The Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns go head-to-head on Monday Night Football and both sides have a combined five wins between them entering week 12.
Baltimore are 3-7 for the season and they find themselves coming into this week’s game as underdogs with back-up quarterback Matt Schaub starting a game for the first time since 2013.
Cleveland are bottom of the AFC North, sitting at 2-8, the Browns’ wins come over the Tennessee Titans and their opponents this week, the Ravens, as they seek to end a five-game losing streak.
Ravens hit hard with injuries this season
Back in Week 3, when the two sides faced, the Ravens were beginning their slide, having already lost Terrell Suggs for the year with a torn Achilles.
Baltimore stole the headlines once again this past week after losing their starting running-back Justin Forsett as well as their starting quarterback Joe Flacco and Steve Smith Sr. earlier in the season for the year.
With Flacco done for the year, the Ravens claimed Jimmy Clausen off waivers this week after the Chicago Bears waived him, which most fans saw coming after the Browns passed on the quarterback.
It could be said that the loser of this one will be rewarded next season with the first pick in the NFL Draft, and with little else to watch for, both sides will be looking to make the most of the situation they’re in with injuries.
Manziel Benched after losing team’s trust
Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was given the role of starting quarterback position after a great display against divisional rivals Pittsburgh Steelers in week 10.
The positivity from earning the trust of the coaching staff lasted less than a week after he partied hard, publicly, during Cleveland’s bye week.
Josh McCown was set to come in to start against the Ravens, but he is sidelined with injured ribs, meaning Austin Davis will get the nod despite a poor display against the Steelers.
Where can both sides go this season, realistically?
After the match-up with the Ravens this week, it is difficult to see where the Browns’ next win can come from with a difficult final five games in the regular season.
The game with the San Francisco 49ers is possibly where they will be aiming to pick up a win but with divisional games against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh and the 2014 Super Bowl winners, the Seattle Seahawks, still to come.
Just like the Browns, the Ravens play four of the five teams that their Week 12 opponents have to, with the only deviation being the Miami Dolphins at Sun LIfe Stadium.
Their final two games of the regular season and probably their whole season, is against the Steelers, at home, and the runaway divisional leaders, the Cincinnati Bengals.
Injury News
The Browns have ruled out four players for the game with wide-receivers Andrew Hawkins (concussion) and Taylor Gabriel (concussion), Randy Starks (knee) and Joe Haden (concussion) all sitting out this one.
Joel Bitonio (knee) and Nate Orchard (groin) have been limited in practice this week and are listed as questionable for the game, while Donte Whitner (concussion) is likely to feature.
Baltimore have a lot of key players listed on injured reserve who aren’t on the injury report, like Flacco and Forsett.
Four players are listed as doubtful for the game at the FirstEnergy Stadium, wide-receiver Marlon Brown (back), tight-end Chase Ford (shoulder), OT Eugene Monroe (shoulder) and OG Kelechi Osemele (knee).
Shareece Wright (back) is listed as questionable for the game after limited practice this week, while tight-end Nick Boyle (foot) is probable.
Prediction: Cleveland Browns 17 Baltimore Ravens 13