Ravens-Browns Preview

VIDEO PLAYLIST

• MNF Crew Breaks Down Browns' Offense

SCOUTING REPORT

Ravens-Browns: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Ravens-Browns matchup. 1. Ravens need to jump out to an early lead: Cleveland has the most inept offense in the NFL and has shown no ability to get into a high-scoring shootout. The Browns would like to slow this game down with the run and keep Joe Flacco and Co. on the sidelines. If the Ravens get out to a quick lead, they can force Cleveland to become a one-dimensional pass offense, which will lead to Browns mistakes and turnovers and that adds up to an easy day for Baltimore.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
BAL	5-4	222	154	3-1	2-3	2-2	5-3
CLE	1-8	78	225	0-4	1-4	0-4	1-5
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

Baltimore Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Flacco 65.3 2199 12 7 Smith 50.0 4 0 0

Cleveland Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Anders... 42.9 681 2 9 Quinn 54.6 508 1 5

Baltimore Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Rice 128 662 5.2 6 McGahe... 60 236 3.9 5

Cleveland Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Lewis 108 385 3.6 0 Harris... 69 254 3.7 0

Baltimore Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Mason 36 530 14.7 4 Rice 49 451 9.2 1

Cleveland Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Massaq... 20 358 17.9 0 Furrey 21 151 7.2 0

Full Player Stats: Baltimore | Cleveland

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	BAL	349.0
	CLE	214.0
Yards Passing	BAL	231.4
	CLE	116.2
Yards Rushing	BAL	117.4
	CLE	98.1
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	BAL	302.8
	CLE	394.1
Pass Yds Allowed	BAL	208.9
	CLE	228.3
Rush Yds Allowed	BAL	93.9
	CLE	165.8

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Baltimore leads 11-7
Sep 27, 2009	BAL 34, @CLE 3
Nov 2, 2008	BAL 37, CLE 27
Sep 21, 2008	BAL 28, @CLE 10
Nov 18, 2007	BAL 30, @CLE 33
Sep 30, 2007	BAL 13, CLE 27
Dec 17, 2006	BAL 27, @CLE 17
Sep 24, 2006	BAL 15, CLE 14
Jan 1, 2006	BAL 16, CLE 20
Oct 16, 2005	BAL 16, @CLE 3
Nov 7, 2004	BAL 27, @CLE 13
Sep 12, 2004	BAL 3, CLE 20
Dec 21, 2003	BAL 35, CLE 0
Sep 14, 2003	BAL 33, @CLE 13
Dec 22, 2002	BAL 13, @CLE 14
Oct 6, 2002	BAL 26, CLE 21
Nov 18, 2001	BAL 17, @CLE 27
Oct 21, 2001	BAL 14, CLE 24

The Baltimore Ravens were feeling good about themselves after a performance that caused Cleveland to bench Brady Quinn. As it turns out, most teams have had an easy time making Browns quarterbacks look bad.

Having struggled since that contest, the Ravens hope to spoil Quinn's return as the starter Monday night in a rematch with the woeful Browns.

After opening with three wins, Baltimore (4-4) hardly appears set to make a run at a second straight AFC championship game appearance. The Ravens lost three straight before defeating previously unbeaten Denver 30-7 on Nov. 1, only to lose 17-7 to Cincinnati last Sunday.

"As we sit here and take a look at where we're going, first of all, it starts with me," coach John Harbaugh said. "It's my job to give our guys every opportunity to play as well as they can play, and I've got to find a way to do my job better. I think every person in the building feels that way right now."

Harbaugh seemed to have his team on the right track following its third straight win, 34-3 over Cleveland on Sept. 27. It was the most dominant effort of the season for the Ravens, who intercepted Cleveland quarterbacks four times.

Quinn, who began the season as the starter for the Browns (1-7), went 6 for 8 for 34 yards and an interception before being pulled at halftime in favor of Derek Anderson.

Anderson went on to throw three picks and start the next five games, but he has the NFL's lowest quarterback rating (36.2) and coach Eric Mangini has decided to go back to Quinn as his starter following the Browns' bye week.

Anderson had a 6-for-17 performance with two interceptions in a 30-6 loss to Chicago on Nov. 1. Quinn came off the bench to complete 1 of 3 passes in his first action since being benched 10 quarters into the season.

Mangini said he would like to stick with Quinn for the rest of the season, and has been impressed with his work ethic since being demoted.

"He's had good weeks of practice," Mangini said. "He's worked hard since the first transition was made. I look forward to him taking advantage of this opportunity and helping us improve."

Quinn, who has a 62.1 passer rating this year, has lost five of his six career starts. He takes over an offense that is tied for 30th in scoring, averaging 9.8 points.

"I'm excited to play," Quinn said. "I'm excited to be a part of Monday night. Every team in the NFL is tough, them especially. We've got our hands full right now."

Baltimore's defense, however, hasn't been as dominant this season. The Ravens hadn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in 39 consecutive games before allowing three in their last four contests.

Baltimore gave up a total of 369 yards versus the Bengals and has allowed more than 400 three times, something it hadn't done since 2006.

The Ravens have fallen two games behind AFC North leaders Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, though the playoffs are still well within their reach if they can build some momentum.

"I'm pretty sure we've got to win a bunch of games to get there, and we've got to be a lot better than 4-4 in the second half to get it done," Harbaugh said.

Baltimore likely needs a bounce-back game from Joe Flacco, who threw two INTs last Sunday after going two straight games without one and had a season-low 56.3 completion percentage (18 of 32).

Flacco set a career high with 342 yards in this season's first matchup with Cleveland, and topped that mark with 385 in a 33-31 loss to Minnesota on Oct. 18.

Cleveland is last in total defense, allowing 409.1 yards a contest, and has lost its leading tackler for the second time this season. Eric Barton was placed on injured reserve Tuesday with an unspecified injury, leaving the Browns without their two starting inside linebackers.

D'Qwell Jackson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury last month. Cleveland will likely use rookies David Veikune and Kaluka Maiava on the inside of their 3-4 front.

This will be Jamal Lewis' final game against the team with which he spent his first six seasons. Lewis, who announced last week he would retire at season's end, ran for the second-highest single-season total in NFL history with 2,066 yards in 2003 for Baltimore and was in a Ravens uniform for 7,801 of his 10,456 rushing yards -- 21st all-time.

"I was excited to start off the season with the attitude Mangini and his staff instilled in us," Lewis said. "At the same time, when you work as hard as we did you want to see results.

"I'm still looking for them."

Holmgren says he'd be interested in Browns job

Former Seattle and Green Bay coach Mike Holmgren says he would be interested in working for the Cleveland Browns.

Ravens' Edwards plans appeal of roughness fine

Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards plans to appeal the $5,000 fine he received for a hit delivered to Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs on Monday night.

Browns' Mangini expects Cribbs to play Sunday

Eric Mangini expects Josh Cribbs to play when the Cleveland Browns go against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

Pasquarelli: Browns, Raiders, Rams head pack of putrid offenses

Terrible offenses in Cleveland, Oakland and St. Louis have dragged down scoring in the NFL, writes Len Pasquarelli.

Ravens' Figurs out until training camp after surgery

The Ravens' Yamon Figurs will be sidelined for the rest of the offseason minicamps because he recently had surgery on his foot.

Troy Smith gets work as receiver

With several wide receivers excused from voluntary minicamp, backup quarterback Troy Smith made a temporary position change to wide-out, running routes and making some impressive catches Tuesday.

McGahee Heads Sparse List of Vets at OTA

The Ravens have had a solid turnout of veterans at all of their voluntary Organized Team Activities this offseason, but running back Willis McGahee was the most notable of those players that opted to attend this week.

Smith Running Routes as Receiver

On one of the final drills of todaya s OTAs, the Ravens faced fourth-and-8 at midfield, and backup quarterback Troy Smith joined a four-receiver set.

Birk Bustling in Baltimore

Matt Birk , the Ravens' newly-acquired center, brings 11 years of NFL experience, six Pro Bowl invites and a reputable charitable foundation to the team.

Browns Insider: Mangini sees errors, but also progress, as Quinn, Anderson learn new offense

Browns coach Eric Mangini explained Tuesday why the quarterbacks have looked a little ragged this week and last week during voluntary practices.

Witnesses for the defense: Ex-Jets spreading the word to help Browns learn Mangini's ways

The Browns haven't made a tackle yet this year, of course -- or missed one -- but certain characteristics of their defense are emerging in their off-season workouts.

Dumb move by Mangenius

By essentially forcing the rookies to take a 10-hour bus trip to work a camp at his old high school in Connecticut this weekend, head coach Eric Mangini only succeeded in adding to the Browns' reputation as an NFL laughingstock.

How to Lose Friends and Irritate People, Eric Mangini Edition

It's not going to matter if Eric Mangini goes 11-5 with the Browns and Rex Ryan goes 5-11 with the Jets, but .. In a comparison of the two in the off-season, Ryan seems to be winning, 62-0. Most of it is Mangini's own doing.

Mangini Not Making Friends In Cleveland

Eric Mangini irked Browns rookies by "asking" that they help out at a football camp in Hartford, Conn.