Week 2: Baltimore Ravens look to avoid consecutive 0-2 start, host Cleveland Browns in home opener
MINUTES TO GET ACROSS THE BRIDGE. SEAN WE ONLY HAVE TWO MORE WAKE UPS BEFORE THE RAVENS HIT THE FIELD FOR THEIR FIRST GAME AT HOME. THIS SEASON. WE’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT ALL WEEK LONG. REALLY SO MANY REASONS TO BE EXCITED. FIRST, OBVIOUSLY HOME OPENER BROWNS ARE IN TOWN. CHECK THIS OUT TODAY. 98 DAN COX JUSTIN SCOTT AND SPIEGEL THERE LIVE THIS MORNING FROM RECKLESS SHEPHERD BREWING COMPANY. RIGHT NOW. THESE ARE MY TYPE OF PEOPLE I SAID IT THEY’RE PUMPED UP. THEY’RE UP EARLY. THEY’RE AT A BREWERY AT 650 IN THE MORNING. YES. THIS IS HOW YOU KNOW, THEY ARE EXCITED. AND THE COOL THING IS, LACEE AND JEN ARE ALSO LIVE OUT AT M T BANK STADIUM. AND THEY SAY THAT THEY’VE BEEN ABLE TO HEAR THE FANS SCREAMING FROM FAR AWAY. JEN LACEE WHAT CAN FANS OF RAVENS EXPECT WHEN THEY COME TO THE GAME THIS WEEKEND? I MEAN, THIS PURPLE FRIDAY, WE’RE FEELING THAT ENERGY FROM ALL OVER MARYLAND THIS MORNING AND IT’S GOING TO BE REALLY FUN. THE RAVENS ARE TAKING ON THE BROWNS JOE FLACCO BACK IN TOWN, WHICH IS GOING TO BE KIND OF AN INTERESTING FIELD. JOSH LUCAS JOINS US AGAIN FROM THE RAVENS. AND FANS ARE GOING TO BE EXCITED FOR THE GIVEAWAY THEY GET AT THIS GAME. YEAH THAT’S RIGHT. SO PART OF THE 30TH SEASON CELEBRATION IS ALL FANS WILL RECEIVE THIS FLAG WHEN THEY COME INTO THE GAME. RAVENS FOREVERMORE UNDERNEATH. AND THAT’S JUST THE START OF EVERYTHING THEY CAN EXPECT. AS WE CELEBRATE THIS WEEKEND. AND LISTEN, WE’VE BEEN TAKING PEOPLE TO THE SWANKY, EXCLUSIVE CLUBS RIGHT WHERE THEY COULD REALLY GET THE FULL RAVENS EXPERIENCE. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE SOMETHING FOR THE FANS WHO ARE MORE BUDGET CONSCIOUS. THAT’S RIGHT. SO WE REVAMPED OUR FLOCK FRIENDLY MENU AND IT INCLUDES 11 ITEMS UNDER $5. AND IT’S REALLY A GREAT WAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU’RE AT THE GAME, THERE’S LOTS OF ITEMS HOT DOGS, BEER, POPCORN, PRETZELS, ALL UNDER $5. OUR OUR NEW FLOCK FRIENDLY MENU. YOU CAN FIND IT THROUGHOUT THE STADIUM, AND IT’S AN EASY WAY TO ENJOY THE GAME. I MEAN SO MUCH YOU CAN GET TO. YOU DON’T HAVE TO. YOU CAN GET ONE OF EVERYTHING. YEAH. SO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT THE THE REST OF THE SEASON. AND ONE OF THE BIG GAMES COMING UP IS A MONDAY NIGHT GAME WHERE DARKNESS WILL FALL. TELL US ABOUT THAT. YEAH. I MEAN, RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE WE HAVE OUR HOME OPENER. AND THEN NEXT WEEK, MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL. THE LIONS COME TO TOWN. OUR TEAM WILL BE WEARING THEIR ALL BLACK UNIFORMS. DARKNESS FALLS AT THE STADIUM. IT’S GOING TO BE A REALLY COOL NIGHT. PRIME TIME AUDIENCE. NIGHT GAMES AT THE BANK HAVE REALLY BECOME, YOU KNOW, MUST SEE TV AND MUST BE HERE MOMENTS. SO WE’RE REAL EXCITED FOR THAT GAME. AND JUST REAL QUICK, YOU HAVE NOW STARTED TO MARKET TO THE UK FANS OVER THERE. YOU’RE ACTUALLY ACTIVELY DOING THAT. THAT’S RIGHT. THIS IS THE FIRST SEASON WE HAVE PLAYED A FEW GAMES IN LONDON, BUT WE NOW ARE MARKETING IN THE UK AS WELL, SO WE’RE DOING WATCH PARTIES. ONE OF OUR MASCOTS, EDGAR, IS OVER THERE FOR SOME EVENTS, SO WE HAVE A REALLY BIG U
Week 2: Baltimore Ravens look to avoid consecutive 0-2 start, host Cleveland Browns in home opener
Updated: 8:56 PM EDT Sep 12, 2025
BALTIMORE —
The ghost of Ravens past returns to Baltimore.
Joe Flacco, 40, who the Ravens drafted in 2008, will lead the Cleveland Browns in Sunday’s division battle between 0-1 teams at M&T Bank Stadium.
“In terms of looking back, what an amazing run, and what an era for the Ravens, the ‘Joe Flacco era,'” Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said. “This week, it’s not about that for us as a football team. It’s about us getting prepared for a good quarterback that knows how to play the game.”
Baltimore comes into this season’s Week 2 just as it did one year ago: Losing in a playoff rematch during opening weekend.
The Ravens are also playing one of the poorer teams in the league, as they did last year. Baltimore lost in a down-to-the-wire game against Las Vegas, who ended up finishing 4-13.
Despite the Browns finishing below .500 every season aside from two in Harbaugh’s tenure, Cleveland has split the season series over the last four seasons with Baltimore.
11 News walks through the Ravens’ player of the week and their main key to a win, while also looking at the biggest threat they face in the Browns.
1
This week’s Ravens player to watch: Jaire Alexander
Teams often add veterans for more than leadership.
Jaire Alexander, though only 28, has an injury history that played a part in his departure from Green Bay after seven years, and a combined 22 missed games since 2021.
“He’s healthy enough, but we have to get him right so we can go out there and play like Jaire Alexander,” Harbaugh said. “We’ll just give him (another) opportunity to do that.”
Whether hindered by injury or not, Alexander’s debut with the Ravens left something to be desired. The only corner he out-tackled was T.J. Tampa, being outworked by rookie Malaki Starks, Chidobe Awuzie and Nate Wiggins. And, one of his three tackles came with less than a minute to play, allowing Buffalo to run the clock down for a game-winning kick.
If Alexander cannot get up to speed, Baltimore’s defensive woes will slowly tip the scale more to him as they work to clean up the unit’s early faults.
2
Opposing team threat: Cleveland defense
Nowadays, when you hear “Cleveland Browns,” you likely think of Myles Garrett, the 2017 first-round pick. But it wasn’t just the edge causing a massive disruption against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1.
When it comes to tackles, linebackers Carson Schweisnger (eight) and Devin Bush (seven), as well as defensive end Isaiah McGuire (six) all finished with more than Garrett.
While Garrett’s three quarterback hits and four tackles for losses led the team, the Browns saw more than half of their defenders collect four or more tackles, with 18 players adding their names to the stat sheet.
“Their mentality is that they don’t want to give you anything. They’re a heavy man (coverage) team. They’re a heavy pressure team,” Harbaugh said. “You can’t just let them tee off and get after you.”
Cleveland’s defense held Cincinnati to seven total yards in the second half, proving that the Browns can be successful and/or win games because of its defense, not because of its offensive weapons.
The Browns’ defensive unit did more than enough to win the game, but the lack of weapons in both the rushing and receiving game cost them in Week 1.
3
Biggest key to a Ravens victory: John Harbaugh outplaying Kevin Stefanski
Harbaugh is 14-3 all-time against Cleveland, but Kevin Stefanski has never started a season 0-2.
In Stefanski’s five previous years at the helm of the Browns, the team started 0-1 three times and won the following weekend. He has never been 0-2 or 2-0.
Additionally, following a loss, the Browns are 21-9 under their current head coach.
Although a small sample size, the Browns’ offense in Week 1 showed flashes of possible new success. What did they change from last season to now?
Stefanski is now calling plays.
Quick fixes and in-game adjustments could be the determining factor in time of possession and scoring opportunities this weekend.
Cleveland proved it could match up against a division rival, and Stefanski has had time to begin tweaking his game plan from Week 1 to 2.