Ravens (12-2) at Browns (6-8)
Browns schedule
L ...... Tennessee ...... 43-13 W ...... at N.Y. Jets ...... 23-3 L ....... L.A. Rams ....... 20-13 W .... atBaltimore .... 40-25 L .. at San Francisco .. 31-3 L .......... Seattle .......... 32-28
BYE
L .. at New England .. 27-13 L ....... atDenver ....... 24-19 W ......... Buffalo ......... 19-16 W ....... Pittsburgh ....... 21-7 W .......... Miami .......... 41-24 L .... atPittsburgh .... 20-13 W ...... Cincinnati ...... 27-19 L ....... at Arizona ....... 38-24 Dec. 22 ...... Baltimore ...... 1 Dec. 29 ... at Cincinnati ... 1
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
TV: CBS
Danny Sheridan’s line: Ravens by 91⁄2
Ravens’ keys to victory: In the first meeting, Baltimore had no answers for Browns RB Nick Chubb. Getting an interception or two from CB Brandon Carr or CB Marcus Peters would help. On offense, QB Lamar Jackson simply needs to keep up his MVP-worthy play. Jackson threw two interceptions in the first matchup and also missed a couple of throws he normally hits. Converting opportunities into points is critical for the Ravens’ offense, and K Justin Tucker will need to manage the tricky winds and potentially rough field conditions.
Browns’ keys to victory: Controlling the game script is imperative. QB Baker Mayfield needs to consistently find the proper target and pick holes in the Ravens’ defense but without sacrificing touches for RB Nick Chubb. There will be opportunities for WR Jarvis Landry and TE David Njoku to attack down the field if the Ravens focus extra safety help on controlling Chubb, who is battling for the NFL rushing title. Cleveland’s defense will need to contain the Ravens’ Jackson by reliably getting him on the ground.
Matchup to watch: Ravens CB Marcus Peters vs. Browns WR Jarvis Landry. Landry has emerged as the Browns’ top receiver, and Peters has played fantastic since arriving in Baltimore via trade in October.
Who wins? Cleveland won the prior meeting in Baltimore in what now looks like one of the biggest upsets of the season, but the Ravens have won 10 in a row since. They keep burning toward the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
Ravens, 30-21