The first AFC North game of the Jesse Minter era takes place this Sunday in Cleveland, where the Ravens will see an old friend on the opposing sideline.
Minter, the head coach and defensive play-caller for the Ravens, will match wits with former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken, the head coach and offensive play-caller for the Browns.
Both first-year head coaches have their teams off to winning starts. The Ravens (4-1) have won three straight to seize sole possession of first place in the division. The surprising Browns (3-2) had won three in a row before last week's loss to the New York Jets.
It's unclear whether quarterback Lamar Jackson (ankle) will play, as he has yet to practice this week. If Jackson can't go, Tyler Huntley, fresh off rallying the Ravens to an overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons, would make his second straight start.
Despite the uncertainty at quarterback, the Ravens are 4.5-point favorites, and all but one of the 52 pundits we sampled picked them to win. NFL Network's Kevin Patra was the lone Browns backer.
Here's a look at what pundits are saying about the game:
The Ravens will be a reality check for the Browns.
USA Today’s Nicholas Brinkerhoff: "It was a fun run for the Browns, but the clock is about to strike midnight on this Cinderella story. After Deshaun Watson came crashing back down to earth in Week 5, Cleveland is going to get a dose of reality when the Ravens come to town in Week 6. Baltimore is on another level, unlike any team the Browns have played since Week 1. The Ravens should win this based on talent alone, especially with some injury concerns at key spots for Cleveland."
The Browns could keep it close, but the Ravens will prevail.
The Baltimore Banner’s Jonas Shaffer: "The Browns have the pass rush and cornerback talent to bottle up a Tyler Huntley-led passing attack. Rookie wideout Denzel Boston is a big-play threat. If Cleveland gets the Deshaun Watson who impressed during its three-game winning streak, the Ravens will be on upset watch. But they have too much veteran talent to lose in Cleveland."
Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon: "The Browns are 2-0 at home and haven't dropped a game in Cleveland by more than a field goal in their last five outings. They held a fourth-quarter lead over Baltimore at this site last November, and now they catch a banged-up Lamar Jackson — if he suits up at all. Count on Cleveland keeping this within one score against a flawed Ravens team that has merely been surviving."
The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec: "The Ravens are getting healthier, and the Browns are not. Crazy things always happen when these teams meet in Cleveland, but the Ravens should take care of business."
It could be a big day for Derrick Henry.
NFL Network’s Lance Zierlein: "Derrick Henry's a monster, and [the Browns] are hurt down the middle. There are injuries galore on the defensive line for the Cleveland Browns. [Linebacker] Carson Schwesinger right now is not practicing. And you've got Derrick Henry, who's a monster."
The Browns' one-dimensional offense won't be able to keep up with the Ravens offense.
NFL.com's Brooke Cersosimo: "I trust Baltimore's sixth-ranked scoring offense to do enough to outproduce Cleveland's often one-dimensional attack. The run game has been pretty stagnant with Quinshon Judkins, who is averaging a measly 3 yards per carry and also dealing with an ankle injury. Running mate Dylan Sampson could return to action after spending the last month on IR. I like the Browns' talented young receiving corps, and stud rookie Denzel Boston could challenge Baltimore's secondary deep, but until the run game improves, Todd Monken's group will struggle to rise above more complete teams week in and week out."
Getting pressure on Watson is crucial.
ESPN’s Jamison Hensley: "Baltimore's focus will be on containing QB Deshaun Watson, who is 2-0 against the Ravens as the Browns starter. Watson ranks second in the NFL with 111 yards rushing when pressured. Edge rusher Trey Hendrickson (finger) is expected to return after sitting out two games for a Baltimore team that has hit quarterbacks 55 times this season (fifth most in the league)."
Huntley revenge game?
The Baltimore Banner’s Giana Han: "Let's not forget this is a Browns team that cut Huntley and has a former Ravens coach who chose to use Josh Johnson and Cooper Rush as the backup over him. I don't think Huntley is the type to hold a grudge, but he proved the doubters wrong last week and I think he'd enjoy doing it again."
Here's how pundits picked Ravens-Browns:
ESPN: 11 of 11 panelists pick Ravens / NA
Baltimore Banner: 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens / "If Lamar Jackson is healthy enough to play Sunday without too many limitations, the Ravens should win comfortably. Even if he's not available, the Ravens could win comfortably. The Browns' run defense was already shaky, and now Cleveland could be without star linebacker Carson Schwesinger (ankle). Then again, how often do AFC North games really make sense? Especially when these teams have so much familiarity with each other?" – Jonas Shaffer
USA Today: 6 of 6 panelists pick Ravens / NA
NFL.com: 5 of 5 panelists pick Ravens / "QB Lamar Jackson's status for Sunday is still uncertain, but it might not matter. Backup Tyler Huntley proved last week to be more than capable of running Declan Doyle's offense and the Derrick Henry-led rushing attack should feast on a Browns unit that could be without Carson Schwesinger (ankle) a week after Braelon Allen ran all over them." — Brooke Cersosimo
NFL Network: 7 of 8 panelists pick Ravens / NA
Sporting News: Ravens 20, Browns 17 / "The Ravens saw Lamar Jackson get hurt against the Titans, leading this to be a prime-time game headlined by running backs Derrick Henry and Bijan Robinson. The Falcons' run defense leads the league, so it will be a good test for the King. Baltimore is also pretty tough up front for Robinson. The Ravens have a little more diversity in their passing game, which will allow them to sneak away with a road win."— Vinnie Iyer
CBS Sports: 7 of 7 panelists pick Ravens / "There is a chance that Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson will be back for this game after missing last week with an ankle injury. Even if he isn't, I think the Ravens defense will be up to the task of slowing down the Browns offense. If Jackson is back, the Ravens offense will move the ball." — Pete Prisco
Pro Football Talk: Ravens 27, Browns 24 / "The old Browns face the new Browns in a significant game that will either vault the new Browns into a tie for first place or drop them two games behind the old Browns. The old Browns have shown that they can compete without Lamar Jackson. And the old Browns seem to be the better overall team than the new Browns, for now."— Mike Florio
Sports Illustrated: 8 of 8 panelists pick Ravens / NA
Pundit Says Ravens Can Win Super Bowl if Jackson and Zay Flowers Are Healthy at Same Time
The Ravens offense has been borderline unstoppable when Jackson and wide receiver Zay Flowers have been on the field together this season. Unfortunately, due to injuries, the electrifying duo has played together for just a total of eight quarters over the first five games.
Mike Golic Jr. of Sirius XM's "The Golics" said the health of the two stars is the key to the Ravens making a Super Bowl run.
"If Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers are healthy at the same time, this is a Super Bowl-contending team," Golic Jr. said. "The Ravens earlier this season when they were all healthy looked like a Super Bowl contender."
Regarding Jackson, Golic Sr. said: "He doesn't have to run for a ton of yards, but he still has to be a running threat for this offense to work."
AFC North Lands at No. 3 in ESPN's Division Rankings
Despite every team in the AFC North having a winning record, it was only No. 3 in ESPN's ranking of all eight divisions.
"[The AFC North] is one of two divisions, along with the NFC North, in which all four teams have winning records. {ESPN's Football Power Index] doesn't particularly love any of them," ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote. "It has Cincinnati's offense ranked sixth, Baltimore's offense 11th (though Lamar Jackson's absence is woven in there), Pittsburgh's offense 19th and Cleveland's offense 31st. Defensively, FPI ranks the Ravens 14th, Steelers 15th, Browns 16th and Bengals 18th, which is about as mediocre and closely bunched as you can get."
The NFC North was ranked No. 1, followed by the NFC West.
