ESPN.com - NFL - Take 2: Browns vs. Ravens Friday, November 5, 2004
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Browns and Ravens. Now they're back with a
second look.
Kyle Boller may throw a lot of crossing and slant routes against the
Browns cover-two scheme. With RB Jamal Lewis and a strong run game, the
Browns linebackers may run blitz or at least play close to the line of
scrimmage, which gives Boller some room to throw over them and underneath
the safeties.
The Browns must take care of the football versus an opportunistic Ravens
defense. The Browns have already turned the ball over 15 times this season
and they can't give the Ravens any opportunity to turn this game around.
If the Ravens offense is not given a short field to work with they will
struggle to score.
Conventional wisdom says that the Browns come out and pound the ball in
the run game with William Green and Lee Suggs, but they may actually come
out throwing in the first quarter. They have a good three receiver package
with Andre Davis, Dennis Northcutt and Antonio Bryant. The Ravens match up
well in the secondary, but it would force their safeties back into
coverage and that's when the Browns could mix in the inside run.
As well as Ravens NT Kelly Gregg plays, he is part of a scheme that does
not suit RILB Ray Lewis very well. The defensive front is undersized and a
one gap penetrating unit. They don't play two gap schemes that can occupy
blockers and as a result, Lewis is forced to take on more blocks, which is
hurting his ability to pursue.
The Browns need to make a decision on what defensive style that want to
employ the rest of the year. They have gone with a four man rush, with the
back seven playing mostly cover schemes. However, they are dead last in
the NFL in sacks and they may reconsider their philosophy in the second
half of the season, by blitzing more with their linebackers and taking
chances to create big plays.
QB Jeff Garcia has slowed down his drops to let receivers finish their
routes and he is also having success with rollouts, moving around in the
pocket and throwing on the run. When Garcia gets out of the pocket, he
breaks down defenses and makes a lot of "sandlot" plays versus broken
coverage.
The Browns have improved their inside defense since last year. They are
not making very many big plays, but on the upside they are not giving up
many either. The improvement comes in the form of better interior tackling
and being more disciplined in their run lanes.
Opposing offenses are running right at the heart of the Ravens defense.
They are attacking NT Kelly Gregg, ILB Ray Lewis and LB Ed Hartwell, and
it is working. This is a defense that likes to slip blocks, chase and make
plays on the move, but they are not as good when you attack them with a
north/south run game.
The Browns like the improvement Suggs has made as a receiver out of the
backfield. He has good speed, explosiveness and when he can get outside on
dump-offs and screens, it gives the offense a boost.
Garcia will have to monitor where SS Ed Reed is at all times. Reed loves
to blitz, especially off the edge and the Ravens will use some overload
and corner blitzes to force Garcia to find his "hot" receiver.
It is imperative that the Ravens get positive yardage on first and second
down. If they are in a lot of third and short situations, they can run the
ball. If it is third and long, it puts the ball in Boller's hands, which
is not what the Ravens want. The Browns will try and disguise coverage and
blitz in an effort to force Boller into mistakes and turnovers.
The biggest weakness the Browns have is their pass defense, they rank 26th
in the NFL, but the ironic thing is the Ravens can't take advantage of it
with their weak passing game.
Special Teams
Field position will play a big role in this game and the Ravens may have
the edge with RS B.J. Sams, who is explosive and is capable of breaking a
big return versus mediocre Browns cover teams. Both teams have solid place
kickers and punters, so field position will be determined on kick returns
and not on punts.
Prediction: Browns 17, Ravens 13
Scouts Inc.
Tuesday, our scouts filed their advance advance scouting report on this
week's matchup between the Browns and Ravens. Now they're back with a
second look.
Kyle Boller may throw a lot of crossing and slant routes against the
Browns cover-two scheme. With RB Jamal Lewis and a strong run game, the
Browns linebackers may run blitz or at least play close to the line of
scrimmage, which gives Boller some room to throw over them and underneath
the safeties.
The Browns must take care of the football versus an opportunistic Ravens
defense. The Browns have already turned the ball over 15 times this season
and they can't give the Ravens any opportunity to turn this game around.
If the Ravens offense is not given a short field to work with they will
struggle to score.
Conventional wisdom says that the Browns come out and pound the ball in
the run game with William Green and Lee Suggs, but they may actually come
out throwing in the first quarter. They have a good three receiver package
with Andre Davis, Dennis Northcutt and Antonio Bryant. The Ravens match up
well in the secondary, but it would force their safeties back into
coverage and that's when the Browns could mix in the inside run.
As well as Ravens NT Kelly Gregg plays, he is part of a scheme that does
not suit RILB Ray Lewis very well. The defensive front is undersized and a
one gap penetrating unit. They don't play two gap schemes that can occupy
blockers and as a result, Lewis is forced to take on more blocks, which is
hurting his ability to pursue.
The Browns need to make a decision on what defensive style that want to
employ the rest of the year. They have gone with a four man rush, with the
back seven playing mostly cover schemes. However, they are dead last in
the NFL in sacks and they may reconsider their philosophy in the second
half of the season, by blitzing more with their linebackers and taking
chances to create big plays.
QB Jeff Garcia has slowed down his drops to let receivers finish their
routes and he is also having success with rollouts, moving around in the
pocket and throwing on the run. When Garcia gets out of the pocket, he
breaks down defenses and makes a lot of "sandlot" plays versus broken
coverage.
The Browns have improved their inside defense since last year. They are
not making very many big plays, but on the upside they are not giving up
many either. The improvement comes in the form of better interior tackling
and being more disciplined in their run lanes.
Opposing offenses are running right at the heart of the Ravens defense.
They are attacking NT Kelly Gregg, ILB Ray Lewis and LB Ed Hartwell, and
it is working. This is a defense that likes to slip blocks, chase and make
plays on the move, but they are not as good when you attack them with a
north/south run game.
The Browns like the improvement Suggs has made as a receiver out of the
backfield. He has good speed, explosiveness and when he can get outside on
dump-offs and screens, it gives the offense a boost.
Garcia will have to monitor where SS Ed Reed is at all times. Reed loves
to blitz, especially off the edge and the Ravens will use some overload
and corner blitzes to force Garcia to find his "hot" receiver.
It is imperative that the Ravens get positive yardage on first and second
down. If they are in a lot of third and short situations, they can run the
ball. If it is third and long, it puts the ball in Boller's hands, which
is not what the Ravens want. The Browns will try and disguise coverage and
blitz in an effort to force Boller into mistakes and turnovers.
The biggest weakness the Browns have is their pass defense, they rank 26th
in the NFL, but the ironic thing is the Ravens can't take advantage of it
with their weak passing game.
Special Teams
Field position will play a big role in this game and the Ravens may have
the edge with RS B.J. Sams, who is explosive and is capable of breaking a
big return versus mediocre Browns cover teams. Both teams have solid place
kickers and punters, so field position will be determined on kick returns
and not on punts.
Prediction: Browns 17, Ravens 13
