Last Updated on December 22, 2010 8:09 pm by Anthony Rome
Ravens vs. Browns Preview
CLEVELAND, OH (AP) – The Baltimore Ravens will need some help to capture their first division title in four years but they’re all but assured of a third playoff berth in as many seasons under coach John Harbaugh.
The easiest way for the Ravens to secure that spot in the postseason is by beating the struggling Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
According to latest NFL odds, oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made the Ravens 3.5-point spread favorites for Sunday’s game against the Browns. Current NFL Public Betting Information shows that 93% of more than 6,366 bets for this game have been placed on the Ravens –3.5.
Baltimore (10-4) is tied with Pittsburgh for the AFC North lead, but the Steelers hold the tiebreaker with a better record in divisional games.
The Ravens would seem to have a good chance to finish with 12 wins for the first time since 2006 with remaining games against Cleveland (5-9) and Cincinnati (3-11). Pittsburgh, though, will play its final two against teams with a combined seven wins, including the Browns on Jan. 2.
“It was key to get our 10th win. Now we have to get our 11th,” Harbaugh said. “It’s going to be a tough, tough game against the Cleveland Browns. … It’s always a challenge playing at their place.”
Baltimore, though, can at least secure a spot in the playoffs this weekend by topping Cleveland. Should the Ravens lose, they would need one of four complex scenarios to occur to clinch that berth, which include losses from Kansas City, Jacksonville, San Diego and Indianapolis.
The Ravens enters this final stretch having won back-to-back games but have still experienced trouble holding on to leads in the fourth quarter. They allowed New Orleans to score the tying touchdown with 11:34 left last week before driving for two field goals, one after a late interception from Cory Redding.
“I think everybody on our defense was thinking, ‘We can’t let this one go,'” tackle Haloti Ngata said. “Throughout this year, we’ve always let teams finish us off instead of us getting off the field and letting our offense finish the game. It just felt great to have our defense stop a great offense like that.”
Baltimore also rushed for 208 yards with Ray Rice gaining a season-high 153. The Ravens could lean on Rice again versus the Browns’ 25th-ranked rushing defense (129.2 yards per game).
Rice’s third-quarter touchdown started a scoring run in last season’s 16-0 win at Cleveland, but the Ravens relied on Joe Flacco more in their fifth straight win over the Browns on Sept. 26.
Flacco had 262 yards and three touchdowns to Anquan Boldin in a 24-17 comeback victory. Baltimore scored the final 10 points in that game starting with Boldin’s 27-yard catch.
Rice finished with 80 rushing yards, while the Browns’ Peyton Hillis had 144 on 22 attempts. Hillis, however, is not practicing because of an unspecified injury.
Cleveland coach Eric Mangini said he wasn’t concerned about Hillis, who has 1,053 yards over 12 consecutive starts. Browns rookie quarterback Colt McCoy, who is expected to start the final two games, is also out of practice with an illness, and his status is unknown for this week.
McCoy returned from a sprained ankle last week, but couldn’t help his team avoid its second straight loss to a weak opponent. In his sixth career start, he finished 19 of 25 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, but the Browns fell 19-17 at Cincinnati, which had lost its previous 10 games.
The week before, Cleveland lost 13-6 to a Buffalo team that came in with a 2-10 record. The Browns were 2 of 10 on third-down conversions and are 6 of 32 in three games this month.
“It leaves a nasty taste in your mouth,” safety Mike Adams said. “It’s tough. Games we were supposed to win, we’re not winning. It’s hard to explain.”
While Hillis and McCoy have sat out practice, cornerback Eric Wright will miss Cleveland’s final two games with a left leg injury. The Ravens, meanwhile, might get tight end Todd Heap back after a two-game absence because of a pulled right hamstring.
Baltimore is seeking a third straight road win over the Browns, its longest streak since relocating from Cleveland before the 1996 season.
Ravens linebacker Jarrett Johnson is set to play in a team-record 112th consecutive game.
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!