The Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens will play twice over the next three weeks.
Interestingly, the Browns will have a bye week between the two contests.
The Cleveland defense will try to contain the Baltimore offense on Sunday Night Football:
- The Browns’ defense ranks as the fourth-best in yards allowed
- The Ravens’ offense ranks as the third-best in yards accumulated
However, points have not been a strong suit for either team this season:
- 15. Baltimore, 24.7 points per game
- 16. San Francisco, 24.6
- 17. Green Bay, 22.5
- 18. Las Vegas, 22.3
- 19. Cleveland, 22.2
Both teams finished with more points per game last season.
Could we see an offensive surge for both squads?
This Week 12 game could be the start of the surge:
1. This Game Will Be An Offensive Explosion
Both the Browns and Ravens have seen their offenses underachieve this season.
Maybe these teams can have some of the same offensive magic that they did in Week 14 last year:
- Final Score: Ravens 47, Browns 42
- Fourth Quarter: Browns 22, Ravens 13
- Both teams scored at least six points in every quarter
- Lamar Jackson: three total touchdowns
- Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt: two touchdowns each
- Just one turnover combined
If we get to see Kareem Hunt, Jack Conklin, and Lamar Jackson on the field for the nationally televised game, there should be another offensive explosion.
Getting Hunt and Conklin back will be huge for the Browns.
Jackson’s status seems to be improving as well, but we do not know yet if he will play Sunday:
Let us hope we get to see this game with the teams at full strength because we saw what happened when the teams were not:
- Browns 13, Lions 10
- Ravens 16, Bears 13
2. Baker Mayfield Has A Bounceback Game
This is a bold prediction: Mayfield is throwing for three touchdowns this week against the Ravens.
He has not done so since his first postseason victory against the Pittsburgh Steelers in January.
This will be the bounceback game for Mayfield.
This needs to be at least a decent game from the Browns quarterback.
In Mayfield’s last five games, he has led the Browns to more than 14 points just once.
He needs to get this offense going again.
If he does, then the Browns will be 7-5 and very happy going into their bye week.
3. Kareem Hunt Has A Stellar Return
D’Ernest Johnson filled in for the injured Hunt, but it is time for the Browns’ actual No. 2 running back to shine.
Nick Chubb and Hunt need to be the two-headed monster again.
They need to run all over the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.
That will happen.
The Browns have the league’s best rushing offense:
- No. 1 in yards
- No. 1 touchdowns
- No. 1 in yards per attempt
They put together another 200-yard performance and the Browns get their second winning streak going this season.
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