The Ravens stepped onto M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday night with championship aspirations as the season began with a matchup against the Cleveland Browns, and ended with a 38-6 victory for Baltimore. 

Baltimore came out with an early 10-0 lead to set the tone in the first quarter, but the Browns responded with a play fake at the goal line, resulting in an easy touchdown for Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. A fumble from Baltimore’s Patrick Ricard almost cost the Ravens as the Browns failed to capitalize on the turnover. Former Ohio State star and Baltimore rookie J.K. Dobbins broke out late in the second quarter with his first career touchdown to make it 17-6. The Browns’ woes continued as they missed a 41-yard field goal in the last minute, allowing quarterback Lamar Jackson to march up the field for a touchdown to close out the half at 24-6.

The second half proved to be more of the same as reigning MVP Jackson led another drive midway through the third to make it 31-6. The Ravens’ defense came out strong, shutting down Cleveland’s offense while also forcing a fumble at the end of the third quarter. The Browns committed three turnovers throughout the game, including a Mayfield interception by cornerback Marlon Humphrey. Dobbins also added to his success with a touchdown at the start of the fourth. The Ravens completely shut down the Browns in the second half to cap off a 38-6 victory, starting off the season with both uncertainty and high expectations.

Jackson looked as if he did not lose a step since his MVP season last year, finishing with 20/25 attempts, 275 yards, and 3 touchdowns plus 45 rushing yards. Wide receiver Marquise Brown also made the most of his five catches with 101 yards receiving. The Ravens have massive hopes for this season, and they will make another run for the Super Bowl after a disappointing loss in the divisional round to Tennessee, despite their 14-2 start, last season. While they will most likely finish this season with a tremendous record, the real test begins in the playoffs where they have not won the AFC Championship since 2012 with quarterback Joe Flacco. 

The Ravens played this game for an empty stadium due to the COVID-19 pandemic and will do so for the foreseeable future. The NFL has allowed teams to make their own decisions regarding fan entry, which only a few have chosen to allow. The Ravens have elected to not host fans for this initial part of the season as they get ready to play the Texans on September 20.

For more updates on the Baltimore Ravens, check back with The Greyhound.

Featured Image courtesy of Karen Riley via Flickr Creative Commons