Some halves are defined by what a team does, while others are defined by what it cannot do. For the Browns, the first 30 minutes against the Baltimore Ravens fell squarely into the second category. A shorthanded offense struggled to move the football, and the defense spent much of the half on the field. Cleveland trails 10-0 at halftime at Huntington Bank Field.
“30 to go at Huntington Bank Field,” Cleveland Browns wrote.
30 to go at Huntington Bank Field pic.twitter.com/3N91VvQzc0
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) October 18, 2026
The Ravens did all of their scoring in the 1st quarter. Tyler Huntley, starting in place of the injured Lamar Jackson, capped a scoring drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Josh Cuevas, and Tyler Loop added a 34-yard field goal later in the period.
The offense has been the problem. Cleveland has just 46 total yards and 3 first downs while averaging 2.1 yards per play. Deshaun Watson has completed only 3 of 9 passes for 24 yards and has been sacked 3 times.
The return of KC Concepcion has not provided a spark yet. He has not caught either of his 2 targets, and Denzel Boston and Harold Fannin Jr. have also been held without a catch. Jerry Jeudy leads the team with 2 catches for 23 yards.
The ground game has offered little relief without Quinshon Judkins. Jaleel McLaughlin has 16 yards on 3 carries, while Audric Estime has 9 yards on 3 attempts in his Browns debut.
The defense has kept the game within reach despite being on the field for 38 plays. Carson Schwesinger, who was questionable with an ankle injury, has been everywhere with 11 tackles and a sack, and Maliek Collins added a sack of his own. Derrick Henry has 41 yards on 11 carries, a manageable figure given how depleted the interior of the defensive line is.
The Browns did suffer another injury, though. Safety Grant Delpit was ruled out with a concussion, adding to a list of absences that already includes Mason Graham, Judkins and Mike Hall Jr. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, the highest-graded rookie in the league, could see an expanded role in the 2nd half.
Baltimore has also controlled the clock, holding the ball for more than 18 minutes, while the Browns have converted just 1 of 6 3rd downs.
A 10-point deficit is far from insurmountable, especially for a team that has made a habit of late-game comebacks. Watson led 3 straight game-winning drives earlier this season, and the Browns will need that kind of magic again if they want to climb into 1st place in the AFC North. It starts with finding some rhythm on offense early in the 3rd quarter.
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