The Baltimore Ravens vs Browns Lamar Jackson question looms over an AFC North matchup Sunday at Huntington Bank Field, with Baltimore sitting at 4-1 and Cleveland at 3-2. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on Fox, and the game doubles as a reunion for Browns coach Todd Monken, who spent the previous three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator before taking over in Cleveland this year.
Jackson has not practiced since injuring his left ankle in Baltimore’s Oct. 4 win over Tennessee, but a source told ESPN he has a realistic chance to play Sunday. Ravens coach Jesse Minter, in his first season after serving as the Los Angeles Chargers defensive coordinator, said Jackson “is working his butt off to return.”
Ravens Vs Browns Game Information
- Date: Sunday, Oct. 18
- Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Venue: Huntington Bank Field, Cleveland, Ohio
- TV: Fox
Baltimore sits atop the AFC North standings at 4-1, while Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati are bunched at 3-2. A Ravens win would keep them a game clear of the pack through six weeks.
What Is Lamar Jackson’s Status?
Jackson sustained the ankle injury during the Oct. 4 victory over the Titans and is officially listed as questionable. He described the recovery process bluntly earlier in the week, saying, “It’s definitely day-to-day. Right when those things happen, you’re not sure, and as you gather information, you look at stuff.” The Ravens have not ruled him out, and the designation remains a projection until Sunday’s inactive list is released.
If Jackson sits, backup Tyler Huntley is expected to start. Huntley already has experience leading this offense under pressure. He completed 24 of 32 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns last week in a 30-23 overtime win at Atlanta, throwing the game-tying score to Devontez Walker with 40 seconds left in regulation before scoring the winning touchdown himself on a 1-yard run in overtime.
He also carried six times for 20 yards in that game. Huntley is 3-0 as a starter since last season and had two stints on Cleveland’s roster during training camp in 2024 and 2025, adding a layer of familiarity to Sunday’s matchup.
The gap between Jackson at quarterback and without him is significant. With Jackson starting, the Ravens are 79-32 (.712) and average 28.4 points per game. Without him since 2019, Baltimore is 7-11.
Who Else Is Banged Up?
Thursday’s injury report listed 38 players combined, 21 for Baltimore and 17 for Cleveland. Beyond Jackson, Ravens receivers Zay Flowers and Rashod Bateman are both questionable, along with linebacker Mike Green and tight end Matt Hibner. For Cleveland, running back Quinshon Judkins is questionable with an ankle injury, receiver Tylan Wallace and linebacker Carson Schwesinger are questionable, and defensive tackle Mason Graham is doubtful with an MCL sprain. Browns running back Dylan Sampson remains on injured reserve.
How Have The Ravens Looked?
Baltimore has won four of five games and is averaging 29.2 points per game, the product of a passing attack posting a 9.0 yards-per-attempt average and a 116.8 quarterback rating when Jackson is under center. Running back Derrick Henry has been a workhorse, rushing for 476 yards and seven touchdowns on 113 carries this season. The last time these teams met, Henry ran for 103 yards and scored twice, once on the ground and once through the air.
Baltimore’s defense has been stingy against explosive passing plays, allowing only seven completions of at least 20 air yards all season, the second-fewest total in the league. The Ravens are also one of just three teams that have not allowed a deep touchdown pass this year.
How Have The Browns Looked?
Cleveland is 3-2 but has alternated results, following consecutive wins over Tampa Bay, Carolina and Pittsburgh with a 17-12 loss at the New York Jets last week. Quarterback Deshaun Watson has completed 64.4% of his passes for 1,010 yards with seven touchdowns and two interceptions, and he carries a 2-2 career record against Baltimore with three touchdowns and three interceptions in those meetings.
Rookie receiver Denzel Boston leads all first-year players in the league with 330 receiving yards, much of it coming on deep throws, which sets up directly against a Ravens secondary built to limit exactly that kind of play. Cleveland’s defense has been effective against the run, tied for first in the NFL in fewest rushing touchdowns allowed with one and ranking second with 32 tackles for loss. Kicker Andre Szmyt has made 24 consecutive field goals, the third-longest streak in franchise history.
Key Matchup: Boston’s Deep Threat Vs. Baltimore’s Coverage
Boston’s role as Cleveland’s primary downfield weapon runs directly into the strength of Baltimore’s defense. The Ravens have surrendered the second-fewest deep completions in the league and are one of three teams yet to give up a touchdown of that kind this season. How Cleveland manages to get Boston free, and whether Baltimore’s secondary holds that streak, could shape how much Watson’s offense can produce against a defense built to take away the big play.
On the other side, Baltimore’s running game, led by Henry’s 5.1 yards per carry average, faces a Browns front that has limited opposing rushing touchdowns to just one all season. Whichever starting quarterback Baltimore fields, establishing Henry early would take pressure off the passing game.
Players To Watch
Tyler Huntley, QB, Ravens
Huntley is expected to start if Jackson cannot play. He enters with momentum after his overtime performance against Atlanta and carries extra motivation given his past stints with Cleveland’s organization.
Denzel Boston, WR, Browns
The rookie leads all first-year receivers in yards this season and represents Cleveland’s biggest explosive-play threat against a Ravens defense built to prevent exactly that.
Calais Campbell, DL, Ravens
Campbell is pursuing a sack that would make him just the third player since 1982 to register one at age 40 or older, joining Bruce Smith and Clay Matthews on that list.
What To Watch
Baltimore leads the all-time series 39-15 and has won the last three meetings, including a 23-16 win in Cleveland last November. The Ravens are also 18-9 all time when playing in Cleveland and are chasing their second 4-0 start on the road in franchise history, after doing so in 2020.
Cleveland, meanwhile, can win its first three home games for just the third time since the franchise returned in 1999. Monken called division games a different kind of test, saying, “I’ve always felt like the division games mean a little bit more. It’s just really an intent and a focus when you play division teams.
It’s our first crack at that.” Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey, who played under Monken in Baltimore, offered a similar expectation: “If I know Todd the way I think I know Todd, he will want to kick our tails.”
The Ravens’ next scheduled update on Jackson’s status is expected closer to kickoff Sunday, when the final inactive list is released.
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