BOLD PREDICTIONS: A Crown is at Stake

The Baltimore Ravens (11-5) host the Cleveland Browns (3-13) at M&T Bank Stadium in a Week 18 regular season finale. If the Ravens win, they capture the AFC North title for the second straight year and fourth time in the past seven seasons (since QB Lamar Jackson became the starter in 2018). The Ravens can also win the division if Pittsburgh falls to Cincinnati on Saturday night.

Baltimore has already clinched a playoff berth for the third straight year and sixth time in the past seven seasons. If the Ravens win the 2024 AFC North crown, they will hold the conference’s No. 3 playoff seed and host a Wild Card game.

The Ravens are 36-15 all time against the Browns, including a 25-8 mark under John Harbaugh. Cleveland has won the past two matchups, including a 29-24 tilt in Week 8 earlier this season.

• Kickoff: Saturday, January 4, 2025, 4:30PM, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
• Game Time Forecast: 32 degrees; Wind Chill at 18 degrees; Winds WNW at 15 MPH with gusts up to 36 MPH
• Betting Line: Ravens favored by 18 points; over/under at 41 ½ points
• Network: ABC/ESPN & WMAR Ch. 2 (Baltimore)
• On The Call: Chris Fowler (PBP); Dan Orlovsky (analyst); Louis Riddick (analyst); Laura Rutledge (sideline)
• Officiating Crew: Scott Novak. His crew calls 12.19 penalties per game, slightly below the league average of 12.96. Fifty-four percent of penalties go against the visiting team.

So, will the AFC North be decided by 7:30PM on Saturday night?

Tony Lombardi

For the Cleveland Browns, nothing would represent whip cream atop the heaping mound of manure they’ve created, thinly disguised as their 2024 season, more than a win over the Ravens to potentially tank Baltimore’s AFC North Crown aspirations. The Browns will take the field, initially amped up, but eventually, the cleat of reality will leave marks on their collective forehead, they’ll remember that they are the Cleveland Browns, and then they’ll make a few business decisions, none of which are consistent with winning a football game. In the end this game will look a lot like the Ravens Christmas Day win in Houston.

• Lamar Jackson has 3,955 passing yards and 39 passing TDs with 4 INTs. He can become the first player in NFL history with at least 4,000 passing yards and 40 passing TDs with 4-or fewer INTs in a single season. Lamar can also become the first player in NFL history to produce at least 4,000 passing yards and 800 rushing yards in a single season. He’ll take care of this by halftime going 8 for 11 with 2 TD’s and 140 yards without an INT. He won’t play in the second half. The abbreviated outing will push Lamar’s seasonal passer rating to 122.9, eclipsing Aaron Rodgers‘ NFL record of 122.5.

• Derrick Henry has 14 rushing TD’s to tie Jamal Lewis for a franchise single-season record. He’ll break the record on the Ravens first possession. He’ll also join Lamar on the sidelines during the second half. He’ll tote the rock to the tune of 11 times for 90 yards before intermission.

• Mark Andrews needs 17 yards to surpass Todd Heap’s franchise receiving yards record for tight ends of 5,492. He’ll set the record in the second quarter when he hauls in a TD pass, his 11th of the season – also a club record for tight ends.

• Since Week 11 (past six games), the Ravens defense has permitted the NFL’s fewest net yards (267.0) and fewest points (16.3) per game, while posting the No. 1 third-down defense (29.1). The Browns will fall short of each of those totals.

• Kyle Van Noy needs 2 ½ sacks to earn an additional $500K in incentives. He will notch 2 sacks and fall short of the $0.5M but…he will earn an additional $250K for eclipsing the 12-sack mark with his first QB takedown of the day.

• Ravens win the turnover battle 3 to 1 (Rasheen Ali will fumble in the red zone). Nate Wiggins gets his first career INT while Marlon Humphrey adds his 7th of the campaign. David Ojabo adds a strip sack.

Welcome to Festivus Maximus RavensFlock!

Harbaugh Bowl IV is coming.

Ravens 28 Browns 7

Kevin McNelis

The Ravens close out the regular season with a division rival who would ideally be sleepwalking their way through this one, as the 3-13 Browns are firmly outside of the playoff race. I say that they’d ideally be sleepwalking, but you know that’s not the case, as I’m sure they’d love nothing more than to play spoiler to the Ravens just for the hell of it. Baltimore is heavily favored in this one, but they can’t afford to take their foot off the gas in this one with the division crown in sight.

— The Browns hadn’t made it abundantly clear if Dorian Thompson-Robinson or Jameis Winston would be getting the nod for Saturday, but it turns out, neither of them will. Right as I sat down to begin writing this, it was announced that Bailey Zappe would be getting the start for the Browns. The Ravens Twitter-sphere then immediately began joking that Zappe would go nuclear for this performance, since it could essentially be a tryout for another team, and they’re halfway right to be concerned. I have no doubt that, since there’s nothing disincentivizing him from taking risks, he’ll bomb the ball down the field, but I think it’ll also work to his detriment. Zappe connects for two passing TDs, but also throws a pair of picks.

— If this game goes the way we’re all hoping it will, Derrick Henry won’t see the field for long. Still, he’s just one touchdown shy of what would be a $500,000 contract incentive bonus for reaching 15 touchdowns on the year, and I think the offense does him a solid and puts him in position to do so. The King scores a TD on Baltimore’s opening possession, then cools his heels for a good portion of the rest of the game.

— Baltimore’s defense has started to really get it together the last few weeks, and they’ll use this game to put some things on film that their postseason opponents will have to be looking out for. I’m talking about deeply unconventional disguised coverages, asymmetrical alignments where they bring pressures, all kinds of funky stuff. This leads to Roquan Smith notching multiple sacks, and Nate Wiggins finally pulling down a pick (yes, I’ve predicted this multiple times, it’s gotta happen some time).

Cleveland is going to put up a fight, I have no doubt. AFC North football has weird parity, and it’s going to make us all sweat because that’s what Ravens football does. It’ll be tight longer than it should, but Baltimore closes it out and clinches the division.

Ravens 31 Browns 17

Chad Racine

The last I heard the Ravens were 18-point favorites. That’s pretty crazy considering the Browns already beat the Ravens once this season. Since that game the two teams have been on much different trajectories. Much like the Steelers in recent weeks, which makes the hope of winning the division extremely likely in my opinion. If all goes as expected it appears there will be another Harbaugh Bowl on the horizon in the wild card round.

— Lamar will stake his final claim for his third MVP with another spectacular performance. He’ll finish with 225 yards, 3 touchdown passes and 2 incompletions. He’ll also rush for another 75 yards.

— Henry will get back in the end zone with a rushing touchdown and another 100+ yard game.

— Zay Flowers will find the end zone to put a cap on his pro bowl season with 4 receptions for 75 yards.

— Pat Ricard will also put a cap on his pro bowl season with a touchdown reception.

— Charlie Kolar will have a nice welcome back with a touchdown reception.

— Nnamdi Madubuike will have a sack forced fumble recovered by Chris Board.

— Brent Urban will have a sack.

— Michael Pierce will have a sack.

— Ar’Darius Washington will have an interception late in the game to put the nail in the coffin.

Ravens 34 Browns 13

John Hughey

Baltimore looks to take care of business this Saturday against a banged up Cleveland squad. A win secures Baltimore’s second straight AFC North title, despite their rocky 0-2 start to the season. Keaton Mitchell is expected to play a larger role, as the Ravens look to ramp him up ahead of the postseason. With winds expected to exceed 30 mph, the Ravens could look to lean on their run game and get out with a win ahead of next weekends Wild Card round.

— Keaton Mitchell finds the end zone for the first time since 2023

— Jackson tosses 2 first half touchdowns, allowing the Ravens to rest their star QB in the second half

— The Ravens defense continues their stellar play, forcing two turnovers

— Tez Walker gets serious reps in the second half, finding the end zone for the second time this year

Ravens 31 Browns 10

Rob Shields

The Ravens play the Browns in a game where you would like to see guys sit but you also have to win it.  Cleveland is sitting many “injured” guys this week for sure and we will see if someone like Myles Garrett plays at all.

Meanwhile, the Ravens are very healthy but you figure to see them play a vanilla type game and perhaps try to get guys out. Personally, I think they should sit Henry for this game and feed Mitchell, but Justice Hill being out complicates that somewhat.

You would hope Lamar doesn’t take off too much and that the Ravens can get enough of a lead to get the key guys out of the game for most of the second half.

I think the Ravens rather easily (but I fear it could be ugly as well).

Ravens 24 Browns 6

In other action, I think the Bengals beat Pittsburgh but ultimately fall short of making the playoffs because Denver beats KC. This will set up a Ravens/Steelers round 1 matchup – which isn’t ideal, but the Ravens should handle them.

Chris Schisler

I think the Ravens will handle their business. The team is focused and quite frankly rolling in a way they weren’t when they first battled the Browns. I think it’s a much stronger day for the defense than last time. I think Lamar Jackson will easily outscore the Browns. The Ravens have something to play for. Give me the Ravens big.

Ravens 31 Browns 14

Bengals 24 Steelers 21

I think the Bengals miss the playoffs anyway though because the Dolphins will beat the Jets.

Dolphins 28 Jets 17

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