The Browns benched the ring leader of their circus but have a glorious chance to end their five-game losing streak when they take on Baltimore's B team on Monday Night Football. Johnny Manziel hasn't progressed on the field as much as he has off it, and was demoted just days after being named the team's starter for the remainder of the season.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cleveland Browns 0
Baltimore Ravens 0
Over/Under 41.5
ODDS ANALYSIS
The betting public sees Baltimore's injuries as too big an obstacle to overcome with the line wagered from an opening pick em to Cleveland -3. Covering the spread hasn't been an easy task for the Ravens. Baltimore was 1-7-2 ATS with its starters and the trend will likely continue with its B team.
KEY INJURIES
Joe Flacco - Baltimore's quarterback is out for the year with a torn ACL and MCL sustained last week. Matt Schaub will take his first snaps of the season as the starter with former Bear Jimmy Clausen claimed off waivers to serve as backup.
Joel Bitonio - Missed Cleveland's last game in Pittsburgh with an ankle injury. Rookie Cameron Erving filled in for Bitonio and will start if the bye wasn't enough time for him to recover.
Joe Haden - Remained in the concussion protocol and is questionable to play Monday night. Pierre Desir has started at cornerback for the Browns in his place. The secondary received some good news when safety Donte Whitner came out of the protocol this week.
KEY MISMATCH
No Joe Flacco and no Justin Forsett means the Browns’ worst-ranked rush defense will be tested by the likes of Javorius Allen and Terrance West. Allen has proven to be adequate as an NFL rusher as a rookie, and West will play at FirstEnergy Stadium in his third uniform this season. Allen had 58 of the Ravens’ 181 rushing yards the last time these two teams met. They’ll need him to carry a larger burden this week after losing Flacco for the season. Matt Schaub is a veteran quarterback, but he doesn’t have the passing weapons to rekindle any type of magic he once had. If Baltimore has any chance of overcoming its losses and winning on the road in Cleveland, it’ll need its offensive line to impose itself on the Browns’ shaky rush defense.
KEY STAT
43.8 - Cleveland's third down conversion percentage. The Browns are the seventh-best team in the NFL in extending drives and face a Baltimore defense that ranks 27th in ending drives on third down.
BETTING ANGLE
McCown has an opportunity to reclaim the No. 1 job he lost to Manziel after missing the last two games with a rib injury, and replicate one of his best outings. The 12th-year journeyman amassed a career-high 457 yards and threw two touchdowns in leading Cleveland to its most recent victory, a 33-30 overtime triumph in Baltimore on Oct. 11. Cleveland has since lost five straight and is averaging 11.3 points and 293.3 total yards over the last four. The loss was only the Ravens' second in 15 meetings with the Browns under Harbaugh. Cleveland last swept the season series in 2007, Brian Billick's final year as Baltimore's coach.
ANALYSIS AND ODDS PREDICTION
The Browns will be rested and have had the last two weeks to get ready for this Monday night football matchup. Meanwhile, the Ravens are turning to backups at nearly every skill position, and defensively, they haven’t been able to stop anyone not named Case Keenum at quarterback this season. Stripping Manziel of his starting job may hurt ESPN’s promotion of this game, and might not make sense as far as long-term Browns personnel development, but it won’t hurt the team this week. McCown has proven to be more than adequate as the team’s starting quarterback. As he has shown to this point, he’ll be prepared and will do everything he can to help the Browns avoid embarrassment on national television and in front of their hometown fans.
Cleveland 27, Baltimore 18
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