Saturday’s game in Cleveland is a perfect example of why the Baltimore Ravens need to pay Lamar Jackson.
Deshaun Watson and the Browns knocked down a Ravens offense that couldn’t do much apart from handing the ball to JK Dobbins. The Browns picked up a 13-3 win, which technically keeps their playoff hopes alive.
The Browns held a 6-3 halftime lead after three combined field goals in the first 30 minutes, then Watson found Donovan Peoples-Jones for a three-yard touchdown late in the third to put them in place by 10.
The Browns missed a pair of field goals the rest of the way as the snow started to fall harder, but it didn’t matter. They shut down the Ravens to close out the fourth quarter and take the win by 10 points.
Watson went 18 of 28 for 161 yards in the win, which was 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.
The Ravens’ offense has once again struggled without Jackson, who has a PCL sprain in his left knee. He’s expected to return at some point before the end of the season, which — if Saturday was any indication — is something the Ravens desperately need after going 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 against the Browns. He struggled to get much of the Ravens’ offense and threw an interception after reaching the red zone in the third quarter. Their only points came from a 53-yard field goal from Justin Tucker in the first half. They could have had more, but Tucker missed one just before halftime, then blocked one to start the fourth.
The only real upside was Dobbins, who had 125 rushing yards on 13 carries. This, however, is clearly not enough to sustainably win games.
Jackson is in the final year of his first rookie contract with the Ravens and has yet to reach an extension with the franchise. He reportedly turned down a deal worth around $250m before the season, opting to bet on himself during his contract year – which didn’t go over very well. Even if a deal isn’t reached this upcoming offseason, the Ravens can use a franchise tag on him to keep him in Baltimore next fall.
The former MVP, for better or worse, is clearly key to the Ravens’ offense. Without him, the Browns fully enjoyed their third victory in four games.
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