The Browns are preparing for their second straight home divisional matchup as they host the Ravens at Huntington Bank Field in Week 8.
Cleveland's offense will feature two significant role changes on Sunday, as QB Jameis Winston will make his first start as a member of the Browns and offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey will take over play calling duties.
While members of the Ravens coaching staff expressed that there are many unknowns entering their Week 8 matchup with the Browns' new quarterback and play caller, one thing that isn't in doubt is Winston's ability to motivate his teammates.
Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken spent three seasons with Winston when the two were with the Buccaneers from 2016-18. He had high praise for his former quarterback as Winston approaches his first start in two seasons.
"I love Jameis," Monken said on Thursday. "I mean, he loves football. You gotta love guys that love football, man. He loves football. People say they love football, man, that dude loves football. He loves his teammates, he owns it. There's a lot to love about Jameis Winston."
Winston is one of 11 active NFL players to have won a Heisman Trophy, winning college football's top award in his national championship season at Florida State in 2013. He has shown his ability to make big plays downfield throughout his NFL career, particularly in 2019, when he led the league in passing plays for 20 or more yards with 75, passing yards with 5,109 and passing touchdowns with 30.
Winston has served in a short yardage package for the Browns this season, rushing for three first downs. After QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson was injured in Week 7 against the Bengals, Winston came in as the emergency third quarterback, completing 5 of his 11 passing attempts for 67 yards and a touchdown.
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for their game this week against the Baltimore Ravens at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Running back Nick Chubb (24) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Safety Rodney McLeod Jr. (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Cornerbacks Coach Brandon Lynch during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Wide receiver Jamari Thrash (80) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Offensive tackle Michael Dunn (68) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Tight end Jordan Akins (88) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Offensive tackle Roy Mbaeteka (61) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Linebacker Khaleke Hudson (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Tight end Geoff Swaim (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Running back Gary Brightwell (35) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Linebacker Khaleke Hudson (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (6) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive Quality Control Coach Jeff Anderson during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Quarterback Bailey Zappe (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (95) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive Line Coach Jacques Cesaire during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Running back D'Onta Foreman (27) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Offensive Assistant/Run Game Specialist Nick Charlton during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Senior Offensive Assistant Bill Musgrave during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Safety Trey Dean (28) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Head Coach Kevin Stefanski during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 23, 2024.
Center Cameron Tom (64) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
Running back Pierre Strong Jr. (20) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on October 24, 2024.
With a different playing style than Watson, who is more prone to use his legs than Winston, the Ravens are attempting to predict what the Browns offense might look like with a new signal caller and play caller.
"[Winston] can throw the thing all over the field for sure, push the ball downfield, does a great job with the reads. Those are things that, it'll probably be a little different offense," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said on Wednesday. "They're going to have a different play caller. How much that is going to change with Ken doing it now instead of Kevin, we just don't know. So, we've got to get prepared for the things that we think they're capable of doing."
One thing that both teams can expect is a physical game on all three phases. Ravens LB Roquan Smith cited the physicality that each AFC North game presents, calling their games against the Browns some of the most physical matchups of each season.
Smith has shown his physicality this season, with 74 total tackles, the second-most in the NFL, and the fourth-most run stops in the league with 38.
"[Physicality is] just what the AFC North football is all about," Smith said on Thursday. "I pride myself on physicality and I'm sure a lot of those guys do the same and I know for a fact the guys in this locker room pride themselves on physicality. So, it's about who's going to be more physical Sunday and that's who will win the game."
One player that will help the Browns in terms of physicality is RB Nick Chubb, who made his season debut in Week 7 against the Bengals after recovering from a knee injury suffered in Week 2 of the 2023 season.
Chubb, who has rushed for over 1,000 rushing yards in each of his last four healthy seasons, has earned the respect of a Ravens team that is familiar with his game, playing him twice a year.
"He's still Nick Chubb," Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr said on Thursday. "I saw him, he had a run in the low red zone, probably about the 5-yard line and they hit him at the 5-yard line, and he ended up getting tackled at the 1. So, the strength is still there. We know, first game back, they were kind of easing him back into that. We expect the Nick Chubb of old, which is the top running back in the league, and we expect him to get the ball a lot more than he did last week."
Chubb had 11 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown against the Bengals, adding one reception for 10 yards.
A potentially increased role for Chubb this week could further open the offense up for Dorsey, who has experience calling an offense from his time in Buffalo and Carolina.
Dorsey's offensive philosophy is already present in the current Browns offense, as he helped head coach Kevin Stefanski construct a revamped playbook over the offseason.
"His influences are in the offense already. He's been the offensive coordinator, so he's been putting the offense together, it's a collaboration," Harbaugh said. "So, we understand the plays in there, how he calls them in the game could be different, could be the same, we just don't know. Really, for us, we need to play our defense and call it well."
