case:

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I certainly hope not. He has made great progress. There was no better proof than last Sunday against Pittsburgh. Sometimes you take a step back to take a few forward. We told him yesterday, ‘This isn’t a dead end. This is a hurdle. It is an obstacle.’ Part of success in athletics is dealing in adversity. This will be an example of it.

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It’s unfortunate that Pettine has taken such a hardline approach to micromanaging Manziel. The quarterback has shown flashes of ability on the field and in the locker room, and he has earned trust there—where it counts. But for some reason he still doesn’t have the trust of his team because of his extracurricular activities. Those seem to be weighing him down, as they have since college, despite them not affecting his improved play on Sundays.

That’s really unfortunate, because it would have been helpful to have seen him play during the next six weeks in order to determine if he’s worth all the trouble.

Notably, Pettine also said the the organization had not discussed whether to cut Manziel.

Latest Injury News

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Coach Mike Pettine said injury updates will be available later in the week due to the game being on Monday. We’ll have those updates here as soon as they become available.

Key Matchups

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Browns Front Seven vs. Ravens Offensive Line

No Joe Flacco and no Justin Forsett means the Browns’ worst-ranked rush defense will be tested by the likes of Javorius Allen and Terrance West. Allen has proven to be adequate as an NFL rusher as a rookie, and West will play at FirstEnergy Stadium in his third uniform this season.

Allen had 58 of the Ravens’ 181 rushing yards the last time these two teams met. They’ll need him to carry a larger burden this week after losing Flacco for the season. Matt Schaub is a veteran quarterback, but he doesn’t have the passing weapons to rekindle any type of magic he once had.

If Baltimore has any chance of overcoming its losses and winning on the road in Cleveland, it’ll need its offensive line to impose itself on the Browns’ shaky rush defense.

Ravens Linebackers and Safeties vs. Tight End Gary Barnidge

The Ravens have been solid against opposing tight ends not named Gary Barnidge this season. In nine games against teams other than Cleveland, they have allowed just 299 yards and one touchdown to this position, per ESPN stats and simple subtraction.

Barnidge is easily Josh McCown’s favorite target, drawing roughly nine targets per contest when the quarterback starts and finishes the game.

His 139-yard and one-score performance helped the Browns to their overtime win over Baltimore in Week 5. While that seemed like a long time ago, Barnidge hasn’t fallen off track.

He’s on pace to set multiple franchise records.

Matchup X-Factor

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Browns X-Factor of the Week: QB Josh McCown

McCown has been the consummate teammate and professional throughout the 2015 season in Cleveland. At this stage in his career, the 36-year-old wasn’t guaranteed anything other than a chance to continue his career and be a mentor to a budding quarterback that the franchise invested a first-round pick in.

But being a great teammate and mentor isn’t all McCown came to Cleveland to do. He has exceeded every expectation and has been the first quarterback since Derek Anderson in 2007 to look like he belongs behind center.

McCown’s ability to spread the ball around and move the team down the field should be enough to keep the Browns ahead of the limping Ravens.

Prediction: Browns 27, Ravens 19

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The Browns will be rested and have had the last two weeks to get ready for this Monday-night matchup. Meanwhile, the Ravens are turning to backups at nearly every skill position, and defensively, they haven’t been able to stop anyone not named Case Keenum at quarterback this season.

Stripping Manziel of his starting job may hurt ESPN’s promotion of this game, and might not make sense as far as long-term Browns personnel development, but it won’t hurt the team this week.

McCown has proven to be more than adequate as the team’s starting quarterback. As he has shown to this point, he’ll be prepared and will do everything he can to help the Browns avoid embarrassment on national television and in front of their hometown fans.

Final Prediction: Browns 27, Ravens 19

All quotes courtesy of e-mail press releases from Browns communications manager Rob McBurnett.