Life on the road wasn't kind to the Ravens last season.
The Ravens went 2-6 away from M&T Bank Stadium, and the struggle to win outside of Baltimore was a key reason why the Ravens ended up missing the postseason for the first time in six years.
After opening the season with a pair of games at M&T Bank Stadium, the Ravens get their first road test of this season when they travel to Cleveland to face a Browns team coming off a victory in their home opener Sunday against the New Orleans Saints.
"The stadium is going to be rocking, I'm sure," Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh said.
The Browns upset the Saints Sunday for just their second victory in a home opener since 1999. They will now welcome the Ravens to town with a chance to win back-to-back games against Baltimore for the first time since 2007.
"We're going to have to be at our best," Harbaugh said. "We're going to have to do a good job dealing with the emotions of the game early, dealing with the emotions of their fans and their team early."
The Ravens have traditionally played well in Cleveland during Harbaugh's tenure, winning five of the last six games there.
A difference this year is that the Ravens are playing the Browns earlier in the season than they ever have. At this point, the Browns are obviously still very much in the hunt and looking to build some momentum after picking up the first victory under new Head Coach Mike Pettine.
The Ravens expect a raucous Dawg Pound for the division matchup.
"Their crowd is going to be really into it. It's a tough stadium," Harbaugh said. "It's a real loud stadium. It's really on top of you, the way it's built."
Cleveland had a loud environment Sunday against the Saints, and Pettine said, "I felt the ground moving underneath me. The place was rocking."
The Ravens have a 23-25 record on the road during Harbaugh's tenure, and getting off to a fast start will be key for Baltimore to establish a rhythm and take the crowd out of the game.
"We're going to have to execute," he said. "We're going to have to do a great job ignoring the noise so to speak and getting the job done, especially early in the game."
