The Baltimore Ravens have history on their side heading into Sunday's AFC North showdown, with a decisive 39-15 all-time series lead and wins in their last three meetings against the Cleveland Browns. Still, the standings and historical record don't tell the whole story, especially when Baltimore travels to Cleveland for a matchup that could become far more competitive than expected.
Several familiar faces and less obvious circumstances make this game intriguing. From Tyler Huntley's chance to face his former team to the potential impact on the division race, these four under-the-radar storylines are worth watching.
Todd Monken's 'revenge game'
Monken faces his former team for the first time. After three seasons coordinating the Ravens' offense, he now leads a Browns team trying to establish itself in the AFC North. Sunday's matchup allows him to measure his progress as a head coach against an organization where he helped build an offense around Lamar Jackson.
Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey offered a blunt assessment of the reunion, saying, "If I know Todd ... he will want to kick our tails." Derrick Henry echoed that sentiment, suggesting Monken will be eager to beat his former team. Their comments capture the competitive edge that comes with facing a familiar coach, although Monken's motivation is only one part of the equation. Minter must prepare his team for a divisional opponent that knows the organization and has plenty of incentive to make this meeting memorable.
Monken has an opportunity to make a statement through his team's performance rather than words. A win would strengthen the Browns' position and demonstrate that Monken's influence can translate into results beyond Baltimore. For a coach building his own identity, that matters regardless of how he and anyone else answer questions about the reunion.
Tyler Huntley's chance to make Cleveland regret moving on
Much of the attention will center on Browns head coach Todd Monken facing his former team, but Tyler Huntley has his own connection to Cleveland. He spent time with the Browns in 2024 and 2025 before being released and returning to Baltimore. Now, with a second consecutive start ahead of him, Huntley has a chance to win against the team that moved on from him.
Huntley and crew are coming off an emotional overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons in which he threw two touchdown passes. Another strong performance and a win against Cleveland moves the Ravens to 5-1, and they'd have a stranglehold on the AFC North early in the season. That adds an extra layer of intrigue to Sunday's already important divisional game.
Deshaun Watson is 2-0 as the Browns' starter vs. Baltimore
Deshaun Watson's Week 5 struggles have made Cleveland's offense a question mark entering this game. They'd like to right the ship here, and though it's been a while, Watson has had success against the Ravens before. He owns a 2-0 record against Baltimore as Cleveland's starter, winning in 2022 and 2023.
Those results don't guarantee anything this week, especially given the concerns surrounding Cleveland's pass protection. They do, however, remind us that Baltimore must execute rather than assume Watson's current difficulties will carry over automatically. The Ravens can pressure him, but they must do so without creating openings for him to extend plays or exploit breakdowns. If Baltimore can disrupt his timing while maintaining its assignments, it will have a better chance of preventing history from repeating itself.
A Browns victory could reshape the AFC North for now
Baltimore enters Week 6 at 4-1, while Cleveland and the division's other two teams sit at 3-2. That puts the Browns within striking distance of the division lead. Cleveland has already beaten Pittsburgh. The standings are still taking shape, so another divisional victory would put them in prime position to challenge Baltimore for first place while holding an early head-to-head advantage over two rivals.
That said, this game can carry consequences well beyond a single Sunday. Cleveland has made life difficult for Baltimore at home. The Browns are 4-4 in their last eight home meetings with the Ravens, and only three of those games were decided by more than a touchdown. Baltimore may be the favorite, but the history suggests this could be another close fight with meaningful consequences for the division race. A Browns win would tighten the overall picture and give Cleveland an early result it could draw on later in the season.
This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire: Tyler Huntley and Todd Monken lead Ravens-Browns Week 6 storylines