Baltimore Beatdown’s weekly AFC North recap is back. Every week, Dustin Cox will be bringing you the highlights around the division – so you don’t have to spend any time watching the Browns!
Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
The Jesse Minter era started strong for the Ravens as they blew past the Indianapolis Colts, 41-23.
Minter’s defense was as advertised in Week 1, limiting big plays through the air, applying consistent pressure on the quarterback, and forcing two turnovers. Baltimore’s big-ticket free-agent signing, Trey Hendrickson,
led the way up front with eight pressures, while Tavius Robinson and Malaki Starks each had a sack. Roquan Smith and Marlon Humphrey, two highly paid veterans looking to rebound from down seasons, caused the two turnovers with an interception and forced fumble, respectively.
Declan Doyle’s offense lived up to the hype with 506 total yards on the day. Lamar Jackson looked as good as ever, completing 17 of 25 passes for 324 yards and a touchdown, with 40 rushing yards and another score on the ground. Zay Flowers was unstoppable in the first half, racking up a career-high 150 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with a hamstring injury. Derrick Henry appears poised for another monster season after tallying 144 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 24 carries against the Colts.
Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
The Bengals started their season with a 33-27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cincinnati revamped their defense this offseason, and the unit wasted no time showing their improvement with four turnovers against the Buccaneers. The Bengals forced three fumbles against Baker Mayfield while sacking him four times. Cincinnati traded a first-round pick for Dexter Lawrence this offseason, and while he did not show up on the stat sheet, the massive nose tackle’s presence was certainly felt in the interior on Sunday, against both the run and pass.
Joe Burrow completed 25 of 35 passes for 254 yards, a touchdown, and a pick-six in his first outing of the year. Superstar receiver Ja’Marr Chase was quiet, catching just two passes for 12 yards. Instead, veteran tight end Mike Gesicki led the team with 78 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches. Chase Brown led the ground attack with 56 yards and a score on 16 carries, to go with another 22 yards on five receptions.
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Mike McCarthy’s first game as head coach of the Steelers resulted in a 20-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Cooper Rush got the start at quarterback for the Falcons in place of the injured Tua Tagovailoa, which went how you would expect against Pittsburgh’s defense. The veteran backup was picked off twice, including a pick-six by T.J. Watt. The 32-year-old pass rusher showed he’s still a game-wrecking force with two sacks as well. Safety Jaquan Brisker hauled in the team’s other interception.
Aaron Rodgers’ self-proclaimed final season began on Sunday with 221 yards and a touchdown while completing 24 of 40 passes. Newly acquired wide receiver Michael Pittman led the team with 58 receiving yards on three receptions, while tight end Pat Freiermuth caught the lone touchdown. Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle nearly split carries in the backfield, with Warren leading the way with 46 rushing yards to just 15 for Dowdle.
Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Todd Monken’s NFL head coaching debut did not go well as the Browns fell 34-10 to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Cleveland’s defense, in their first game since trading away superstar edge rusher Myles Garrett, could not stop quarterback Trevor Lawrence. The former first-overall pick had his way through the air, completing 18 of 23 pass attempts for 245 yards and four touchdowns while being sacked just once by defensive tackle Mason Graham. Jared Verse, the budding star outside linebacker acquired as part of the Garrett trade to the Los Angeles Rams, was held in check in his debut with his new team.
The Browns’ offense did not fare any better. Deshaun Watson entered the season as the starting quarterback after competing with Shedeur Sanders for the job in the offseason. Watson’s performance against the Jaguars has already led to calls for a switch at the position. He finished with 16 completions on 22 attempts for a touchdown and an interception while being sacked five times and fumbling once. Rookie first-round receiver KC Concepcion caught four passes for 43 yards while coughing up a fumble. Fellow rookie wideout Denzel Boston led the team with 59 yards and a touchdown on just two catches. The second-rounder’s 46-yard touchdown was the biggest highlight of the day for Cleveland.
