Browns players fired up over 'disrespectful' line for Ravens game

As of Thursday morning, ESPN BET had the 0-1 Cleveland Browns as massive 11.5-point underdogs for this coming Sunday's game at the 0-1 Baltimore Ravens.

Browns players are well aware that certain insiders believe the Week 2 matchup at M&T Bank Stadium will be a laugher. 

Denzel Ward isn't amused by Cleveland Browns-Baltimore Ravens line

"Yeah, it is definitely disrespect, but we just have to go in there and take care of business regardless of what people may think and who they’ve got winning or losing the game," Browns cornerback Denzel Ward said about the line, as shared by Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "We have to go in and try to beat the odds. They put us against the odds. We’ve got to go in there and try to beat it."

The Browns are coming off a 17-16 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals that featured Cleveland kicker Andre Szmyt missing an extra point and a 36-yard field goal with under three minutes remaining in regulation. Meanwhile, the Ravens squandered a fourth-quarter lead en route to suffering a brutal 41-40 defeat at the hands of the Buffalo Bills in Week 1.

"That’s disrespectful," Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy said about the 11.5-point spread. "But at the end of the day, if they think Baltimore could beat us like that, we’re going to have to prove another thing. We’ve got to do our job and do our best to win the game." 

Sunday's showdown between the AFC North rivals will have some extra juice for reasons that go beyond gambling, as the Ravens will celebrate former Browns owner Art Modell moving that franchise to Baltimore 30 years ago. According to Cabot, the Ravens said in a statement released on Wednesday that "the plans to celebrate the (team's) 30th season were publicly released in March prior to the announcement of the league schedule and before we knew who our home opening opponent would be."

Additionally, Browns quarterback Joe Flacco will be facing the team he played for from 2008 through the 2018 season. Flacco famously earned Super Bowl XLVII Most Valuable Player Award honors while with the Ravens in February 2013.

Jerry Jeudy pokes the bear

Per Ryan Phillips of Sports Illustrated, Jeudy was asked during his Wednesday media availability about the challenges the Baltimore secondary will present this weekend. 

"No challenges," Jeudy responded before moving on. 

If nothing else, it sounds like Browns players are ready for a fight against an advertised Super Bowl contender.