The Cleveland Browns are back home on Sunday in front of the mob, we mean adoring fans, for a game against the Baltimore Ravens.
This is the first divisional rematch of the season after the Browns dropped the Week 2 game in Baltimore. Since then, the fortunes of the two teams have been on different trajectories as the Browns are once again residing in the basement of the AFC North Division, while the Ravens are getting healthy and appear poised to march unopposed to the division title.
The game marks quarterback Dillon Gabriels first career start against the Ravens, making it the ninth consecutive game against Baltimore where Cleveland will have a different starting quarterback from the previous meeting.
On Thursday, Clevelands coordinators held their weekly meeting with the media, and here are the key takeaways from what they had to say about the upcoming game against the Ravens.
In the first meeting with the Ravens, Cleveland defense held running back Derrick Henry to 50 rushing yards (he is averaging just 56 yards in eight career games against the Browns), and quarterback Lamar Jackson to just 13 rushing yards.
With the division foes familiar with each other, stopping the run is more about attitude than scheme, according to Schwartz:
With the defense trying to give the offense one more chance last week against the New York Jets, defensive lineman Cameron Thomas committed a penalty on a fourth-down play that allowed the Jets to run out the clock.
The coaches obviously dont teach players to commit a penalty, and sometimes things happen. But players need to move on to the next play, according to Schwartz:
Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel has had his struggles this season, so how does the coaching staff feel about him after five starts?
But surely Gabriels lack of height must be causing him problems? It is actually more about trusting what you are seeing on the field, according to Rees:
Clevelands special teams had their weekly breakdown in the Jets game, but this time that resulted in a pair of kick returns for touchdowns. So what was the problem?
With each weekly miscue, the noise grows louder for the Browns to make a chance at the position. After 18 years in the league, eight as a player and now 10 as a coach, does that noise bother Ventrone?
The Browns and the Ravens kick off on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. from Huntington Bank Field in downtown Cleveland. Stay tuned to Dawgs By Nature for coverage throughout the weekend and all day on Sunday.