Cleveland Browns blueprint to victory in Week 12 vs. Ravens

The Cleveland Browns are entering the most important stretch of the 2021 season as they take on the Ravens twice in three weeks. Here’s how they can secure a win before heading to the bye to prepare for a rematch.

When the 2021 schedule was released, every Cleveland Browns fan marked this stretch of the season. An oddity in the scheduling has the Browns playing in Baltimore this weekend before taking the week off.

When they return in Week 14, they will again face the Ravens, albeit this time at home. It’s a tough stretch as they will be facing arguably the toughest team in the AFC North two times in a row, but it could also be a huge advantage should they score two wins off the division leader.

But we can’t get too far ahead of ourselves. Instead, we need to focus solely on this one coming up. And with that being said, here’s a blueprint to victory for the Browns as they head to Baltimore.

Cleveland Browns blueprint: Run the Ball

This game is going to be tough for the Browns. The strength of their offense is the ground game and the strength of the Ravens defense is also the ground game. According to Pro Football Reference, Baltimore is second in the NFL in yards surrendered — however, that might not tell the whole story.

While teams aren’t running many yards, they’re also hardly running at all. Baltimore has also seen a league-low 211 rushes against them and they’re giving up 4.2 yards per attempt, which is 12th overall.

Cleveland, on the other hand, is fifth in attempts, first in yards, and first in average per attempt at 5.2 per carry. That should give fans some hope that Cleveland is going to be able to move the ball on the ground, especially when you throw in the fact that Kareem Hunt could be back.

Looking ahead to the game, this needs to be the plan on offense. Keep the ball on the ground to get the offense fired up, eliminate unnecessary mistakes, and keep the defense rested — not to mention, keeping Lamar Jackson on the sidelines. Running the ball is important in every game but it’s critical in this one.

Cleveland Browns blueprint: Stop the run

As important as it is for the Browns to run the ball, it’s just as important to stop the Ravens rushing attack. Baltimore is first in the league in rushing attempts and third in yards.

Many Cleveland fans want to pick on Lamar Jackson for his propensity to run, calling him a running back, but the truth is, he’s a dangerous weapon. Even without many solid running backs to help him, he has 639 yards and is keeping the Ravens rushing attack on the map.

In this game, the Browns need to be disciplined and maintain their gaps. If they can limit Jackson and the Ravens rushing attack, they could win this game.

Cleveland Browns blueprint: Finish the drives

One thing that really has hindered Cleveland’s offense this season is their third-down efficiency. On the year, they had completed just 37.41 percent of their third-down attempts (49-of-131). That just won’t cut it.

As bad as the defense has been, constantly punting the ball away does nothing to help them. Heading into this game, the Browns need to make sure their drives are ending in points, preferably touchdowns.

The main focus this weekend needs to be finishing every drive. The urgency needs to be high, and if it is, they could secure a huge win.