***TNF IN THE SWAMP - CLE @ BAL***

***CLEVELAND BROWNS @ BALTIMORE RAVENS***

Well the Prime Time stage doesn't get much uglier than when the Browns infect it and tonight they take their 0-9 record on the road to face-off against their former selves in division rival the Baltimore Ravens. That being said, it has been an extremely rough start to Hue Jackson's tenure as Cleveland's Head Coach and he and his team still remain winless through 9 weeks of football. Hue has stated that some how & some way they will avoid going 0-16 this year. Their best shot at an outright win just may be here tonight. I shamefully admit I was on the Brownies last week, thinking they would shock the world at home and catch the Dallas Cowboys sleeping after the cities baseball team just blew a 3-1 lead in the World Series. I thought wrong, very wrong. Perhaps I was a week early however, and tonight up against a bitter rival on National television could in fact be just what the doctor ordered. Most people thought their best shot was against the lowly Jets in Cleveland two weeks ago, and the Browns blew a halftime lead to eventually lose that game. Then people like myself who thought they were slick last week picked them to upset America's team and wanted to bury their heads in the sand afterwards as the Cowboys absolutely embarrassed them. Now tonight, on the road in Baltimore they face a 4-4 Ravens team who are coming off of an equally if not more physical battle against their most hated rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. At the time, the Ravens had dropped four games straight as they headed into their bye week. Last week they faced a Steelers team who were also off of a bye week and returning their QB Ben Rothlisberger after being out with an injury. Big Ben had gotten surgery and most likely hurried himself back to action ahead of schedule as Ben does and in my opinion it showed against the Ravens. In an ugly game, the Ravens were able to hold off a late comeback by an immobile Ben and get the win at home. That brings us to tonight's sandwich spot for Baltimore as they may lookahead to the tough double header that awaits them in the Cowboys and Bengals in weeks 11 & 12. Coming off of an emotional and physical battle to get off the schneid and pull out a victory against your divisional opponent, and now having to play on a short week against your winless little brother with a challenging schedule waiting, I would have to think this is a possible letdown spot here for the Ravens. I could see Coach John Harbaugh just wanting to get out of this one healthy and do the minimum needed to get a win here, meanwhile this may as well be the Browns Super Bowl. On the big stage, against a team they are familiar with and almost beat back in week 2 mind you, they will gear up for this one and give it all they got to at least challenge the Ravens.

The Ravens defense is finally getting healthy and man they look solid. Last week they returned veteran leader and LB Terrell Suggs, and LB CJ Mosley who is one of the best LBs in football in my opinion. The secondary is starting to also take shape with the emergence of Rookie CB Tavon Young who looks to have stolen the 2nd CB starting job mirroring their top CB, the big Jimmy Smith. Young has received high praise and it is well deserved after matching up and limiting the NFL's top WR Antonio Brown last week, a job very few have had success doing. Behind veteran Safety Eric Weddle's leadership this team looks to have found themselves defensively. My concern is with their offense and QB Joe Flacco. The Ravens have really struggled to put up points and when looking at their record they haven't had any impressive wins. Yes last week against the Steelers could be argued but again, Ben wasn't 100% so that win is taken with a grain of salt. Tonight could be a get right game for Flacco but I am not so sure as again the Browns will surely be amped up for the challenge tonight and behind a wounded offensive line now without RG Marshal Yanda, Flacco could be in trouble tonight. I think the Browns will play with nothing to lose tonight, because let's face it they have lost everything else (heheh). What I mean is the Ravens do not have a run game and the Browns will be facing an old teammate in RB Terrence West, who I got to believe will be up for this game against a team that let him go. However West is no Ezekial Elliot, and I think after being thoroughly embarrassed last week due to poor tackling and straight up bad communication, the Browns defense will focus on stifling the run and forcing Joe Flacco to beat them. As mentioned Flacco has struggled this season, and maybe it is because of his injury last year but he doesn't seem to confident in the pocket and seems to be making poor decisions. He hasn't had his usual deep ball really flowing and that is how he can take advantage of Cleveland. In fact their limited success this season is mainly due to their defense and stud FG Kicker in Justin Tucker. Now I am just rambling and it is almost game time so I will wrap it up. Basically in a nutshell, the Browns have some unfinished business against the Ravens when they led them 20-12 at halftime in week 2 and were unable to hold onto the lead but had a chance with a potential game winning drive with Josh McCown that ended in some Referee controversial calls, no surprise there. Needless to say the Browns came extremely close to getting it done and if it is going to happen, than what better spot then tonight. Baltimore's low-scoring and defensive style of play could be the perfect recipe for Brownies to hang around and possibly upset here. Hue Jackson will have some tricks up his sleeve and the energy level and effort will outmatch the home team. The last time the Browns won a game Johnny Manziel was their QB, the madness has to stop! The Dawg Pound could not be hungrier for a win and black bird is on the menu! BROWNS+7.5