Browns Report Card: How did each position group perform vs. Ravens?

The Cleveland Browns have officially dropped to 0-2 on the season with their Week 2 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. After a promising performance to open the season, Cleveland made many mistakes that caused their defeat in this matchup.

Quarterback Joe Flacco and the offense could not seem to find their groove against his former team. On a day he’ll want to forget, Flacco threw for just 199 yards on 45 pass attempts, including one touchdown and two turnovers that were disastrous mistakes on his part. His best play of the game came on a fortunate tipped touchdown pass to wide receiver Cedric Tillman in the third quarter. One silver lining for Cleveland was the team’s ability to establish its rushing attack, thanks to the debut of rookie running back Quinshon Judkins. After a long-awaited contract resolution, Judkins got the starting nod and led the team with ten carries for 66 yards.

Despite the Ravens scoring 41 points, the Browns’ defense had a productive day outside of the secondary. If you watched the game, you know the three turnovers by Cleveland’s special teams and offense did not help defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The team still managed to allow only 270 total yards to an elite Ravens offense, with star running back Derrick Henry accounting for just 23 of them. Along with three sacks and a complete stoppage of the Ravens’ rushing attack, there is plenty for Cleveland’s defense to build on.

Let’s now take a look at the Browns’ report card grades from their Week 2 performance against the Ravens:

Quarterback: D+

It was a difficult day for starting quarterback Joe Flacco, who committed another two turnovers in this Week 2 battle. Along with a fumble and interception that were clearly his fault, he managed only 199 yards on 45 passing attempts. His lone touchdown pass also came on a lucky tipped throw that was caught by wide receiver Cedric Tillman. Flacco was eventually replaced by Dillon Gabriel late in the fourth quarter, who threw for 19 yards and a touchdown on his only drive of the day. His solid garbage-time performance earned the “+” on this quarterback grade.

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski announced that he will not be switching quarterbacks before Week 3’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers. Cleveland is set to face the 2-0 Packers and their newly acquired defensive star, All-Pro Micah Parsons. Throwing rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel into that matchup would be setting him up for failure. For now, the Browns are sticking with Flacco for this week and most likely Week 4 against the Detroit Lions.

Running backs: C+

The Browns’ rushing attack found some positives after a poor performance in their season debut. The main difference was, of course, rookie running back and 35th overall pick Quinshon Judkins. He led the team with 66 yards on a team-high ten carries. While many expected fellow rookie Dylan Sampson to get the start, he had just four attempts for six yards. Veteran Jerome Ford ended up as RB2 with six carries for 31 yards.

Now that Judkins has officially entered the running back rotation, the expectation is that he and Sampson will share the role moving forward. Like with Joe Flacco, the Browns know what veteran Ford can provide. If the Browns continue to lose games, getting Judkins and Sampson experience will become a bigger priority.

Wide receivers/tight ends: D+

It was a second straight difficult game for the Browns’ pass catchers in Baltimore. Despite continuing the uncharacteristic trend of dropping passes, top wide receiver Jerry Jeudy led the team with four catches for 51 yards. Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr. also had another promising day after his strong Week 1 performance, totaling five catches for 48 yards. Other Browns receivers contributed as well, but Cedric Tillman’s 18-yard tipped touchdown reception was the offensive highlight of the day.

The Browns’ pass catchers have plenty of opportunities in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. Through two games, Cleveland has attempted 93 passes—the most in the NFL. The problem has been facing elite defenses and dropping too many passes. We’ll see if this group can turn it around against the Packers on Sunday.

Offensive line: C

The Browns’ offensive line again struggled to generate a push up front for the second straight week. The silver lining this time was a more effective rushing attack, averaging 5.2 yards per carry compared to 2.0 against the Bengals. KT Leveston filled in for Dawand Jones, who was battling heat exhaustion, but Jones eventually returned to the field.

Cleveland’s offensive line already looks like it is holding on until the end of the 2025 season. The interior guards, Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, had an unproductive day, which hurt Joe Flacco and the passing game. We’ll see if they can improve against the fierce Green Bay Packers in Week 3.

Defensive line: B+

One trend that looks set to continue is the defensive line earning the highest grade on the report card. All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett led the way with five total tackles and 1.5 sacks on the elusive Lamar Jackson. Rookie defensive tackle Mason Graham also had a phenomenal game, collecting five tackles and a key tackle for loss against Derrick Henry. Together with the rest of the unit, they held Henry and the Ravens running backs to just 45 yards on 2.1 yards per carry.

Through the first two weeks, no NFL team has done a better job stopping the run than the Browns. Opponents have combined for just 91 rushing yards on 2.06 yards per carry. While shutting down Chase Brown in Week 1 was expected, completely neutralizing Derrick Henry exceeded expectations. If the secondary can provide any support, this defense should hold up well against tough upcoming opponents.

Linebackers: C+

The Browns’ linebackers, like the defensive line, turned in a similar performance to Week 1. The two top players in this group were once again seven-year veteran Devin Bush and rookie Carson Schwesinger. Bush had one of his best games as a Brown with eight tackles, a sack, and two pass deflections against a high-powered Ravens offense. Schwesinger followed up his strong debut with five tackles—a solid showing against such a dangerous opponent.

Last year, the Browns’ linebackers were underappreciated due to the team’s overall struggles. That seems to be the case again. Many eyes are on Schwesinger as a potential steal from the 2025 draft, but he’ll need to make more splash plays to gain recognition. We’ll see if he and Bush can continue their strong starts in Week 3 against the Packers.

Defensive Backs: F

If you watched this game, it was clear why the Browns’ defensive backs earned this grade. Lamar Jackson quickly exposed weaknesses across the secondary, throwing four touchdowns against them. On top of the poor showing on the field, the unit also graded out poorly in PFF evaluations. Cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Cameron Mitchell finished at the bottom of the team with 38.2 PFF grades, while fellow corner Myles Harden wasn’t far behind at 52.7.

This was a major step back from their surprising Week 1 performance against the Bengals’ elite receiving corps. Ward and others had uncharacteristic struggles, but adjustments across the secondary are needed quickly if the Browns want to stay competitive in their next two matchups.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns Report Card: How did each position group perform vs. Ravens?

Browns Report Card: How did each position group perform vs. Ravens?

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