Ravens vs. Browns Preview: For All the Marbles

The Baltimore Ravens close out the regular season with a chance to clinch the division title.

Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Shelby Harris (93) closes in on Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half of an NFL football game at Huntington Bank Field, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024, in Cleveland, Ohio. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For much of the season, the Baltimore Ravens' chances of winning a second-straight AFC North title looked to be in jeopardy. Now, they're one win away from not only doing that, but avenging one of their most agonizing losses of the season.

In Week 8, the Ravens rode a five-game winning streak into their road matchup against the Cleveland Browns, who were riding a five-game losing streak at the time. It looked like an easy win for Baltimore on paper, but divisional games, especially in the AFC North, are never that simple. Cleveland came out and played arguably its best game of the season, upsetting Baltimore 29-24 thanks to a three-touchdown performance by Jameis Winston, who was making his first start as a Brown.

While that defeat still stings, the Ravens have their eyes on the greater prize of a division title.

"It's definitely a goal," head coach John Harbaugh told reporters this week. "It's one of our five main goals – to win the division. From a team perspective, it's a big deal. It's a tough division; we respect these teams tremendously."

The Browns' offense looks quite different now compared to the unit that carved the Ravens' defense apart in late October. Winston is dealing with a shoulder injury, so Bailey Zappe will see his first action as a Brown, though Dorian Thompson-Robinson could also play. Additionally, Cleveland is also dealing with a few more high-profile injuries, with tight end David Njoku being the most notable player.

Baltimore's defense has drastically improved since that first game, and despite Cleveland's battered offense, the group wants to prove a point against the same team.

"We still have a sour taste in our mouth from that game, and [we] had a lot of opportunities to win that one and obviously didn't come out with a win," safety Kyle Hamilton said. "So, I think we're going to play with a little bit of a chip on our shoulder and really prove ourselves right – more than anything – that we're going to go out and ... It doesn't matter the implications [or] whatever; we need to go out and play a good football game, and if we do, then we'll be AFC [North] champs."

If Cleveland's offense is banged-up, then its defense might as well be in a hospital ward at this point. Several of the Browns' top defenders are already on injured reserve, and now top cornerback Denzel Ward is out for this game as well.

Meanwhile, the Ravens' top players on offense are on the verge of history. Lamar Jackson can set the single-season passer rating record if he posts a rating of 134.4 or better in this game, while Derrick Henry is 217 yards away from becoming the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in two separate seasons. Of course, winning remains the top priority, however.

"If I'm in my childhood mindset [with] breaking a record, yes," Jackson said. "But I'm trying to win games, so it really [doesn't] matter. If it happens, it happens. If it [doesn't, it] probably will happen sometime down the line."

The Ravens will clinch the AFC North and the No. 3 seed with a win, pitting them against either the Los Angeles Chargers or Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild card round. With a loss and a Steelers win, though, they'd fall to the No. 5 seed and start the postseason on the road against the Houston Texans.

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