The Ravens’ 2025 season has not looked like a complete makeover under Jesse Minter, but it has felt different in one key way: Baltimore is finishing games.
That was the message from Nikhil Mehta of Baltimore Beatdown, who described Minter’s team as an “evolution” of the Ravens’ familiar identity rather than a full reset. The defense still reflects what Baltimore has done for more than a decade, Mehta said, while special teams coordinator Anthony Levine brings a background that ties directly to John Harbaugh’s system. On offense, though, Declan Doyle has leaned into more under-center looks and pushed Zay Flowers to another level.
What stands out most, Mehta said, is the Ravens’ ability to close. Their Week 3 and 6 wins in Brazil and Atlanta showed a team that can handle bad breaks, penalties, and injuries - and one that no longer looks helpless if Lamar Jackson is hurt.
The defense, at least from his view, is built more on talent than on a single defining strength. Kyle Hamilton “looks like a DPOY candidate every week,” while Nnamdi Madubuike has bounced back strongly from last year’s neck injury.
Trey Hendrickson was creating pressure before a finger surgery sidelined him, and he is set to return this week for just his second game alongside Madubuike on the line. Mehta also pointed to breakout work from Mike Green, Trenton Simpson, and Tavius Robinson.
But the unit still has rough edges. The biggest problem, he said, shows up on third down, where Baltimore’s coverage and pressure aren’t syncing cleanly enough.
That has left opponents converting too many third-and-longs. The rush and coverage groups are arriving just a beat late, though Mehta noted the tackling was much better in Atlanta.
As for Baltimore’s 2026 draft class, Mehta said the easiest pick for an immediate impact is Vega Ioane. Ioane has started three straight games at center, a spot he barely played in college, and he has graded out as the Ravens’ best blocker so far. His snaps have been uneven, which helped lead Baltimore to trade for Cam Jurgens last week, but Mehta added that the Browns’ injuries along the defensive line could give Ioane a chance to matter in a big way.
One under-the-radar name for Cleveland fans to know is Tavius Robinson. Mehta said the Browns’ blocking plan will naturally focus on Hendrickson and Madubuike, which could open more room for Robinson to work.
The 2023 fourth-round pick has been strong against the run since entering the league, but this season he is quietly leading the Ravens with three sacks. His motor and finishing ability in the run game have started to carry over to the pass rush, and he has been taking advantage of his 1-on-1 chances.
Browns right tackle Tytus Howard, Mehta noted, has had a rough start to the year and now draws a confident Robinson in a contract year.
On the game itself, Mehta said he was not sure about Baltimore last week for much of the Falcons matchup. The Ravens were losing in the margins and missing Lamar Jackson’s downfield passing. But Tyler ‘Snoop’ Huntley, he said, is “the definition of a gamer,” and like his two 2025 wins, he delivered when the game tightened up.
Both teams are banged up, but Mehta believes Baltimore is better positioned to handle it and come away with its first AFC North win of the season.
In Other News...
Browns Trade Buzz Puts One Andrew Berry QB Decision Under Spotlight
The Browns are still sorting through one of the NFLs most watched quarterback situations, and it keeps circling back to Andrew Berrys long-term plan. Cleveland is still looking for a franchise answer at the position, while Deshaun Watsons future remains clouded by uncertainty tied to his contract and injury history. In that backdrop, second-year quarterback Shedeur Sanders recently added a fresh layer of intrigue when he hired an agent, a move that naturally set off trade chatter around the league.
But the buzz runs up against the reality of how Cleveland views Sanders, which is why a move looks unlikely for now. Berry reportedly values him highly, and with Sanders still on his rookie contract for more than two seasons, the Browns have time on their side even as the bigger quarterback picture stays unsettled. For a team trying to balance present uncertainty with a long-range plan, that makes Sanders one of the more interesting names on the roster to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Andre Szmyt Just Forced A Browns Decision Fans Didn't Expect
Andre Szmyt has turned a low-key roster spot into one of the more interesting decisions the Browns may have to make. The undrafted kicker has been steady over the past two seasons, converting 34 of 37 field goal attempts and 32 of 34 extra points, and his current run has put him on the verge of one of the better streaks in franchise history.
The bigger question now is whether Cleveland treats that production like a short-term solution or a longer-term answer. Szmyt is under contract for the 2026 season, but with his consistency climbing and his streak already at 24 straight, the Browns may have a choice to make sooner than expected about whether to keep him in place beyond a one-year deal. [Read more 🡒]
Andrew Berry Could Put Key Browns Starters On The Trade Block
With four games left before the NFL trade deadline, the Browns find themselves in a familiar kind of midseason gray area: good enough at 3-2 to stay in the hunt, but not so settled that the front office can ignore what comes next. Cleveland also has draft capital at its disposal, which gives general manager Andrew Berry some room to maneuver if the season starts to tilt in the wrong direction.
That is where the chatter around several potential trade candidates starts to matter, including Grant Delpit, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Myles Collins, Jedrick Jenkins, Tim Patrick Jeudy and Jerome Sanders. Contract considerations and the teams place in the standings could all factor into whether Berry looks to add for a push or instead turn some of those names into future draft picks, leaving the roster picture just as much a story about October uncertainty as November planning. [Read more 🡒]