Yahoo Sports Browns shut down a Ravens team desperately missing Lamar Jackson
Saturday’s matchup in Cleveland is a perfect example of why the Baltimore Ravens need to pay Lamar Jackson.
Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns rolled over a Ravens offense that couldn’t do much outside of handing the ball off to J.K. Dobbins. The Browns picked up a 13-3 win, a victory that keeps their playoff hopes alive.
The Browns held a 6-3 lead at halftime after three combined field goals in the first 30 minutes. Watson found Donovan Peoples-Jones for a 3-yard touchdown late in the third to put them up by 10. It was the game's lone touchdown.
The Browns missed a pair of field goals the rest of the way as snow started coming down hard, but it didn't matter. They shut the Ravens down to close out the fourth quarter and take the 10-point win.
Watson went 18 of 28 for 161 yards in the win, his first as a starter at FirstEnergy Stadium. Nick Chubb had 99 yards on 21 carries, and Amari Cooper had 58 receiving yards on four catches.
Near offensive no-show for Ravens without Lamar Jackson
The Ravens’ offense struggled again without Jackson, who is dealing with a PCL sprain in his left knee. He is expected back before the end of the regular season, which, if Saturday was any indication, is something the Ravens desperately need after finishing their first game without a touchdown since 2018.
They barely escaped the struggling Denver Broncos, when Jackson first went down, and last week against the Pittsburgh Steelers with backup Tyler Huntley.
Huntley went 17-of-30 for 138 yards on Saturday. He threw an interception after reaching the red zone in the third quarter. Baltimore's only points came from a 53-yard Justin Tucker field goal in the first half. They could have had more, but Tucker missed one just before halftime and then had one blocked to start the fourth.
The only Ravens bright side was Dobbins, who had 125 rushing yards on 13 carries. That isn’t enough to sustainably win games.
Jackson is in the final year of his rookie deal with the Ravens, and has yet to reach an extension with the franchise. He reportedly turned down a deal worth about $250 million before the season, opting to bet on himself in his contract year. If a deal isn’t reached this coming offseason, the Ravens can use a franchise tag on him to keep him in Baltimore next fall.
The former MVP, for better or for worse, is the key to the Ravens' offense. Without him around, the Browns took full advantage in what was their third win in four games.
