When the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens this weekend, it will be the latest installment in one of the NFL’s more unique rivalries.
The rivalry came about after Art Modell moved the original iteration of the Browns to Baltimore, where they became the Ravens, and the current iteration of the Browns started play in 1999.
Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey made it clear to Deshaun Watson that his team won’t go easy on him.
Marlon Humphrey on facing Deshaun Watson for the first time in Cleveland: “We want to give him a not-so-soft welcome” to the rivalry. pic.twitter.com/NVJ6M84VjL
— Jonas Shaffer (@jonas_shaffer) December 13, 2022
There Is A Special Type Of Bad Blood Between The Browns And Ravens
When Modell took the original Browns and left Cleveland, the city and the region developed a hatred for Modell and the Ravens.
Renamed the Ravens, they gradually built through the draft, and on the strength of one of the NFL’s greatest defenses ever, they won the Super Bowl over the New York Giants following the 2000 season.
It left Browns fans to think of what could’ve been, especially given the 52 years between the Browns’ last NFL championship and the city’s next world title, which was won by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
This season, Baltimore is on top of the AFC North with a 9-4 record, and even though it is without franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson, it won’t be an easy matchup for the Browns.
Cleveland doesn’t have much to play for at this point, as it has virtually no shot at making the playoffs.
The Ravens, on the other hand, are fighting to finish first in the division and possibly even challenge the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs for the best record in the conference.
NEXT: Browns Nation News And Notes (12/14/22)
