Three burning questions the Cleveland Browns need to answer against the Baltimore Ravens

BEREA — The Browns will face the old Browns this Sunday. The old Browns, better known as the Baltimore Ravens, were just about everything current Browns I wish they were there this season.

The Ravens are 5-2 and have a five-game winning streak. The Browns, the ones that exist in Cleveland now, are 1-6 and ranked No. 1 a series of five defeats in a row.

Baltimore boasts a dynamic attack led by Lamar Jacksonone of best quarterbacks of the matchAND Derrick Henrya former All-Pro running back whose career was left on the sidelines. Cleveland probably has the worst offense in the league after the loss Deshaun Watsonhis struggling starting quarterbackdown Tear of Achilles last Sunday, the same day it returned Nick Chubbhis former Pro Bowl running backafter a knee injury.

This is the best result in the AFC North compared to the bottom of the AFC North. Here are three questions about how the script could be flipped on Sunday.

What does he do? Cleveland Browns what does ken dorsey’s crime look like?

The decision to leave Jameis Winston replacing the injured Watson wasn’t a shocking announcement by Browns coach Kevin Stefanski this week. The former No. 1 pick probably gives the team its best chance to win, at least with this version of the offense.

The shocking news was that Stefanski did giving up play-related responsibilities offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, and not just against the Ravens, but for the rest of the season.

Some fans and even non-fans questioned how much Stefanski could handcuff Watson when he was healthy, and the offense was based on dedication to “his style” of offense. There is certainly evidence from the last three seasons that the motivator and the playmaker didn’t quite seem to be a stylistic match.

The irony, however, is that Watson won’t be around to prove these people’s hypothesis true. But even with Winston now at the helm and winger Amari Cooper now with Dorsey’s former team, the Buffalo Bills, the fascination will be the immediate changes that will be seen against a Ravens defense that isn’t the typical top-league version of itself. .

Maybe, just maybe, he will provide ammunition for those who argue that Dorsey should be the one to name something that was allegedly at least partially his own crime. Or maybe it will just be more of the same.

Or maybe this will move on to the next question.

Can Jameis Winston provide a spark with Deshaun Watson sidelined for the season?

It’s been over two years since Winston started playing. However, the confidence and gunslinger mentality that has defined him throughout his life as the face of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and mostly as a backup for the New Orleans Saints are still there.

Two of the biggest criticisms of Watson when healthy this season have been his indecisiveness and holding on to the ball too long. There’s no doubt that won’t be a problem for Winston, as he showed when he came on last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals and threw the ball down the field to help the Browns score a late touchdown to at least give them a slim chance to score. return.

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 the game plan formed for him and developed by Dorsey?

Just as many were calling for Dorsey to play quarterback, many were calling for Winston to be the starting quarterback, even with a healthy Watson. This is their moment.

Can the Cleveland Browns defense slow down the Baltimore Ravens, especially Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry?

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

The fact that Jackson, fresh off winning his second Most Valuable Player award, continues to make strides in his all-around game isn’t shocking at all. He continues to silence those who doubted his ability to be an elite passer, with a league-leading passer rating of 118.0, giving him 1,810 yards, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions, along with 455 rushing yards and two scores.

Henry was believed to have reached the peak of his career and began his inevitable decline when the Tennessee Titans allowed him to walk right into the welcoming arms of the Ravens. This move was simply a revitalization for him – 873 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns while averaging 6.5 yards per carry, both of which lead the NFL.

With this combination, Baltimore averaged 210.9 rushing yards and 461.4 total yards, both the highest in the league. The Ravens could become the first team since the 1960 Green Bay Packers to rush for at least 150 yards in their first eight games if they exceed that mark against Cleveland.

Last Sunday, the Browns showed positive signs on defense despite losing. They rank 15th in rushing (126.1 yards per game) and 11th in passing (191.7), so they’ll need to be even better if they’re going to slow down the Ravens’ voracious offense.

Chris Easterling can be reached at [email protected]. For more information on the Browns, visit www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

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