Ravens Warned About Browns Mentality

There aren't many analysts picking the Cleveland Browns against the Baltimore Ravens entering Week 2 of the NFL regular season.

Any arguments against the favored contenders have to stray from actual matchup comparisons, with the Ravens sporting a roster that's more impressive than what the Browns have to offer in nearly every department.

Cleveland has Myles Garrett to spearhead their pass-rush, but the seesaw heavily tilts in Baltimore's favor everywhere else. They have the star quarterback playing at the peak of his powers in Lamar Jackson, and his toolbox of pass-eating and touchdown-scoring weapons remains ready to continue dominating as an offense.

Their defense was received near-unanimous approval after their summer of adding, compiling what looked to be the best cornerback room in the NFL along with a high-powered assortment of safeties to lock down the backfield. That on-paper intrigue failed to hold up in their season opener against the Buffalo Bills, though, and the Ravens' less-impressive opponents will look to take advantage of their division rivals while they're down.

Several vocal members of the Browns have already gone out of their way to express how little Baltimore's vaunted secondary scares them, with Cleveland wide receiver Jerry Jeudy explicitly stating that they'll provide him with "no challenges."

Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy — Oct 27, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) misses a catch during the first half against the Baltimore Ravens at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Indeed, some talking heads are biting on the Browns' underdog mindset, taking notice of the vast assortment of media outlets picking against them.

"I know the Browns feel disrespected that they're double digit underdogs," Ashley Bastock of cleveland.com said. "There is a realistic possibility that we could be sitting here and saying, 'maybe the Ravens caught the Browns at a bad time.'"

"I know the Browns feel disrespected that they're double digit underdogs. There is a realistic possibility that we could be sitting here and saying, 'maybe the Ravens caught the Browns at a bad time'."

🏈 @AshleyBastock42 on @afternoon923FAN

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— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) September 10, 2025

The Ravens have a lot more to prove than dominance in a classic AFC North showdown. These are the two teams currently sitting on the division's bottom half, and the Ravens look to avoid last season's slow start in bouncing back. They'll already have an old friend's return in Joe Flacco to look forward to, and they are fully aware that the rest of the NFL's contenders are carefully watching to see how the Ravens will respond to their most recent late-game breakdown.

The case for a Browns upset would hinge on one of the league's worst teams completely punking the Ravens' fleet of stoppers in the secondary. They don't have much of a prayer in completely bottling up Baltimore's multifaceted offense unless Myles Garrett runs loose over the offensive line, and they don't have a Josh Allen-like game-changer to give Cleveland a permanent fighting chance.

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