The Baltimore Ravens came alive in the second half after starting slow out of the gate of an eventual 28-7 victory over the Cleveland Browns. The win over the Browns strengthens a hold on the lead of the AFC North division, for now. The defense dominated the entire game, allowing 144 yards and causing the Browns to bench rookie QB Cody Kessler for veteran Josh McCown.

Needless to say, McCown did not provide the spark that Head Coach Hue Jackson had hoped for.

Joe Flacco’s offense woke up after halftime to the tune of 22 unanswered points coming from three passing touchdowns. Could this be a sign of better things to come for the offense?

Here are my main points from last Thursday’s win.

What I Liked

What I Didn’t Like

Two Minute Offense. Baltimore got the ball with 1:39 left on the clock in the 2nd quarter with all three of its timeouts and down 7-3. Against the worst defense in the league, the offense played for a field goal. They repeatedly threw short slant routes early in the drive, causing them to burn their timeouts before advancing deep down the field. The longest gain of the drive was a 14-yard play that helped get into field goal position, but there were no attempts to push the ball deep downfield. Why did the offense play so conservative on a drive that could have ended so well? Flacco knows the Browns, he was playing at home, yet the offense seemed content only coming away with three points. Flacco has been vocal about being too conservative in the past, and knows the offense needs to step up if they want to make a post season run. Starting Games Slow. Baltimore has become known as a second half team in the past few years. The team consistently starts slow on offense, especially when playing against inferior opponents. And it seems that when the offense does start hot out of the gate, they fizzle later. Starting slow against teams like the Browns is forgivable given that Baltimore finds ways to beat them. But if Baltimore can only put up 6 points against the Steelers, Bengals, and Patriots later in the season, they might need more than just the second half to come back. The Ravens are hoping that their second half against Cleveland will give the offense some momentum going forward.

Overall Opinion

I like this team. Just when fans start calling for John Harbaugh to be fired, he pulls his team back together. Baltimore fans are passionate, and four game losing streaks are rare, but there is plenty of football ahead. The Ravens improved to 3-0 in the division, which is crucial for a North title. The AFC North is down, and the Ravens are taking advantage. After cheering for a Dallas win over Pittsburgh yesterday, which put Baltimore in sole possession of the division lead, Baltimore must get ready for its toughest opponent of the season so far.

Week Eleven Preview