Ravens-Browns Week 12 Pregame Notes: First Place, Top Seed in AFC Playoffs at Stake
BALTIMORE — Ravens wide receiver Marquise Brown is likely to play Sunday night against the Cleveland Browns.
Brown has been dealing with a thigh injury and missed last week's game against the Chicago Bears.
Brown leads the Ravens in targets (82), yards (719), and touchdowns (6). He is second behind Mark Andrews (56) with 52 receptions.
In two games against Cleveland last year Brown had seven receptions for 151 yards.
Since 2019, Brown’s 21 receiving touchdowns are the league’s third most.
After seven receiving touchdowns as a rookie in 2019, Brown posted eight receiving touchdowns in 2020 and has six in 2021.
Harrison Activated
Ravens linebacker Malik Harrison was activated from the non-football injury list and could play against the Browns. Harrison has not played since he was struck in the calf by a stray bullet on Oct. 31 in Cleveland.
Battle for First Place
The Cincinnati Bengals routed the Pittsburgh Steelers 41-10. That means that if the Ravens lose to the Browns, Cincinnati will take over first place in the AFC North.
Baltimore would take over the top seed in the AFC playoffs with a win because the Tennessee Titans lost to the surging Patriots 36-13. New England is now the No. 2 seed.
Can Ravens Contain Browns' Running Attack?
Browns running back Kareem Hunt and offensive tackle Jack Conklin are back in the lineup and will provide additional challenges for a Ravens, who have given up big plays and struggled with their tackling.
Hunt has been out since Week 6 with a calf injury. He has 361 yards rushing with five touchdowns while splitting carries with Nick Chubb, who has run for 851 yards.
The duo is one of the NFL's best one-two punches in the backfield and will pose a threat to the Ravens, who have been without nose tackle Brandon Williams for the past two games. Williams (shoulder) is questionable. Defensive end Calais Campbell (concussion) has been ruled out.
The Ravens promoted defensive tackle Isaiah Mack.
If the Browns can dominate in the run game, it will be a long night for Baltimore.
Success in Prime Time
The Ravens are an NFL-best 17-2 (.895) in primetime games at M&T Bank Stadium under coach John Harbaugh. The Ravens have outscored opponents, 541-323, in primetime games at M&T Bank Stadium since 2008.
