Looking at the offensive numbers put up against the Browns by the Jets in Week 10, there is no conceivable reason that Cleveland should have come away with a loss. New York had a measly 54 yards passing, just 127 yards on the ground, had quarterback Justin Fields sacked three times for a loss of 12 yards, and committed the game’s lone turnover.
The Browns offense was not great by any measure, but it was certainly better than what the Jets put forth. The difference, however, was on special teams, where the Browns gave up a 99-yard kickoff return to Kene Nwangwu for a touchdown, and followed that up by yielding a 74-yard punt return to Isaiah Williams.
The two plays were separated by just a little more than 30 seconds, and put the Browns in a catch-up mode that the offense is just not prepared to handle. There were other reasons the game was lost, but special teams was a firm No. 1 on the list.
In the wake of that disaster, there were the natural knee-jerk reactions that called for the firing of special teams coach Bubba Ventrone. On the whole, the Browns’ special teams have not been bad this season, but a missed field goal in Week 1 did cost a win against the Bengals–though the special teams deserves ample credit for the impressive Week 3 win over the Packers.
Still, coach Kevin Stefanski was asked about the job security of Ventrone last week, and Stefanski essentially shrugged off any notion of firing him. “I have a ton of faith in Bubba, I have a ton of faith in our special teams,” Stefanski said.
On Thursday, Ventrone–who played for eight NFL seasons and coached 11 more–met with the media and was asked about the vote of confidence from the head coach.
“That’s good to hear,” Ventrone said. “I respect Kev a lot, and I’ll say this – I’ve been in the NFL a long time. I’ve played, I’ve coached for a long time. You know, there’s times when stuff does not go your way, and the game comes down to playing with great fundamentals and techniques. So, if you’re not doing those things, you’re going to get beat.
“Unfortunately, we’re learning the hard way right now.”
The Browns are a young team, and that’s been an overriding factor for the group–special teams has been manned by more rookies than most teams would like. Ventrone cited that as a reason for the struggles.
“It’s definitely contributed to it,” Ventrone said. “It’s not the only underlying factor. But like I said, we, just as a unit, as a collective group, we have to do a better job of playing our technique, and playing into the scheme, and just trusting that just do your job and that the guy next to you is going to do his job.
“That’s the best way to do it. The best way to play coverage is play complementary to one another, leverage, tackling. We just haven’t done a good enough job of that.”
After missing practice on Wednesday, the Baltimore Ravens saw their star quarterback, Lamar Jackson, return to the practice field on Thursday. He was absent on Wednesday due to knee soreness, but just as Head Coach John Harbaugh anticipated, Jackson was back in full capacity on Thursday.
While Jackson’s health was never too much in question ahead of their Week 11 matchup with the Cleveland Browns, it was still worrisome to see him pop up on the injury report with a knee issue. The two-time MVP is taking snaps behind one of the worst offensive lines in football this year, especially when it comes to the interior. Guards Andrew Vorhees and Daniel Faalele have struggled, and certainly have not helped in Jackson’s return from his hamstring injury.
Still, Jackson will be ready to go on Sunday. Despite the poor performance of the offensive line, he has shown he can lead a steady, winning offense since he retook the field in Week 9, and is as confident as ever heading into their bout in Cleveland.
Following Thursday’s practice, Jackson talked to the media about how he felt after being out of action the day before. When asked if he expects teams to blitz him more when he shows up on the injury report, he gave a cool, calm, and collected response.
“That’s cool with me,” Jackson said. “I’m cool with it. We’re gonna see.”
In the past, blitzes have given the Ravens’ offense problems. However, ever since Jackson has made significant growth as a passer, those problems have not loomed as large. The lackluster offensive line may have issues, but as far as Jackson is concerned, he is ready for any potential challenge that may lie ahead.
The Browns have one of the fiercest defenses in the NFL in 2025. Through nine games, they are allowing the second-least amount of yards per game at 264.9 yards, and their pass rush group has played a massive role in that.
Their defensive front is headed by All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett, who is likely the best defensive player in the league. Cleveland has 27 sacks this year, which ranks tied for eighth in the NFL, and 11 of those have come from Garrett.
In Baltimore’s Week 2 contest against the Browns, Jackson was sacked three times. Garrett, Devin Bush, and Cameron Thomas were the culprits. The Ravens still put up 41 points in that one, but defense and special teams helped out in that department.
While the Ravens’ offense line will likely have trouble against Cleveland’s defensive front, Jackson’s always shown an innate ability to stay composed when the pocket breaks down. If that happens again in Week 11, the 28-year-old should prove up for the challenge.