CLEVELAND — Division games can be very weird in the NFL. What looks like a mismatch on paper can turn into a very competitive game, even an upset.

There’s no better example than two of the Browns’ three wins in the 2024 season. The best of those came in Week 8 that season when they stunned the Baltimore Ravens.

Stunning the Baltimore Ravens has been something the Browns have done well in recent years. The Browns have won three of the last four meetings in Cleveland, and have split the last eight meetings overall.

Both the Browns and Ravens are aware of that fact as they meet for the second time this season. They’re also aware of the stakes that exist in the game.

Cleveland needs a win to salvage whatever slim glimmer of hope may or likely doesn’t exist to turn their 2-7 start around. Baltimore needs a win to extend its win streak to four games, get back to .500 at 5-5 and stay in the thick of the AFC North race with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

With all of that as the backdrop to the game, let’s dive into the actual on-field matchups to watch, questions to ask and statistics to follow as Cleveland looks to extend its home success against Baltimore:

Cleveland Browns offensive matchup of the game: RB Quinshon Judkins vs. S Kyle Hamilton

This won’t just be a one-on-one matchup. Success in running the football or stopping the run never is just about one individual on each side of the ball. That said, the Browns’ offensive success against the Ravens starts with Judkins having a big day in order to take the pressure off quarterback Dillon Gabriel. To have that success, he’s going to have to do it against what figures to be a Baltimore defense that stacks the box and dares them to run against it. Where Hamilton figures into the equation is the recent move the Ravens have made in bringing him down into the box instead of playing deep. That’s adding one of the best safeties in the game to the box, which only makes the Ravens even more difficult to run against. The impact has shown in the the fact Baltimore’s run defense has been at its best the last four or five games, although it did give up 120 rushing yards to the Minnesota Vikings last week.

Cleveland Browns defensive matchup of the game: LB Carson Schwesinger vs. QB Lamar Jackson

Much like the Judkins-Hamilton matchup, this will be far from a one-man operation if Jackson is to be slowed down when the Ravens have the football. It’s hard to imagine the Browns strictly use Schwesinger as a spy on the Baltimore quarterback, since that seems like more of a job for a third safety like Rayshawn Jenkins. However, the rookie linebacker’s ability to make instinctual plays will be put to the test against the elusive Jackson. He’ll have to maintain discipline in reading his keys so as to not allow Jackson to use that leverage to escape and extend plays, which lead to down-field shots for big plays. Of course, overcommit to Jackson, and that’s when running back Derrick Henry creases the defense and runs past the spot where Schwesinger should be.

3 burning questions for Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

• What will the second game with Tommy Rees calling plays look like? There were some noticeable changes to the Browns offense with offensive coordinator Tommy Rees calling the plays against the New York Jets. Gabriel was moved around inside and outside of the pocket more, which led to him running the ball more as well. The Browns had success on crossing routes, while they also fed the ball to wide receiver Jerry Jeudy much earlier, which led to his best statistical game of the season. The offense still only scored 20 points, but there was more efficiency on a drive-by-drive basis. Can they build off that this week?
• Will the boo birds come out early for Browns? Most of the Browns’ first nine games have been away from Cleveland. This will be just the fourth home game of the season for the Browns, and only the second one since the middle of September. Specifically, it’s the second home game for Gabriel, who many of the fans have already run out of patience for despite just five starts. How many incompletions or three-and-outs will it take to get the fans to openly turn on their starting quarterback? It may not take many.
• Can the Browns continue to slow down Derrick Henry? Henry has had his share of struggles in his career against the Browns. Henry is averaging 52.3 yards in eight games against Cleveland. That includes a 23-yard performance in Week 2 in Baltimore. If the Browns can continue to keep the All-Pro running back from going wild, it can make the Ravens a little easier to defend, although it’s never easy with Jackson. If Henry gets going, Baltimore could make it a long late afternoon on the lakefront.

3 key numbers for Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens

37

The Browns continue to do a good job of not allowing opposing quarterbacks to throw for more than 300 yards. The last one to do so was Gardner Minshew with the Indianapolis Colts in Cleveland’s Week 7 win in the 2023 season. So it’s been 37 games since that’s happened. Jackson is absolutely a quarterback capable of throwing for 300 yards. That’s where the Browns’ second-ranked pass defense has to hold up.

103.3

Speaking of Jackson, no quarterback in NFL history has posted a higher passer rating. His 103.3 rating over 109 career games, including 100 starts, is ahead of Aaron Rodgers’ 102.5 and Patrick Mahomes’ 101.8. Jackson’s rating against the Browns in 14 career games is 100.3.

561

Judkins made his career debut in Week 2 against the Ravens in Baltimore. Over the eight games he’s played, he’s rushed for 561 yards and five touchdowns. He’s 16th overall in the league in rushing, but leads all rookies in rushing.