The Cleveland Browns are coming off their first loss since Week 1 as they head into Week 6. They are now 3-2 and have a pivotal matchup with the Baltimore Ravens on the horizon in what has now become a must-win game for them.
The Browns can only control what they can control, and in Week 6 that is going to be more important than ever.
The Ravens have been dealing with several injuries, including the most notable one regarding Lamar Jackson. Whether he plays or not, this defense needs to prepare the way they know how to. On offense, Todd Monken and Deshaun Watson have to find that spark again after losing the momentum they had been building. Without doing both of those things, this could be a major setback for the season as a whole.
With that said,
we are taking a look at the defensive keys for the Browns in Week 6, starting with their defensive front.
Contain Lamar Jackson
It seems more and more likely that Lamar Jackson will be the quarterback for the Ravens on Sunday. With that in mind, the Browns need to be ready to contain him, bad ankle and all. Linebackers Quincy Williams and Carson Schwesinger have to force Jackson to beat the Browns with his arm rather than his legs. Nothing kills momentum more than when Jackson improvises on a third down and extends drives. The more they contain him and his dual-threat ability, the better it will be for the rest of the defense.
Make someone other than Zay Flowers make plays
We all saw on Monday night what happens when Zay Flowers is taken out of the game from a scheme standpoint. Mark Andrews is not what he used to be, the wide receiver group is lacking a true playmaker behind Flowers. If they have him removed from being a reliable option in the offense, this defense could make it a long day for Lamar Jackson and the unit as a whole.
Remind Derrick Henry he hates playing the Browns
In his career, Derrick Henry has averaged 57.9 yards per game and 4.3 yards per carry. The Browns have seemingly always had his number, as they have only allowed two 100-yard rushing games to him, while the rest of the NFL has given up a whopping 59 of them. They need to contain him early on, not allow him to build any momentum early, to win the mental battle of playing him as much as the physical one.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 3 Defensive keys for the Browns against the Ravens in Week 6
