Ravens like where they are at the quarter-pole
Rookie quarterbacks have traditionally struggled against the Baltimore Ravens.
Baker Mayfield will try to be the exception.
The Ravens already demolished Bills rookie Nathan Peterman in the regular-season opener, sacking him three times and forcing a pair of interceptions. Mayfield, however, poses a bigger challenge and has already helped turn around the Browns’ offense.
Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh has been impressed with the young gunslinger.
“He’s played very well,” Harbaugh said. “Just what we thought coming out, he’s the same quarterback in the NFL that he was in college. Very accurate, very aggressive, and a lot of juice, a lot of energy, and he’s making plays for them.”
The Ravens are coming off a spirited 26-14 victory Sunday night against Pittsburgh, snapping a three-game losing streak to the defending AFC North champions. Baltimore wants to make sure there is no letdown against the Browns.
“Excited about the opportunity, going up there, a division game,” Harbaugh said. “We expect the crowd to be very into it. (This is) a very good Cleveland Browns team, a very young team. They’ve transformed the team over the last couple years, and they’re playing very well, so it’ll be a big challenge for us.”
Baltimore enters the game tied with the Bengals for first place in the division. The Ravens will get a boost against the Browns with rookie tight end Hayden Hurst (foot), defensive tackle Willie Henry (hernia) and veteran cornerback Jimmy Smith (suspension) expected to rejoin the lineup.
The Ravens are ranked fifth in the league, averaging 30.8 points per game. One of the goals will be to keep the pressure on the Browns, who are allowing 395 yards per game.
“We’re only four games in. Obviously, we like some of the stuff we’re doing,” said quarterback Joe Flacco, who is ranked eighth among NFL quarterbacks with 1,252 passing yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. “We can get better at a lot of stuff, like always. But it’s tough to compare to 10 years’ worth of football teams. We’ve had a lot of good teams in here that have sustained good years throughout 16-games-plus.
“It’s tough to compare a team that’s only been going at it for four weeks, and kind of talk us up more than we should. We’re playing well, but we’re still making some mistakes. We have the potential to be a good football team – we just have to continue to make it.”
SERIES HISTORY: 39th regular-season meeting. Ravens lead series, 29-9. Baltimore is 14-5 in Cleveland. Under head coach John Harbaugh, Baltimore is 18-2 against the Browns, including 9-1 on the road. The Ravens have also won five straight games against Cleveland and four in a row at FirstEnergy Stadium.
