The 3 Matchups That Could Decide Ravens At Browns In Week 6

The Ravens are probably not going to blow out the Browns.

Baltimore is just 4-4 in the last eight trips to Cleveland, and these have been almost always one-score games. With backup quarterback Snoop Huntley in for Lamar Jackson and the Ravens dealing with a looong injury list, the margins get even more slim. Divisional games tend to be tricky and this is the first one for Ravens rookie head coach Jesse Minter, while Browns coach Todd Monken, the Ravens former offensive coordinator, has already upset the Steelers.

There will be handful of plays that determine this game. The Ravens quite likely are going to need to navigate a fourth quarter in a manner that has been difficult for them going back six years. These are some matchups I will be paying very close attention to:

Vega Ioane vs Mason Graham

The Ravens are doing the right thing here and not getting cute trying to force new center Cam Jurgens into the center spot after making an utterly-desperate trade to land him while in the concussion protocol. Ioane has been better than anyone could have hoped for thrust into the center spot against elite competition and I will say it again – he is quite likely the best center on this team, already.

Mason Graham was selected in the top 10 for a reason, and he has his moments as a rookie but he is blowing people up in Year 2. He is a game wrecker, and he was dominating up until he picked up a knee injury very early in the win over the Steelers. He is listed as questionable for this game. If he plays, I expect him to be a handful. And if Ioane can handle this pass protection assignment the way he did Dexter Lawrence in his first start at center, and he helps the run game crank at the second level like it did against the Falcons the Ravens are going to win this game barring a turnover nightmare.

Graham has four sacks in four games and is tied for the lead among NFL defensive tackles. Cleveland is 30th in run defense Expected Points Added. Road grading will go a long way to winning this game.

Chandler Rivers vs KC Concepcion

The Ravens secondary has been a mess, there are no two ways about it, and coverage for the corners and free safeties has been bad and it’s been particularly awful in the slot where QBs are completing 74% of their passes for a 121.8 pass rating. Yuck.

Concepcion is in the slot 60% of the time he has a skillset that is in the vein of Ravens dervish Zay Flowers and Monken will have big plans for him. He can kill you with YAC and the first-round pick can win downfield, too, and with a well-balanced passing attack I’m not sure the Ravens want top corner Nate Wiggins traveling inside to the slot with him, but maybe they do.

My suspicion is that when rookie slot corner Chandler Rivers is on the field Deshaun Watson is going after him. Watson isn’t pushing it deep, his OL is not good so he will deliver it quickly and he knows how Concepcion can turn it into a big play after the catch.

Rivers has allowed nine catches on 11 targets in the last three games for 120 yards and a touchdown. Marlon Humphrey on Concepcion in the slot would be tricky unless he is jamming and beating him up at the line, but this secondary has issues. Period.

Kyle Hamilton/Ravens LBs vs Harold Fannin

Very interested to see how Minter plays this. Fannin can be a handful and the Ravens have not been targeted much by tight ends in general this season. Do we see some Trenton Simpson here? I have issues with free safety Malaki Starks in coverage and given the volume in the Browns passing game and the quality of options he can’t focus on a one-man funnel like some of the previous offenses they faced.

Hamilton is reading the ball well underneath as are all the LBs, who have accounted for all three interceptions this season. Fannin needs to get particular attention on first down. They like taking shots with him – he isn’t a big air yards guy in general but on first down he averages 11.2 yards per catch and nearly 10 air yards per target and he is a tone setter to get drives going.

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