Under-the-Radar Players Boost Ravens in Win Over Browns
The Ravens have an abundance of stars on their roster, but they also have impressive depth, and it was on display in Sunday's 41-17 victory over the Cleveland Browns in the home opener at M&T Bank Stadium.
On a day in which All-Pro running back Derrick Henry was held in check and two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson had to overcome a slow start, some of Baltimore's less-heralded players stepped up.
Wide receivers Devontez Walker and Tylan Wallace combined to catch three of Jackson's four touchdown passes; Jake Hummel and LaJohntay Wester made plays on special teams that led to scores; and outside linebacker Tavius Robinson's strip sack resulted in a touchdown that gave the Ravens (1-1) a three-score lead over the Browns (0-2) midway through the fourth quarter.
A to Z Sports’ Jake Crabbs: "Derrick Henry? 23 rushing yards. Mark Andrews? One reception for 2 yards. Rashod Bateman? Two catches for 15 yards. Isaiah Likely did not suit up. Lamar Jackson rushed for 13 yards. No. This game was about the Tylan Wallaces of the world. Wallace logged the game's first touchdown, a 15-yard score from Jackson. He also jumped on a loose ball to sustain a Ravens possession. He was joined by special teamer Jake Hummel as an unsung hero to make a major play — Hummel blocked a Browns punt to set up Wallace's touchdown pass. Receiver Tez Walker joined Wallace as a surprise standout with two touchdowns of his own on two targets. How's that for an efficient day?"
Press Box’s Bo Smolka: "Every team needs a Tylan Wallace. Wallace will never be the guy circled on the opposing scouting report. He never commands the pregame headlines, and often he isn't even mentioned when people discuss the Ravens' receiver room. But for five years now, the Ravens have leaned on Wallace in multiple phases of the game, and he's stepped in wherever asked. … In this game, Wallace got his reward, catching a 15-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson for the game's opening score. It was the second career touchdown catch for Wallace. He was a deserving target, too; a play earlier, he had recovered a fumble by Derrick Henry to maintain possession for the Ravens. True to form, Wallace also took over kick return duties after Rasheen Ali left with a concussion, and he averaged 26.3 yards on three returns."
The Baltimore Banner’s Kyle Goon: "Special props to Jake Hummel on a blocked punt and LaJohntay Wester on a punt return that set up a field goal. It had the feel of a Ravens win of old, outplaying the opponent in all three phases."
The Baltimore Sun’s Sam Cohn: "Special teams is a point of pride for the Ravens — particularly Head Coach John Harbaugh, who famously got his start in coaching with the game's third unit. It came as no surprise that the Ravens saw a need to invest in a veteran special teamer after a down year from that group in 2024. Enter Hummel, a veteran on a one-year deal signed on the heels of Malik Harrison and Chris Board signing elsewhere. In 2024, Hummel blocked a punt for a touchdown with the Rams. It took two weeks for him to block another as a Raven."
Defense Bounces Back
Defense has been a hallmark of the Ravens throughout their history, and the 2025 unit delivered a dominant performance on the day the franchise celebrated its 30th season.
On a sun-drenched afternoon, the Ravens turned up the heat on the Browns and old friend Joe Flacco. It was a vital bounce-back effort for the defense after its subpar showing in last week's loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "On an afternoon when Derrick Henry and the Ravens' running game were rendered punchless by an aggressive Browns defense, when quarterback Lamar Jackson was off early, and when several key players went down, the defense smothered Flacco and the Browns and didn't allow them off the mat. … Baltimore held the Browns to 323 total yards of offense, but 136 of that came on two drives when Cleveland was significantly behind. Otherwise, the Ravens forced two turnovers, both resulting in touchdowns. They also blocked a punt that led to the game's first score. Flacco, who couldn't have enjoyed his Baltimore homecoming, was sacked twice and hit nine times."
The Baltimore Sun’s Brian Wacker: "As woeful as Cleveland is, Baltimore's defense deserves a good bit of credit for not letting Flacco find a rhythm and return a conquering hero. He was harassed all day, and Cleveland's running game found little room against the Ravens' defensive line and a surging Roquan Smith, who finished with 15 tackles. The line, linebackers and secondary answered the call after getting pushed around a week ago."
The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han: "The clear messaging out of the Bills loss, which echoed through the Ravens locker room last week, was that guys on the defense needed to focus on doing their 'one-eleventh.' As in, do your job right for the sake of the team rather than going rogue in an attempt to be a hero. Against the Browns, a notably less impressive offense than Josh Allen's, the defense performed well. There were no evident mix-ups and only a few explosive plays allowed. After emphasizing takeaways, the Ravens forced two, an interception and a strip sack. Instead of being the villain of the story, the defense was the hero.'
Explosive Plays Buoy Offense
The Ravens showed that even when the offense isn't hitting on all cylinders, they are always a threat to produce a big play.
"The Ravens finished short of 250 offensive yards on Sunday but their frequency of explosive plays carried over from their Week 1 fireworks display in Buffalo," NFL.com’s Nick Shook wrote. "Jackson tossed four touchdown passes and they went to three players – including two of 20-plus yards – set up another score via a 41-yard improvisational connection with DeAndre Hopkins and proved that this Ravens offense can only be limited if the opposing defense keeps the clamps on them on every single play.
"Cleveland's defense did another excellent job of reducing an opposing offense's output on a consistent basis, but just when it thought it was about to get off the field, Jackson would make a key play that proved just how frustrating it can be to try to stop Baltimore's offense."
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer noted that the Ravens had never in their history scored so many points with so few yards (242) or so few yards per play (4.6).
"Style points, as the Ravens learned all over again in Week 1, don't mean much," Shaffer wrote. " So, facing another tipping point against a division rival that handed them a how-the-hell-did-that-happen loss last year, the Ravens did what they had to. They scored by any means necessary. They won by any means necessary. They did that well enough that they scored often and won easily."
Jadeveon Clowney Signing With Cowboys
There had been speculation that the Ravens could be interested in a reunion with Jadeveon Clowney, but the veteran outside linebacker is signing with the Dallas Cowboys, Owner Jerry Jones said Sunday.
Clowney apparently being off the market came on the same day outside linebacker Kyle Van Noy left the game with a hamstring injury.
Harbaugh said it's not "any kind of season-ending" injury. Second-round outside linebacker Mike Green got increased snaps after Van Noy's exit and registered a quarterback hit.
Pundit Says Shedeur Sanders' Decision to Reject Ravens Is 'Incredibly Shortsighted'
ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Ravens planned to draft quarterback Shedeur Sanders in the fifth round in April but backed off when Sanders made it known that he didn't want to be a backup.
It's not surprising that Sanders, who ended up going to the Browns three spots later, would want to go where he could compete for a starting spot instead of playing a franchise quarterback such as Jackson.
However, ESPN's Alex Smith believes Sanders made a mistake.
"I think this is incredibly short-sighted," Smith said. "You want to go to an organization that is going to develop you. Here you have the Baltimore Ravens, the model of stability in the NFL, and actually has a track record to develop quarterbacks.
"As a fifth-round pick, he's only signing a three-year contract. You go learn for a few years, you get better at your game, the wakeup call of, 'Hey, I am a fifth-round pick. I am not a finished product. I need to get better.'"
Sanders is third on the Browns' depth chart behind Flacco and third-round pick Dillon Gabriel.
