Joe Flacco’s arm is still a dangerous weapon. After missing a good part of the 2015 season due to a knee injury, Flacco returned to action and immediately impressed, throwing for 258 yards on 23 of 34 passing with a touchdown and no interceptions in the Ravens’ 13-7 win over Buffalo on Sunday.
Flacco could even be better next week, as he faces a Cleveland team which, in Week 1’s loss to Philly, looked like it did more boozing than practicing during the offseason.
Flacco has a new toy to play around in the form of Mike Wallace. Wallace made instant impact on the Ravens’ offense, recording 91 yards with a touchdown on three receptions. Wallace’s deep field skills paired with Flacco’s arm definitely smell like a recipe of disaster for the Browns’ defense that was burned by a rookie quarterback the last time out.
Baltimore’s defense, which limited the Bills to only 160 total yards, is also expected to take care of business this coming Sunday. Not that the Ravens’ stop unit is tops in the league but holding the trio of Tyrod Taylor, Sammy Watkins, and LeSean McCoy in check says more about the team’s ability to contain the Browns’ less stellar offensive crew.
The Ravens are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games in Cleveland.
Well, the Browns had a very Browns start to the season, complete with an injured starting quarterback. Robert Griffin sprained his shoulder late in the fourth period of the Browns’ 29-10 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday. Griffin, however, is confident he’ll play next week.
Griffin barely did anything to please Browns fans before leaving the field, passing for a mere 190 yards with an interception. As the score suggests, the Browns had a hard time pushing the ball down the field. Gary Barnidge, who led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns last season, had zero receiving yards and was targeted just twice against the Eagles.
As bad as their offense looked in Week 1, the Browns still have serviceable pieces they can use to deal Baltimore damage. There’s Isaiah Crowell, who rushed for 62 yards on 12 carries in Week 1. There’s also rookie receiver Corey Coleman, who will build on a 69-receiving-yard performance on two catches against the Ravens.
