Garceau: Ravens Squashed The Browns But Have A Tough Schedule Ahead
The Ravens have turned a 4-game losing streak into a 2-game win streak with a Thursday night win over the Cleveland Browns.
John Harbaugh shocked the football world earlier this week when he called the Browns "a quality football team." Really Harbs, you're talking about the same Browns who have lost 20 of their last 21 football games, you mean THAT quality football team? Can somebody please order a drug test for the Ravens head coach.
There's a reason Steve Bisciotti pays his coach $7 million dollars a year, Harbaugh knows quality when he sees it and at halftime the Browns had the lead. Just when I was thinking maybe Harbaugh is a genius, I remembered good times never last for the team that plays their home games in a place dubbed "The Factory of Sadness."
At halftime the Ravens were reminded they were playing the Browns.
The Baltimore offense booed earlier in the game was suddenly healed! Joe Flacco threw three, second-half touchdown passes and the Ravens had an unusual, no late fourth quarter drama, 28-7 win.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson made an early, second-half change at quarterback. Jackson decided to bench rookie Cody Kessler, and brought in veteran Josh McCown on the second possession of the third quarter. How did that go? Like most Cleveland moves over the last 18 years it was disastrous!
McCown threw two interceptions, lost a fumble, was sacked three times and the Browns were outscored 22-0 in the second half. The Browns are 0-10, the worst start in team history. Going back to last season, this quality football team has lost a franchise-record 13 games in a row and 20 of 21.
The first place Ravens get a mini-bye before their next game a week from Sunday in Dallas. The schedule party is over, no more Browns: 7 tough games in 7 weeks with 4 of the 7 on the road (at Dallas, New England, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati).
The Ravens have 5 wins and none of the 5 have come against teams with a winning record. In their remaining 7 games only the Bengals have a losing record and just barely at 3-4-1. The teams the Ravens have won games against have a combined record of 10-35 the teams remaining on the schedule are a combined 32-22-1.
If the Ravens win the AFC North title they'll do it the old-fashioned way, they'll earn it! A back breaking late season schedule that doesn't include a "quality football team" from Cleveland will tell the story of the 2016 Ravens.
