Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens open their season at home against the visiting Cleveland Browns, who are eager to bounce back from a forgettable 2019 campaign. Check out our preview of this game below.Join our 2020 NFL Survivor Pool contest and check out our preview of this game below.
With a new head coach in the offensive-minded Kevin Stefanski, the Browns are hoping that their offense will truly take flight this year. Baker Mayfield remains the quarterback of the team, and will give it a go again after a turnover-filled 2019 campaign that saw him turn the ball over (23) more times than he threw for a touchdown (22). The talent around Mayfield is undeniably great and it’s just up to him to get it together. Downfield, he’ll have the pair of Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr, though, the former might not be ready to play against the Ravens in Week 1 due to a hip issue. Mayfield should also be protected better in the pocket, as the Browns drafted left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. Then in the backfield, the Browns have arguably the best top-two running backs in the NFL in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. When the Browns shocked Baltimore in a 40-25 road win last season, Chubb exploded for 165 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.
The Browns are 3-1 against the spread in their last four home games overall.
Lamar Jackson broke the NFL last year with an MVP-winning season. His passing numbers were not mind-blowing in terms of yardage, as he passed for 3,127 yards and 36 touchdowns against six interceptions, but blew people’s minds with his 1,206 rushing yards and seven rushing scores. A true dual-threat quarterback, Jackson can be a one-man wrecking crew again against the Browns, whose new-look set of linebackers crew might need more time to get accustomed to playing with each other. Behind Jackson’s brilliance, the Ravens finished the 2019 season first in scoring offense (31.9 points per game) and second in total offense (414.8 total yards per game). Jackson led the Ravens to a 31-15 win in Cleveland in Week 16 of last season, as he went 20 for 31 for 238 passing yards and three touchdowns to go with 103 rushing yards on 17 carries.
The Ravens are 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games overall.
