'Obviously, it's Deshaun Watson': Ravens aware of difference in Browns since first meeting
BEREA — The Baltimore Ravens have already seen the Browns once this season. Not only that, but they walked out of Cleveland with a 24-point win.
Baltimore will see the Browns again on Sunday. However, the Ravens don't expect the team they see coming into their stadium to be the same one they saw 40-plus days ago.
There's one reason in particular.
"Obviously, it’s Deshaun Watson," Ravens inside linebacker Patrick Queen told Baltimore reporters this week. "They gave him all that money for a reason. He’s a great player, but at the end of the day he’s coming into our stadium, with our team, with our defense, with our fans, so that place is going to be rocking."
Watson was in the stadium the last time the two AFC North rivals met back in Week 4. However, after the Browns quarterback went through an 18-minute workout about three hours before kickoff, he was ruled out because of a rotator cuff strain in his right shoulder.
That left rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson in the position of having to face the Ravens' dominant defense. The fifth-round pick's first career start was a disaster, as he threw for 121 yards and three interceptions while being sacked four times in a 28-3 Browns loss.
The loss started more than a month of uncertainty regarding Watson's status. That ended a week ago when he finally returned for a full game, completing 19 of 30 passes for 219 yard and two touchdowns and a 107.5 passer rating in the Browns' 27-0 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
There's been no signs of residual effects from Watson's return in the week of practice. And that means he'll be where the Browns have always expected him to be, which is under center when they get their rematch with the Ravens.
Which is exactly where the Ravens always expected him to be as well.
“Honestly, like I’ve said in the past when we play them over at their place, but this is our territory," inside linebacker Roquan Smith told reporters this week. "This is our bank in a sense. We have to protect our money and stuff, so we have to do that by any means necessary.
"So, we’re definitely going to welcome them here and lock the gates and then we’re going to slug it out. However, it happens, it’s going to happen, but I like us.”
Smith was a central figure in the Ravens' dominant performance in the first meeting. While he wasn't one of the primary reasons Baltimore was able to rattle Thompson-Robinson with four sacks, five hits and 16 hurries on 43 dropbacks, according to Pro Football Focus, he did have one hit and one hurry to go with a game-high 10 tackles.
That was against a rookie who had played just five regular-season NFL snaps before that game. This time, it will be against a seventh-year pro who has been a multi-time Pro Bowl selection, albeit not since 2020.
"A good veteran quarterback, been in the league for a while," Smith said of Watson. "I have a lot of respect for him. A guy who can let it rip, and he’s able to use his legs as well, so we’ll be very prepared for it. Have a lot of confidence in (defensive coordinator) Mike (Macdonald) and the defensive staff to have us ready for the game. So, looking forward to it.”
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Deshaun Watson the reason why Ravens expect to see different Browns
