Baltimore Ravens (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. Cleveland Browns (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS)
Week 2 NFL
Date/Time: Sunday, September 18, 2016 at 1PM EST
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
TV: CBS
By Loot, NFL Football Handicapper, Lootmeister.com
Betting Odds: BAL -7/CLE +7
Over/Under Total: 43
The Baltimore Ravens face the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium in AFC North action in week two. Baltimore beat Buffalo, 13-7, to open the season on a positive note, as their defense looked as good as it had in years. They look to start the offense up this week on the road against a Cleveland team that came up short in week one. The Browns lost to the Eagles, 29-10, on the road and look forward to seeing what they can get done at home against their division rival.
Baltimore really did a number on Buffalo's offense on Sunday, allowing very little. Other than a second quarter drive where Tyrod Taylor had to squirm away from the rush to complete an unlikely pass that set up a TD, the Baltimore "D" allowed very little. Even late, as the Buffalo offense tried to rally, Terrell Suggs put a stop to it, announcing his return to the defense, which is dearly welcomed. Corner Shareece Wright was all over the field with 11 tackles. Timmy Jernigan had a sack. The secondary held Taylor, a former member of the team, to just 111 yards through the air, despite having targets like tight end Charles Clay and receiver Sammy Watkins. Buffalo's offense is far from great, but they're better than the 160 yards of production they managed against this group on Sunday. If this is indicative of what the Ravens will be about on defense this season, it would go a long way toward restoring the Ravens contender-status in the AFC.
When a team scores 13 points in a game, there isn't much to rave about offensively, but they'd take 13-7 wins in every game if they could. A touchdown and a pair of field goals are not all that impressive perhaps, but Joe Flacco was able to make a successful return to the field after his season was cut short in '15. He went 23-for-34 for 258 yards and a TD with no picks. He was able to connect well with WR Mike Wallace, who gives the Ravens some down-field ability they've lacked the past few seasons. Steve Smith, Sr. caught 5 balls. Dennis Pitta, a very useful tight end when healthy, reintroduced himself to the offense after missing most of the last three seasons. The run-game wasn't much of a factor, with Justin Forsett and Terrance West combining for just 73 yards.
The defense looked good for the Ravens and even better, they were clutch, Never able to get any separation, the defense time and again stuffed drives and kept Buffalo from scoring except for one second-quarter touchdown. For a team that gave up 401 points in 2015, it was a very positive development. Holding down a Buffalo offense is not grounds to signal a revival, but they did look good. We might not be saying that in a few weeks time. Remember, a one-game window is just that, even if it is the first game of the season.
Cleveland was supposed to have a lot of problems and week one illustrated that to a large degree in a 29-10 loss to an Eagles team that was starting a rookie at quarterback and was working on a lot of things across all phases of the team. It was the 12th straight opener Cleveland has lost. Even with that, they weren't without a chance on Sunday. A promising Browns drive was cut short when QB Robert Griffin, III. threw a pick. And after cutting the deficit to 13-10 in the third quarter, Cleveland took over with the idea of tying the game or maybe even taking the lead. Instead, a snap sailed over RG3's head for a safety.
After riding the pine for Washington, RG3's return to a starting role at quarterback was uneven at best, going 12-for-26 with 190 yards and a pick. He added some useful runs with his legs, but was largely off-target with the tools at his disposal. One such run led to a shoulder injury, which has paved the return to this offense for Josh McCown. The old battler is not an ideal NFL starter, but has gotten the ball into hands of these playmakers before and at his best, can be prolific through the air. Rookie receiver Corey Coleman had 2 catches for 69 yards, while Terrelle Pryor established himself as a possible weapon with 3 catches for 68 yards. Tight end Gary Barnidge, over 1000 yards in 2015, was held to no catches. The run-game had 120 yards on just 21 carries, but there's only so many ways you can sugar-coat a 10-point performance.
Some things looked to set up well for the Browns defensively against a rookie quarterback in a new system with a first-year head coach. No such luck. Carson Wentz was able to shine in his debut, with very little pressure being applied by the Cleveland pass-rush. The Philly offense was allowed to plug along without much interference. Rookie sack monster from college Carl Nassib showed some zip in his NFL debut with a sack, but a lot of youngsters are going to need to develop at an accelerated rate to make this defense so much as average.
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Still, the positivity and coaching acumen of Hue Jackson should help. This season might just set the table for future success. Growing pains could be severe. There might be multiple changes at quarterback and other key positions along the way. But they might be on the right track. There isn't a ton of pressure on this team in 2016 and maybe they can be afforded the opportunity to grow. One of their few wins last season came against Baltimore and even a down Cleveland team can be gritty, especially at home in divisional encounters.
The Browns got shelled at the end of the day in week one, while showing clear signs that they can hang in there in the right spot and if they catch a couple breaks. Baltimore's defense may have thrived in their opener, but there is no guarantee that is the "D" we will see all season, in which case, this Cleveland offense could manage to hang in there. There's just something about Baltimore that makes them unappealing as a 6-point road favorite, almost regardless of the opponent. I picture a gritty divisional battle. I'm taking the home dog.
Loot's Prediction to Cover the Point Spread: I'm betting on the Cleveland Browns plus 7 points. Tired of your credit card not working for sportsbook deposit? End that problem today by signing up and betting the Baltimore vs. Cleveland game at Bovada Sportsbook where your credit card WILL work and where you'll receive a generous 100% sign-up bonus!
