PERSONNEL NEWS

Strategy And Personnel

The Sports Xchange

October 04, 2018 at 1:09 am.

PLAYER NOTES

–CB Jimmy Smith resumed practice this week on a roster exemption after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said that if Smith practices well, he will play Sunday against Browns.

–TE Hayden Hurst, a rookie first-round pick, said he is a “full-go” at practice this week and will likely make his regular-season debut against the Browns. He has not played since undergoing surgery Aug. 24 for a stress fracture in his foot. Hurst had a solid training camp before suffering the injury and could be another effective weapon for quarterback Joe Flacco.

–DT Willie Henry was back at practice this week and could play for the first time this season after sitting out the first four games following hernia surgery. Henry played in 14 games last year and made three starts, finishing with 33 tackles and 3.5 sacks. “He’ll be at practice this week and we’ll see how he does,” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said.

–CB Brandon Carr (knee) was held out of practice Wednesday. He has been hampered with the injury over the last two weeks. Carr played well against the Steelers on Sunday night, breaking up a potential touchdown in the end zone against wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Carr has started 164 straight games, the longest active stretch of any defensive player in the NFL. That could end this week with the return of Jimmy Smith, who could regain his starting spot opposite Marlon Humphrey.

–DB/LB Anthony Levine Sr. (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday. However, the injury is not expected to keep him out of the lineup against Cleveland. Levine had a key interception Sunday night against Pittsburgh that helped seal the Ravens’ victory.

–LB Tim Williams (hamstring) was held out of practice Wednesday. Williams did not appear to be hampered by the injury in the previous game against Pittsburgh. Williams, a second-year player from Alabama, has five tackles and two sacks this season.

PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: WR John Brown. The Ravens signed Brown in the offseason as a potential big-play threat and he has delivered. Brown caught two passes for 104 yards and a touchdown in the first half Sunday night against Pittsburgh. He has caught 15 passes for a team-high 338 yards and three touchdowns over four games. He ranks third in the NFL with 22.5 yards per catch.

GAME PLAN: The Ravens revamped offense has been impressive this season, averaging 396.8 yards and 30.8 points per game. Joe Flacco is having one of the finest seasons of his career. He has thrown for 1,252 yards with eight touchdowns and two interceptions. He will test a Browns’ secondary that is allowing 278 passing yards per game. Baltimore, however, still needs to get its running game revved up to set the tone and control the clock in a hostile road environment. The Ravens have to be wary of Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, who had nine tackles (seven solo) and a half-sack last week against Oakland.

The Ravens defense has been dominant up front and in the secondary. They will look to keep Browns rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield on his heels for much of the game. The Ravens are tied with seven teams with 12 sacks on the year. One of the keys for Baltimore will be shutting down Browns running back Carlos Hyde to make Mayfield try and win the game through the air. Hyde has been impressive and is ranked sixth in the NFL with 285 yards and a league-high five touchdowns.
MATCHUPS TO WATCH

–Ravens secondary vs. Browns QB Baker Mayfield. The Ravens will get a boost this week with the return of cornerback Jimmy Smith in an already strong secondary. Baltimore has four interceptions over the opening four games and has forced two fumbles. The Ravens will try to confuse Mayfield with multiple blitz packages and different looks in the secondary. Mayfield, however, will not be intimidated. He has thrown for 496 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.

–Ravens WR vs. Browns S Damarious Randall and CB Denzel Ward. Baltimore quarterback Joe Flacco has multiple weapons and threw to 11 receivers against the Steelers. John Brown is the most dangerous deep threat, while Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead IV are adept at catching the ball in the middle of the field and at the first-down markers. Randall and Ward have been solid and already have two interceptions apiece. However, the Browns placed cornerback Terrance Mitchell on injured reserve with a broken wrist. This is a key loss. Cornerback E.J. Gaines will likely start opposite of Ward.