Keep it here all day to post your comments and thoughts throughout the game between the Baltimore Ravens and visiting Cleveland Browns. While I'll be at the game today in Section 206 (stop by and yell "Hey!") and therefore won't be able to join in on the Open Thread, chat amongst yourselves as you cheer the Ravens on to a big victory, letting the league know that we are planning to stay on top of the division for a long time this year. The Ravens are big favorites for the second time in their two home games early in the 2009 NFL season. The Ravens enter the game 2-0 and ranked #1 in ESPN's Power Rankings, while the Browns are near the bottom of the league and winless at 0-2. Both teams seem headed in opposite directions and while the Browns are huge underdogs today, the pressure not to take this game too lightly is on the Ravens. Baltimore faces the New England Patriots next week in Foxboro, Massachusetts and it seems like it would be easy to overlook the Browns while focusing on the tough road game next week.
However, Ravens Head Coach John Harbaugh and his staff just will not allow the team to do that as both games last year, although won by Baltimore, were close into the fourth quarter. It would be nice to be able to coast through the later part of the game for a change, and hopefully, if thoughts hold true, that will be the case today.
(More on the "Ravens vs. Browns: Prediction & Open Thread" after the 'Jump.')
Enough has been written about the huge differences between these two teams to make us all aware of how this game should go. Baltimore can pass on the Browns and will do so early in the game, but once they get a comfortable enough of a lead, they will run their three backs all over and around the Browns tired defense and we should enjoy a huge time of possession advantage as the game progesses into us running the ball and the Browns forced to air it out to try to play catch up. There is little reason to believe that Cleveland has any chance to run the ball and that should play right into the Ravens opportunistic defense with turnovers and pressure on Brady Quinn by our front seven. While Ray Lewis will probably not have to be counted on to save the day, the rest of the team should have a field day as they remind the rest of the league that this defense has not fallen off as so many have said as a result of last week's game.
The Ravens' defense returns to prominance today as they overwhelm the outmanned Browns team on both sides of the ball and the only threat Cleveland has is on Special Teams. However, there is only so much damage that return specialist Joshua Cribbs can do by himself as the Ravens roll over the Browns to continue their winning ways and remain undefeated at 3-0 as they head up to New England to face the Patriots next week in what should be the game of the week.
Post your own score predictions early and come back before, during and after the game to post your comments here.
Ravens over Browns: 34-10