The Cleveland Browns head into Sunday’s meeting with the Baltimore Ravens carrying both the weight of a Week 5 loss and a new fine for one of their emerging defensive stars.
Cleveland fell to the New York Jets in Week 5, a disappointing result in a season that has still left the Browns sitting tied at No. 2 in the AFC North behind Baltimore. Now the Browns get a chance to answer right away against the Ravens, in a matchup that should reveal who sits atop the division for the moment.
That showdown may come with a twist on the Baltimore side, too. The Ravens likely will not have franchise quarterback Lamar Jackson on the field, which gives Cleveland a boost heading into the game.
But before Sunday arrived, the NFL handed out its latest round of discipline from last weekend, and Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger was among those fined. The league hit Schwesinger with a $14,899 penalty for unnecessary roughness involving the use of the helmet at 4:27 in the second quarter against the Jets.
Schwesinger has already established himself as one of the league’s promising young defenders. He won the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award for the 2025 season after the Browns selected him 33rd overall in the second round of the draft. In his rookie season, he piled up 156 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions.
The fine is just another cost of doing business in the NFL. The money collected from league fines is donated to the Professional Athletes Foundation and the NFL Foundation.
In Other News...
Ravens Week Just Got More Interesting With Browns Trade Buzz
The Browns Week 6 matchup with Baltimore already carried plenty of weight after Cleveland fell to the Jets and slipped to 3-2, and now there is a little extra intrigue around the division race. Reports have linked Cleveland to Philadelphia Eagles guard Landon Dickerson, adding another layer to a week that is already centered on how the Browns line up against a Ravens team trying to protect its position in the AFC North.
Dickersons situation is part of a wider buzz around the Eagles, whose recent struggles have prompted speculation about whether they could listen on a move. Nothing has been announced, and for now it is still just a possibility, but the idea of Cleveland looking to bolster its interior line before facing Baltimore is the kind of subplot that can linger all week. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Have A Clear Path In Cleveland If Two Problems Get Fixed
The Ravens head into their first AFC North matchup of the season without Lamar Jackson, but the matchup in Cleveland still sets up in a way that should suit them if they can lean into what the Browns are giving away. Clevelands run defense has been thinned by injuries up front, which opens a clear lane for Baltimore to keep the ground game at the center of everything and use that threat to help create easier passing opportunities. With the quarterback situation changing, the Ravens margin for error is smaller than usual, but the path to controlling this game is still there.
Baltimores bigger concern may be on the other side of the ball, where getting off the field has to become a priority. The Browns have been vulnerable enough in pass protection to put extra stress on Deshaun Watson, and the Ravens have the kind of rush presence to make that a problem if they can sustain pressure. If Baltimore can clean up third-down defense and keep the Browns from extending drives, the combination of a steadier run plan and a disruptive front could make this one fit the Ravens far better than the early absence of Jackson suggests. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens-Browns Suddenly Feels Like A Very Different AFC North Fight
The AFC North picture for Sunday changed quickly around two teams already trying to manage major absences. Cleveland will head into its game against Baltimore without running back Quinshon Judkins because of an ankle injury, while linebacker Carson Schwesinger is available. The Browns also will be missing defensive tackles Mason Graham and Mike Hall Jr., leaving them thinner up front than they would like in a division matchup that usually comes down to who can survive the trenches.
Baltimore, meanwhile, is still navigating its own injury list and will be without Lamar Jackson, center Cam Jurgens, tight end Matthew Hibner and guard Andrew Vorhees. With Jackson sidelined, the Ravens are again being forced to reshape the offense on the fly, which only adds to the sense that this meeting is less about star power than about which sideline can patch together a cleaner plan. In a rivalry built on physical games and small margins, those missing names are suddenly steering the conversation. [Read more 🡒]