The Baltimore Ravens dropped to 8-4 for the season following their heartbreaking loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 13. They will look to get their season back on track this coming Sunday when they travel to Cleveland to face the struggling Browns. Who will prevail in the Ravens vs Browns clash?
Baltimore Ravens installed as +1.5 underdogs
The Baltimore Ravens had their two-game winning streak snapped in Week 13 with a gut-wrenching 20-19 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Ravens decided to go for the win in regulation with a late two-point try, but that decision backfired as Lamar Jackson threw an incomplete pass to tight end Mark Andrews.
John Harbaugh explained his decision not to kick the extra point and force overtime, telling reporters after the game that the Ravens were out of cornerbacks at that point, and he could not risk going to the extra period with an injury-plagued secondary.
The defeat proved to be costly for the Ravens, who relinquished the No. 1 seed in the AFC to the New England Patriots. The good news for the Ravens is that they still hold a one-game lead in the AFC North following Cincinnati's blowout loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
For the Ravens to return to the win column in Week 14, they will need to do a much better job of protecting Jackson inside the pocket. Jackson was sacked seven times in the loss to the Steelers, 3 ½ of which came from the returning T.J. Watt. Jackson recorded 308 total yards against Pittsburgh.
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Cleveland Browns enter Week 14 as -1.5 favorites
The Cleveland Browns headed into their bye week in a state of disarray after suffering a 16-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12. It was a disappointing loss for the Browns, who failed to take advantage of Lamar Jackson's four interceptions in that game. They now trail the Ravens by two games in the AFC North heading into Week 14.
Both teams will face each other again this Sunday in an immediate rematch, with the Browns having home-field advantage this time around. This season, the Browns have won four of their six games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Ravens have struggled on the road in this campaign, going 3-3 in their away matches.
For the Browns to grab the critical win in this divisional clash, they will need to get a much-improved showing from Baker Mayfield. He completed just 18 of 37 passes for 247 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in the Week 12 loss to the Ravens. Mayfield is ranked just 26th in the NFL in QBR, posting a low 37.9 rating. That is well below the 66.5 ratings he finished with last year.
Mayfield has battled various injuries this season, including a torn labrum to his left shoulder that he suffered in Week 2. The Browns hope the bye week will help freshen up Mayfield for the closing stages of the 2021 season. Cleveland has scored more than 17 points just once since October 10.
Writer's Prediction
Cleveland wins and covers the spread.
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