3 burning questions the Cleveland Browns must answer against the Baltimore Ravens

BEREA – The Browns face the old Browns this Sunday. The old Browns, better known as the Baltimore Ravens, have been almost everything the current browns I wish they were this season.

The Ravens are 5-2 and on a five-game winning streak. The Browns, the ones that exist now in Cleveland, are 1-6 and a five-game losing streak.

Baltimore has a dynamic offense led by Lamar Jacksonone of the the best quarterbacks in the gameand Henry Derricka former All-Pro running back whose career was left for dead. Cleveland has an offense that is possibly the worst in the league, having lost Deshaun Watsonis struggling starting quarterbackstill Achilles tear Last Sunday, the same day he returned. Nick Chubis former Pro Bowl running backdue to a knee injury.

It’s the best in the AFC North against the last place in the AFC North. However, here are three questions that look at ways the script could change on Sunday.

What does a cleveland browns What does Ken Dorsey’s infraction look like?

The decision to go to James Winston Replacing the injured Watson was not the shocking announcement this week from Browns coach Kevin Stefanski. The former No. 1 overall pick probably gives the team its best chance to win, at least with this iteration of the offense.

The shocking announcement was that Stefanski was hand over play control tasks to offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, and not just against the Ravens but for the rest of the season.

There has been a portion of the fan base, and even those outside the fan base, who have questioned the extent to which Stefanski may have been handcuffing Watson, when he was healthy, and based the offense on a dedication to “his style.” offensive. There’s certainly evidence from the last three seasons that the play-caller and quarterback didn’t exactly seem to work from a stylistic standpoint.

The irony, however, is that Watson will not be around to prove that these people’s hypothesis is correct. However, even with Winston now at the helm and wide receiver Amari Cooper now with Dorsey’s former team, the Buffalo Bills, the fascination will be in the immediate changes seen against a Ravens defense that is not typical of first line. -League version of himself.

Maybe, just maybe, it provides ammunition for those who have argued that Dorsey should be the one to qualify what was supposedly, at least in part, his own offense. Or maybe it’s more of the same.

Or maybe move on to the next question.

Can Jameis Winston provide a spark with Deshaun Watson out for the rest of the season?

It’s been more than two years since Winston started a game. However, the confidence and gunslinger mentality that defined him during his days as the face of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and, primarily, the backup of the New Orleans Saints still exist.

Two of the biggest criticisms of Watson when healthy this season were his lack of decisiveness and holding the ball for too long. There’s no doubt those won’t be problems for Winston, as he showed when he came into last Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals and threw it across the yard to help the Browns score a late touchdown and give them at least a slight chance to win. gain. go back.

What can Winston do with a full week of preparation and, more importantly, practice reps with the No. 1 offense? What can he do with a game plan tailored to him and called by Dorsey?

Just as there were many who called for Dorsey to call plays, there were many who called for Winston to be the quarterback, even with a healthy Watson. This is your moment.

Can the Cleveland Browns defense stop the Baltimore Ravens, specifically Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry?

What happens when you put one of the most dynamic quarterbacks the NFL has ever seen with one of the best running backs in the league with a woodpile-sized chip on his shoulder? You get the terrifying machine that is the Ravens offense this season.

The fact that Jackson, fresh off his second MVP award, has continued to advance his all-around game is hardly surprising. He continues to silence those who doubted his ability to be an elite passer with a league-leading passer rating of 118.0 along with 1,810 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions, along with 455 rushing yards and two scores.

Henry was thought to have reached the peak of his career and begun the inevitable decline when the Tennessee Titans allowed him to walk, right into the welcoming arms of the Ravens. The move has been nothing short of revitalizing for him, with 873 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns averaging 6.5 yards per carry, all of which lead the NFL.

That combination has allowed Baltimore to average 210.9 rushing yards and 461.4 total yards, both league highs. The Ravens can become the first team since the 1960 Green Bay Packers to rush for at least 150 yards in their first eight games if they surpass that mark against Cleveland.

The Browns, despite the loss, showed positive signs on defense last Sunday. They rank 15th against the run (126.1 yards per game) and 11th against the pass (191.7) and will need to be even better if they want to stop the Ravens’ voracious offense.

You can contact Chris Easterling at [email protected]. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal: The 3 big questions for the Browns ahead of the game against the Baltimore Ravens