Baltimore @ Cleveland preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2013 ) Cleveland 6, Baltimore 14

The defending champion Baltimore Ravens had last week off to assess what went wrong in back-to-back losses before the break. The Cleveland Browns, who host the Ravens on Sunday, are enduring similar troubles as they look to avoid a four-game skid. Both Cleveland and Baltimore are struggling to score points while staring up at the Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North.

The Browns began to fall apart when Brian Hoyer went down with a season-ending knee injury and are averaging just 15.7 points during their three-game slide. The Ravens put up 16.5 in their last two losses and are feeling the pressure to turn the season around. “It’s November football,” Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “At this point they’re all big, especially after the bye. They all count. …These (games) decide whether or not you get a chance at greatness.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Ravens -1. O/U: 41.

ABOUT THE RAVENS (3-4): The lone bright spot for the Baltimore offense over the two games before the bye came from quarterback Joe Flacco, who passed for 557 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in the contests. Flacco is 11-0 against the Browns in his career with 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. “We’ve taken them one game at a time and it just so happened that it’s worked out this way,” Flacco said of Baltimore’s success against Cleveland. “I think that shows that we’ve had a good mindset.”

ABOUT THE BROWNS (3-5): Cleveland will throw its sixth different quarterback in the 12 games against Flacco, with Jason Campbell getting his first start in the series. Campbell posted solid numbers in his first start for the Browns last week, completing 22-of-36 passes for 293 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 23-17 loss to undefeated Kansas City. Cleveland nearly snapped its losing streak in the series back on Sept. 15, when it held a 6-0 halftime lead at Baltimore before suffering a 14-6 setback.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Ravens are 12-5 all-time following the bye week and have taken five straight at Cleveland.

2. Browns WR Josh Gordon missed the first meeting and is averaging 97 receiving yards in six games.

3. Baltimore RB Ray Rice’s 958 yards versus Cleveland are his most against any opponent.

PREDICTION: Ravens 17, Browns 14