Baltimore vs. Cleveland
Baltimore Ravens Start 2020 Where They Left Off in 38-6 Rout of Cleveland Browns
It’s been eight months since the Baltimore Ravens’ stunning loss to Tennessee in the divisional round of the playoffs last season after posting a franchise-best 14-2 record. In the club’s first game since that defeat, it looked on one hand like business as usual with the way the Ravens played, but in other ways, everything has changed.
The Ravens avenged a home loss to the Cleveland Browns last year by dominating on both sides of the ball in a 38-6 Week 1 win that looked more like a training camp scrimmage instead of an NFL game with the stands empty because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was also both teams’ first time seeing any sort of game action since preseason games were also canceled due to the pandemic.
Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson utilized the passing game more, taking advantage of an injury-depleted Cleveland secondary by going an efficient 20-for-25 for 275 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions while running just seven times for 45 yards. Mark Andrews caught two touchdown passes while Marquise Brown racked up 101 receiving yards for the Ravens (1-0).
For Cleveland (0-1), it was a disappointing start to say the least for a team expected to take the next step by fulfilling the promise they showed in the 2018 season and early last year when they were the only team to win at M&T Bank Stadium during the regular season in a 40-25 win in Week 4. Baltimore’s defense held the Browns to just 306 total yards, including 189 from Baker Mayfield, who went 21-of-39 with a touchdown and an interception.
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The interception came at the hands of Marlon Humphrey on the Browns’ first drive to help set the tone for the rest of the game. Jackson ended up starting his first drive of 2020 at midfield, and after Mark Ingram ran for 19 yards to help Baltimore get to the 5-yard line, Jackson threw a shot pass up the middle to Andrews for the first touchdown of the season and a 7-0 lead.
The Browns faced fourth down at their own 31 on the next possession, and they chose to fake punt. The Ravens sniffed this out with Anthony Levine Sr. ending with a fumble recovery and a change of possession. That led to a Justin Tucker 41-yard field goal to make it 10-0.
Cleveland scored their only touchdown on their next possession, as Mayfield found David Njoku from one yard out, but the Browns missed the extra point, making it 10-6.
That would be it for the scoring for Cleveland. The Ravens scored twice in the second quarter; the first one coming on a three-yard run around the left end from 2020 second-round draft pick J.K. Dobbins for his first-career touchdown. He later added another one and finished with 22 yards on seven touches in a promising debut.
“It’s a blessing to have two touchdowns in my first NFL game, but it was all because of my teammates,” Dobbins said after the game. “The linemen were blowing well, and then, I feel comfortable with all my teammates. They [have taken] me in, and they showed me the way.”
Jackson and Andrews then connected on a score for the second time with just nine seconds left before halftime, making the score 24-6 and allowing the Ravens to go into the locker room feeling pretty good about themselves.
“I thought the drives at the end of the half were the difference, obviously,” head coach John Harbaugh said after the game. “We were able to pull away and kind of open up a lead there.”
In addition to Dobbins’ second touchdown, the Ravens’ other score on the day was a 19-yard connection between Jackson and Willie Snead IV.
The Browns seemed committed to stopping the Baltimore running game, and the Ravens’ 107 yards on the ground was the lowest total in Jackson’s 23 regular-season starts. Jackson received praise after the game for the way he found receivers in tight windows, going a perfect 10-for-10 on play action passes, and taking more chances downfield, going 9-of-10 for 180 yards on passes of 10 or more yards.
If Jackson can continue to shine in the passing game, defenses will have to respect that part of his game as well, perhaps opening the run back up and forcing teams to pick their poison on what to defend.
“Lamar did a really good job, and our offensive line did a good job of creating time in the pocket, which allowed the coverage to expand,” Harbaugh explained. “Our guys worked hard to get open. Lamar has amazing vision and can throw on the move; he sees the field so well.”
Despite no organized team activities (OTAs), a scaled down training camp, and no preseason games, Jackson credits the offeseason work he and his teammates were able to do.
“It’s just hard work and dedication,” Jackson said to reporters via Zoom teleconference. “It started with the COVID, our guys coming down [to south Florida in the summer months], trying to get some chemistry down pat. We started getting chemistry there, and our guys just dialed in, and they helped me out a lot—made my job easier.”
The reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic were constant. Dead silence before and after plays, no cheers to pump up the home team as they rushed out of the tunnel, and no jeers for the hated Browns—overall, a distinct lack of energy in the stadium. Harbaugh said the jarring difference was something the team was ready for, as he challenged them to create their own energy.
“The incredible amount of support from our fans that we normally have wasn’t there; it was different,” Harbaugh said. “I felt like our guys did a great job at bringing their own energy. We talked about it—BYOE, bring your own energy. We had a T-shirt made up, and they did it.”
Up next for the Ravens is a visit to Houston to play DeShaun Watson and the defending AFC South champion Texans, who will have had 10 days to prepare after a season-opening 34-20 loss at Kansas City this past Thursday night.
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