One of the problems for the Browns when it comes to playing against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens–and players who have been Cleveland for any significant time have dealt with this plenty of times–is that no matter how well the defense can have the initial stages of a play covered and sniffed out, Jackson’s mobility always leaves open the possibility of the play simply changing shape altogether. Fifth-year veteran safety Grant Delpit knows this well.
Delpit has been part of nine games against the Ravens, with a 4-5 record, including the 41-17 Week 2 matchup that started as a tight affair but turned into a big-play shellacking in the fourth quarter. Delpit has seen it time and again: The Browns, or any defense, can only hold back Jackson for so long.
Jackson suffered a knee injury last Sunday against the Vikings, and missed practice on Wednesday. But he said he would be ready to go in Week 11 in Cleveland.
In the past, one of the saving graces of trying to defend the Ravens was, generally, that they did not put any great receivers on the field alongside Jackson. But what’s different about this offense–which has averaged 28.3 points as the Ravens have won three straight games with Jackson returning from an earlier hamstring injury–is the Browns now also have to worry about Zay Flowers.
Flowers has 50 catches in nine game, with 625 yards and a touchdown. He had seven catches for 75 yards in the Week 2 meeting with the Browns. Having to guard him while Jackson extends plays, Delpit said, is a bit much.
“It’s annoying, man,” he said. “It’s very annoying to be running everywhere across the field, and you’re expected to plaster him until it’s incomplete. They’re gonna make a play or two, Lamar is gonna do some crazy stuff that we all seen. We just gotta do our best to stay close.”
The Browns do have some advantage coming into the game, having just faced an extremely mobile quarterback in Week 10, when they mostly shut down Justin Fields of the Jets. Jackson is better, though, and so are the Ravens in general.
“Obviously, we are familiar with Lamar,” Delpit said. “We’re familiar with the Ravens’ offense, and they’re familiar with us, so we’re playing with zone reads and some of the same techniques as last week. I think this game is just about perspective.
“Despite how things is going, despite how things are going outside the defense, just perspective, people know the Browns are gonna come with a great defense. That’s just upholding that standard and earning that respect every play.”
One most welcome surprise for the Cincinnati Bengals in recent weeks has been the transformation of their running game. Unfortunately, the bye week, a second-time opponent in the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a key injury could derail all that prior momentum.
Not that the Steelers have a stupendous defense, but if Pittsburgh can score at will like many Bengals opponents have this season, ageless wonder Joe Flacco will be forced to air it out a lot and render Cincinnati’s offense one-dimensional.
To help Flacco avoid a quadragenarian shootout versus Aaron Rodgers, the Bengals need to play keep-away and lean on the run. Can they count on a rookie sixth-round pick to help the cause?
Former Texas Tech tailback Tahj Brooks slid all the way to the 193rd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Bengals happily scooped up the productive ball-carrier then, as a deep running back class was part of the reason for Brooks’ tumble down the board.
Any hopes Brooks had of substantial playing time early on were dashed when Cincinnati could run the ball whatsoever. Chase Brown was averaging around two yards per carry. Brooks has only managed six carries for 18 yards in his young career thus far.
But aging vet Samaje Perine and Brown suddenly became a phenomenal 1-2 punch of late. It’s a bummer that Perine will be out for Week 11 with an ankle injury, as the team confirmed on Friday.
Perine is a savvy back who still has more explosiveness than you’d think at 30 years old. The good news is, the Bengals’ disreputable offensive line has rallied from early adversity to pave lots of running lanes, which should open things up for Brown against Pittsburgh.
When the Steelers and Bengals met in Week 7, Brown had 108 yards on only 11 carries. The question is, does Brooks have the vision and conviction to hit the hole without hesitating, and produce like a solid RB2?
That much is unclear. What is clear is that Brooks should have the chance to prove himself. Maybe Zac Taylor won’t trust him with a lot of reps, but Brown’s health should take priority.
Plus, Brooks did have quite a run at the end of his college days, rushing for over 1500 yards in each of his last two seasons with 27 touchdowns on the ground in that span.
It’d just be nice to see a Cincinnati rookie do well. Watching Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter try to play NFL linebacker has been a disaster and a big reason why the defense is so bad. Maybe Brooks will provide hope that this latest underwhelming draft class can turn into something salvageable and respectable for the Duke Tobin-led scouting department.
I’ll play you out with some Brooks Texas Tech highlights rather than any more depressing Bengals personnel fodder.