On a day when the Ravens celebrated their 30th anniversary, their performance lived up to the occasion.
Pulling away with a 31-point second half, the Ravens defeated the Cleveland Browns, 41-17, winning their home opener in decisive fashion. With legends in the house, the Ravens made big plays on the field, including a blocked punt by Jake Hummel and a 63-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Pro Bowl linebacker Roquan Smith.
This was a feel-good win over an AFC North rival for the Ravens (1-1), much-needed after losing a 15-point lead in their season-opening defeat against the Buffalo Bills.
That loss is no longer lingering like a bad cold that's hard to shake. The Ravens made it clear they've moved on.
"Great bounce-back win, in terms of handling a really tough week, a really challenging week," Head Coach John Harbaugh said.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
The Ravens' defense can build off this performance.
Cleveland is not an offensive juggernaut, but the Ravens needed a steady defensive showing after their fourth-quarter collapse in Buffalo.
Smith flew around like a tornado, and Cleveland's rushing attack was almost non-existent. The pass rush put nine quarterback hits on Joe Flacco and kept him under duress, ruining his return to M&T Bank Stadium as a visitor.
Baltimore's secondary was sticky in pass coverage, punctuated by Nate Wiggins' third-quarter interception that he nearly returned to the house. The cornerback rotation led by Wiggins, Chidobe Awuzie, and Marlon Humphrey did not include Jaire Alexander, who was inactive after struggling in Week 1.
All three levels of the defense looked sharp and played in unison. The Ravens knew they were better defensively than what they displayed against Buffalo, but they still needed to show it. Tavius Robinson's sack and forced fumble that led to Smith's fumble return for a score put the exclamation point on a defensive effort that was more in character with who the Ravens believe they are.
Baltimore's offensive options seem endless.
Six different offensive players have scored touchdowns for the Ravens already this season – Derrick Henry, Lamar Jackson, Zay Flowers, Devontez Walker, DeAndre Hopkins, and Tylan Wallace. Flowers led the receivers with seven catches for 75 yards, but Jackson connected with eight different targets.
Even without Mark Andrews, Rashod Bateman, or injured tight end Isaiah Likely scoring yet, Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken has no shortage of weapons to choose from. The Browns were determined to hold Henry in check, and he finished with just 23 yards on 11 carries – hist lowest output as a Raven. However, Baltimore found other ways to explode and made the most of its 242 yards in total offense.
The Ravens have reached 40 points in both of their games, and it doesn't matter which players are being fed the most from week to week. It's a small sample size, but there are early signs that Year 3 of Monken's offense could be the most explosive version yet.
Jake Hummel is part of new juice on special teams.
The Ravens signed Hummel during free agency because he was a standout on special teams during his three seasons with the Los Angeles Rams. The veteran linebacker made his first big play with the Ravens in the second quarter when he busted up the middle to block a punt. That set up Baltimore's first touchdown, a 16-yard pass from Lamar Jackson to Tylan Wallace that put the Ravens ahead, 10-0, on their way to taking control.
Baltimore's special teams have a different flavor to them this season. Longtime special teams mainstays like Malik Harrison and Chris Board departed in free agency. Baltimore has a new kicker in rookie Tyler Loop and a new punt returner in rookie LaJohntay Wester.
The new juice on special teams is giving Baltimore a lift. Hummel made his big play, Wester had a 23-yard return that he almost took to the house, and Loop made both field goal attempts and all five of his extra points. But Hummel had the special teams play that stood out.
Tylan Wallace and Devontez Walker are sometimes overshadowed but always ready.
Wallace is often overlooked among the Ravens' deep core of wide receivers, but he delivers when called upon. The game's first touchdown came from Wallace, who separated from Browns cornerback Cameron Mitchell on a corner route and hauled in a 15-yard pass from Lamar Jackson.
During his five seasons with Baltimore, Wallace has been a pro's pro. He's made big plays on special teams, like his overtime walk-off punt return for a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. Last season, he tiptoed down the sideline for an 84-yard touchdown catch against the Cincinnati Bengals.
His touchdown in this game wasn't nearly as spectacular, but in a game where points were hard to come by, Wallace put the Ravens ahead by two scores in the second quarter. He also made an alert play on the previous snap, recovering a fumble by Henry to avoid a Baltimore turnover.
Walker may have been the most improved player at training camp this year, but it's hard for him to get many reps on game days. However, he has one of the most unusual stat lines that a receiver can have – three career catches for three touchdowns. Walker has a nose for the end zone, and Jackson knows Walker will be ready when the ball comes his way.
Extra Points:
- Harbaugh gave a brief update on cornerback Marlon Humphrey (groin), who left the game in the fourth quarter, and linebacker Kyle Van Noy (hamstring), who left in the first half. "Those aren't season-ending type deals at all. It's just stuff we've got to look at tomorrow and see where we stand," Harbaugh said.
- Jackson threw four touchdown passes and has six touchdowns and no interceptions on the season, with a quarterback rating of 136.6.
- Second-year running back Rasheen Ali (concussion) left the game after being injured on the opening kickoff.
- Robinson (six tackles) had an impactful game at outside linebacker with his sack and forced fumble on Flacco.
- Three of Smith's 15 tackles were for lost yardage. He had just four tackles for loss in all of 2024.
