There are so many depressing elements to a future in which the Cleveland Browns play in a dome. Obviously, no longer being in the city itself will be a tough pill to swallow, but taking the team off of Lake Erie, and out of the elements altogether will make home games feel less and less like real Browns football.
So, savor the games while you can. As it happens, one should be cropping up this weekend, just the Browns’ second home game since October 5, and though there is no lake-effect snow on the horizon, there is definitely lake-effect weather on the way: Winds of up to 35 mph are expected, and there’s little doubt that will have an impact on how Week 11 plays out vs. the Ravens.
Browns-Ravens Lines Tighten Up Amid Weather Concerns
Indeed, on the ESPN morning show, “Get Up” on Friday, it was pointed out that the Browns are expecting severe wind at Huntington Bank Field this week, and that when it comes to keeping up with the Ravens, that could be a good thing.
On the gambling front, we’ve already see the point spread move in the favor of the Browns because of high expected winds.
As ESPN betting guru Joe Fortenbaugh said, pointing to a graphic that showed 35 mph as a possibility: “Wind gusts in this matchup are having an effect on both the spreads and the totals. We’ve seen the point spread go from a high of 9.0 down to 7.5, and we’ve seen the total dip significantly from 41.5 to 38.5.
“That plays right into the hands of the Cleveland Browns. If the wind affects passing, Cleveland is not passing well whether they’re in perfect conditions or indoors. That’s going to affect what Lamar wants to do offensively.”
Browns Must Deal With Lamar Jackson
Indeed, one of the talking points surrounding this Browns team for the past month-and-a-half, since quarterback Dillon Gabriel took over the starting role, has been the Browns’ utter inability to pass the ball. The Ravens, meanwhile, appear to have survived a second Lamar Jackson injury scare after he hurt his knee against Minnesota last Sunday.
Jackson had missed three games with a hamstring injury. In six games, he has thrown for 1,249 yards and a 70.1% completion rate, with 15 touchdowns and one interception.
At the Roto Grinders website, the Browns-Ravens game was given an “orange/yellow” weather warning by meteorologist Kevin Roth, who noted: “Winds are coming off the lake with some bite. Sustained winds around 20mph, gusts up around 30mph. Winds might taper off a hair late game, but not much. I’m putting this a touch lower on the impact scale than BUF because there’s no precip here, but winds are the primary issue in both spots regardless.”
GettyBrowns QB Dillon Gabriel.
Ravens Defense Showing Vast Improvement
As scary as the wind might be for what’s been a moribund Browns offense, the performance of the Ravens defense lately might be just as imposing. This was a unit that was getting shredded through five games, allowing 35.4 points, but has gotten healthier and made some adjustments.
In the last four games, Baltimore has allowed only 14.5 points per game.
Said Browns offensive coordinator Tommy Rees: “They do a great job schematically. You know, they have a lot of people that can play in different roles. …
“They have a veteran group up front that have good rush patterns, good gains and stunts. They use personnel in multiple ways. So, the ‘backs got to be tied into it. Our line’s got to be tied into it. Our tight ends, the pass catchers themselves. It’s always a race between them and the pass rushers to get open. And our whole group needs to understand how critical that is.”
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