Thursday NFL games have gained the reputation of being low in quality so it’s only fitting that the Browns would play in one this week, as they travel to Baltimore to face the Ravens. The Browns, who lost to Dallas on Sunday 35-10, are 0-9 and are still looking to get their first win of the season.
Cody Kessler will likely get another start after getting the starting gig over Josh McCown in the Cowboys game. Kessler passed for 203 yards and a touchdown without throwing a pick on 19 of 27 completions. Kessler wasn’t under center in Week 2’s 25-20 home loss to Baltimore, but regardless of who starts this this Thursday for the Browns, the team will have to give that quarterback better protection after allowing four sacks against Dallas.
Kessler can look forward to teaming up with Corey Coleman, who returned to action on Sunday following a six-game absence due to a hand injury. Coleman was sensational in the prior meeting with the Ravens, receiving for 104 yards and two touchdowns on five catches. He shook off the rust in his return by turning three catches to 41 receiving yards versus Dallas.
Cleveland’s run game has to be better, however, after rushing for a measly 45 yards against the Cowboys. The Browns had a field day in Week 2’s loss to the Ravens, when they rushed for 145 yards (Isaiah Crowell had 133).
The Browns are 5-1 ATS in their last six games in Baltimore.
The Ravens are back on track. After dropping all of their last four contests, Joe Flacco and crew returned in the win column with a 21-14 triumph at home over the Steelers on Sunday. They now get a lightweight in the form of the Browns, whom the Ravens have beaten in the past two meetings. Baltimore also covered the spread in both those games.
Flacco wasn’t at his sharpest against Pittsburgh—passing for 241 yards and a touchdown with an interception on 18 of 30 passes—but a tasty matchup against Cleveland’s utterly poor defense that ranks 24th in pass defense offers the quarterback a great chance to rebound. Flacco had 302 passing yards and two touchdowns with a pair of interceptions in the Week 2 win over Cleveland.
Defensively, the Ravens could look forward to tearing apart Cleveland’s punching bag offensive line, which has allowed 26 sacks on the season, second most in the NFL. Conversely, Baltimore is 14th in the league with 18 sacks this year.
Baltimore is 2-0 SU and ATS in its last two meetings with the Browns.
