Tag: NFL Season Week 16

Ravens highlight: RB Justice Hill puts the final nail in the Browns coffin

Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill effectively ended the Cleveland Browns’ season on an 18-yard rushing touchdown.

The Cleveland Browns threatened to make it a game in the fourth quarter, driving down and scoring a touchdown after some defensive miscues to bring the game to 24-15 with 8:01 left. The Baltimore Ravens still held a two-score lead after foiling the conversion, but things were far from guaranteed.

In response, the Ravens did what they have done so well this season: Grind down the clock with their punishing run game. Quarterback Lamar Jackson and running back Gus Edwards ran all over the Cleveland defense, taking it to their 18-yard line.

From there, rookie running back Justice Hill ran it in untouched for his first NFL touchdown — an 18-yard run.

 

The Ravens burned almost five minutes off of the clock with that drive. Up 31-15, it would be the final nail in the Browns’ coffin. Not only did it effectively end the game but it also ended Cleveland’s playoff hopes, officially knocking them out of postseason contention.

In spite of a slow start to this game for both teams, the Ravens found their footing at the end of the first half and never looked back. They’ve now locked themselves in as the top seed in the AFC, making the road to Super Bowl LIV go through Baltimore.

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5 reasons the Ravens will win in Week 16

Let’s take a quick look at all the reasons the Ravens won’t let the Browns sweep the series in 2019.

In week 16, the Baltimore Ravens get a chance to avenge one of their two losses this season (arguably the worse of those two). Way back in week 4, Baltimore was all but humiliated in front of their hometown fans against what looked like a far superior Browns team.

How times have changed. Since that loss, the Ravens have regrouped, found their footing, won 10 straight games, clinched a playoff spot, successfully defended their AFC North crown, and are now one victory away from locking up home-field advantage in the playoffs.

The Browns on the other hand . . . are still the Browns; the perennial disappointment, who sit one loss away from their twelfth consecutive losing season and another early elimination from playoff contention (fun fact: the Browns have only had two winning seasons this century).

Unless they win this week.

Let’s take a quick look at all the reasons Baltimore won’t let that happen in week 16.

The Ravens’ Defense

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

What was Baltimore’s Achilles heel in the last meeting has become nearly a perfect counterpoint to this seasons’ electric offense. The additions of linebackers L.J. Fort and Josh Bynes, coupled with the acquisition of cornerback Marcus Peters, has completely turned around a defensive unit that looked like a catastrophe in Week 4. Not only have they catapulted themselves from 27th to 6th in terms of overall defense, but they have scored five touchdowns during their winning streak while generating more turnovers (18) than opponent touchdowns (15).

Sure, the Ravens’ offense has been putting up a record number of points, but their defense can wear down anyone and the Browns offense just doesn’t seem to match up.

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