Ravens trounce Browns despite sluggish start
The Baltimore Ravens capped off their regular season with a convincing 35-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The Browns, who will hold the No.2 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, are not a good team and had many starters miss the game due to injury. Sufficed to say, this was more of a tune-up game for the AFC North champion Ravens. Despite the score, the Ravens looked sloppy in the first half, missing blocks, committing penalties, and dropping passes. With a home Wild Card playoff game against the Steelers approaching, let’s look at some of the biggest risers as the Ravens prepare for the playoffs.
Stock up
Derrick Henry, RB
Before the season, there was a big question surrounding how future Hall of Fame RB Derrick Henry would fit into the Ravens offense. Would it work? Could it be unstoppable? What will it do for QB Lamar Jackson? The result has been an overwhelming success. Henry ran for 138 yards and two touchdowns on Saturday to bring his season totals to 1,921 yards and 17 touchdowns. Additionally, the Ravens became the first team in NFL history to pass for 4,000 yards and run for 3,000 in a single season, thanks in large part to the addition of Henry. While Lamar Jackson is the Ravens’ MVP, Henry will be the engine that could propel this team deep into the postseason.
Rashod Bateman, WR
WR Rashod Bateman has had a quite a rocky NFL journey. A top draft pick, Bateman struggled to stay healthy in his first three seasons, and as a result hasn’t been able to fully get into a groove with QB Lamar Jackson. In 2024, Bateman has stayed on the field and had a career year as a result. With WR Zay Flowers expected to miss this weekend’s game against Pittsburgh, Bateman will need to step up in a big way to help fill the Pro-Bowlers void.
Mark Andrews, TE
After a sluggish start to the season, Mark Andrews managed to surpass his single season career high in touchdown receptions (11) and is still engrained as Jackson’s No.1 option in the passing game. The absence of Andrews hurt Baltimore in the playoffs last year and it will be a welcome sight for No.89 to be fully healthy for a Ravens playoff run.
Kyle Van Noy, EDGE
What a year for Kyle Van Noy. The 33-year-old pass rusher had the best season of his career, remarkably finishing fourth in the NFL in sacks (12.5). Additionally, Van Noy’s sack on Saturday triggered a $500K bonus. The Ravens defense will benefit from Van Noy’s leadership and production in the playoffs.
Lamar Jackson, QB
Lamar Jackson had a relatively pedestrian outing on Saturday. After the game, Jackson said he was more focused on the team’s upcoming Wild Card game, saying it was “cool” to win the hat and t-shirt game, but adding that his mind is on the playoffs. Jackson has put together one of the most prolific QB seasons in NFL history, passing for over 4,000 yards with 42 touchdowns and 4 interceptions, not to mention adding over 900 yards on the ground. This playoff run will be a pivotal one for Jackson who has underperformed in the playoffs relative to his dominant regular season standards.
Zach Orr, DC
Defensive Coordinator Zach Orr has somehow pulled off one of the greatest single season turnarounds for an offense or defense in recent memory. After a putrid first half of the season, the Ravens have gone from one of the worst defenses in the league, to one of the best. Since week 11, Baltimore’s defense is first in scoring defense, total defense, pass defense, yards per play, and EPA.
Michael Pierce, DT
Pierce delivered one of the best moments of the NFL season on Saturday, dropping back in coverage to grab the heaviest interception in NFL history. The veteran nose tackle ended Baltimore’s season on a high note and will hopefully be a good omen for things to come.
Stock down
Zay Flowers, WR
In the final game of the season, as a 20-point favorite, Pro-Bowl WR Zay Flowers suffered an extremely unfortunate knee injury that might sideline him for the Ravens’ upcoming game against the Steelers. While injuries happen and nobody is to blame, the timing and circumstances of the injury make it a much tougher pill to swallow. HC John Harbaugh has labeled the injury as “day-to-day”, but it looks unlikely Flowers will be ready for this Saturday’s game. Flowers is a key cog in the Ravens historic offense and will work to get back on the field as soon as possible.
Brandon Stephens, CB
CB Brandon Stephens capped off his season in disappointing fashion and seems to be the one weak spot on defense that opposing teams are picking on. Stephens has struggled all year to locate the football, a theme that continued against the Browns. QB Russell Wilson is notorious for taking shots down the field, particularly to WR Geroge Pickens and it might be in the Ravens best interest to give CB Tre’Davious White more reps considering the style of their opponent.
Offensive line
The Ravens offensive line has steadily improved throughout the season but simply didn’t play well against the Browns. The Cleveland front was able to get in the backfield consistently, and while the Ravens eventually put it together in the second half, that type of performance won’t be enough vs. the likes of the Steelers, Bills, or Chiefs.