A little more than two weeks ago, the Cleveland Browns were in sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Now, they are in danger of falling into their more familiar position of last place.
With the top and bottom spot in the division on the line facing the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, the Browns will need excellent performances from up and down their roster. But their best players have to lead the way.
Wide receiver Denzel Boston and cornerback Denzel Ward are two Browns players who could have a big game on Sunday.
Boston has emerged as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, rookie or not. He has become a favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, and he could take advantage of a Ravens secondary that has struggled against No. 1 receivers so far this season.
In Baltimore’s Week 5 win against the Atlanta Falcons, Drake London had seven catches for 115 yards against them. In a Week 3 win against the Dallas Cowboys, CeeDee Lamb had seven catches for 112 yards, and in a Week 2 loss to the New Orleans Saints, Chris Olave posted eight catches for 86 yards and a touchdown.
This is not to say that Boston has already arrived in the class of those players, but it does bode well for him. He has 16 catches for 330 yards this season, a 20.6 yards-per-catch average that leads the NFL.
On defense, Ward is having an All-Pro caliber season, with a PFF pass-coverage ranking of third among 104 cornerbacks. He will be counted on to help limit Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers, who will be targeted often by backup QB Tyler Huntley, with Lamar Jackson sidelined by an ankle injury.
Flowers has 409 receiving yards in six career games against the Browns, which is his second-most against any team, behind only the 474 yards he has posted in five games against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Ward has three career interceptions against Baltimore, which is tied for his most against any team, with eight passes defended in 11 games.
Cleveland’s rivals are a different squad under new head coach Jesse Minter, but so are the Browns under Todd Monken, and it will be up to Boston and Ward to get him a victory against his former team.
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