Four Ravens X-Factors vs. Browns

Had the Ravens been able to hang on to win their season-opener, the fourth-year former undrafted free agent would've gone down as an unsung hero for his key contributions to the team's prolific offensive output. With All Pro fullback Patrick Ricard and tight end Isaiah Likely both out with injuries, Mitchell-Paden stepped up in a big way. He spent the bulk of his 15 offensive snaps lined up in the backfield at fullback, where he helped spring five-time Pro Bowl running back for some of his best runs. Now that the Ravens have ruled out Ricard and Likely again and announced that they are elevating him from the practice squad for the second week in a row, expect to see the Rockville, Md. native potentially even more serving in the same role against the Browns, his former team, with whom he signed when entering the league.

ILB Teddye Buchanan

One of the subtle surprises of the Ravens' final snap count from Week 1 was that the fourth-round rookie didn't just regularly rotate with third-year incumbent starter Trenton Simpson at the WILL off-ball linebacker spot. He actually out-snapped Simpson on defense and special teams. On Monday, head coach John Harbaugh told reporters they plan to continue rotating the two at about an even split. While Buchanan didn't earn a high grade in coverage from PFF, he made some nice plays in space. He prevented a completion in man coverage and stopped a third-down conversion. Against the Browns, he could see a lot of action lined up across from fellow rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. Fannin was selected by Cleveland in the third round, led the team in targets in Week 1, and is deployed in a variety of ways.

WR DeAndre Hopkins

Since the Browns will likely have four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward follow Ravens homegrown Pro Bowl wideout Zay Flowers, who leads the league in receiving yards heading into Week 2, Hopkins will have more favorable matchups to make plays down the field and on key third downs. Last week, he showed that he doesn't need an abundance of targets to have impact and that he's still capable of making spectacular contested catches, as was evidenced by his incredible 29-yard touchdown snag he made with one hand down the right sideline.

CB Chidobe Awuzie

The Ravens' secondary played a big role in their epic collapse last week. However, the eighth-year veteran played well. He did not give up any big plays through the air and nearly had an interception that could've been the difference in the game. Awuzie played two-thirds of the defense's total snaps in the season—compared to a third for veteran Jaire Alexander. But now that the two-time Pro Bowler was announced as a healthy scratch, he will likely see his percentage of snaps increase. Coaches may also trust him in crucial situations if the game is tight late over other depth pieces like second-year pro T.J. Tampa or undrafted rookie Keyon Martin.