Rex Ryan makes a case why Browns are the biggest threat to Ravens in AFC
After coming away with a convincing win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, the Baltimore Ravens have left many questioning on whether there is any team in the AFC that could stop them. Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan believes that the Cleveland Browns have what it takes to eliminate the Ravens in the […]
After coming away with a convincing win over the Miami Dolphins in Week 17, the Baltimore Ravens have left many questioning on whether there is any team in the AFC that could stop them. Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan believes that the Cleveland Browns have what it takes to eliminate the Ravens in the playoffs.
"We know Cleveland already beat him one time with, by the way, an unbelievable performance by Deshaun Watson in the second half," Ryan said during a recent appearance on ESPN's "First Take" program. "Their defense, they might not be as good as Baltimore's, but they're close. They actually lead the NFL in total yardage, so their defense can hang with Baltimore's defense, so they're going to have a chance."
As Ryan touched on, Cleveland’s defense has emerged as quite a well-rounded unit this season. The Browns lead the NFL in multiple defensive stats, including in passer rating allowed (72.7). The last time that the Browns faced the Ravens, they held Lamar Jackson to a 67.8 passer rating.
In the big picture, Ryan sees only two factors that would then prevent Baltimore from winning Super Bowl 58.
"I think the only way that Baltimore doesn't win the whole thing if they play bad, and they turn the football over," Ryan said.
The Ravens have turned the football over 17 times this year, with a combined seven of them coming in their losses to the Indianapolis Colts, Pittsburgh Steelers, and the Browns.
The Ravens will cap off their regular season schedule with a home matchup against the Steelers in Week 18.
