The Browns may not get the break they were hoping for.
As Cleveland prepares to host Baltimore in Week 6 of the 2026 NFL season, Lamar Jackson suddenly looks like a real possibility for Sunday after spending the last few weeks dealing with an ankle injury. Jackson has been out since Week 4, and Tyler Huntley got the start in last week’s primetime win over the Atlanta Falcons.
According to Adam Schefter, Jackson has a "realistic chance" to return to action on Sunday in Cleveland.
That does not exactly make life easy for the Browns. Even if Jackson sits, Baltimore has already shown it can keep rolling with Huntley. Against an Atlanta team that had been building momentum, Huntley went 24-32 for 201 yards and two touchdowns in the win.
Huntley has also become the kind of backup who can keep Baltimore’s offense on track when Jackson is unavailable. Cleveland knows him, too - he had two brief stints with the Browns in 2024 and 2025.
Of course, Cleveland would rather see Huntley than Jackson.
Jackson’s production this season has been strong. Through five games in 2026, he’s 68-96 for 967 yards, six touchdowns and just one interception.
He has also continued to sharpen the passing side of his game while keeping the same dangerous athletic profile that makes Baltimore so difficult to handle.
And this Ravens team has been efficient across the board under new head coach Jesse Minter. On offense, Baltimore’s ground game ranks behind only two teams in the league, with 822 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns through five games. On defense, the Ravens have allowed 11 touchdowns, including six on the ground.
So whether Jackson is under center or not, the assignment stays the same for Cleveland: Deshaun Watson will have to deliver one of his better games if the Browns want to come out with a win.
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