Honestly, if you looked at the box scores for the Ravens vs browns 2025 series, you’d think it was just another year of Baltimore dominance. 41-17 in September. 23-16 in November. Case closed, right?
Not even close.
Numbers usually lie in the NFL, but they’re straight-up delusional when it comes to what happened between these two teams this season. Most people see a 2-0 sweep for the Ravens and assume Lamar Jackson just did Lamar Jackson things while the Browns spun their wheels. But the reality? It was a chaotic, injury-riddled, record-breaking mess that almost saw a fifth-round rookie pull off the upset of the decade.
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The Week 2 "Record Breaker" That Felt Like a Defensive Masterclass
The first meeting on September 14 was weird. It’s remembered as the day Lamar Jackson officially became the NFL’s all-time leader in career passer rating, leapfrogging Aaron Rodgers. He was surgical. 19-of-29, 225 yards, and four touchdowns.
But talk to Myles Garrett.
Despite the 41-17 final score, the Browns' defense actually put Derrick Henry in a straightjacket for the first three quarters. Henry, who had just come off a monster 169-yard game against Buffalo, was held to a measly 23 yards on 11 carries. That’s 2.1 yards per carry. In Baltimore.
It was a strange game where Cleveland’s defensive front—led by Garrett and rookie Mason Graham—won the battle in the trenches but lost the war because Lamar decided to stop running and start "bombing away," as Garrett put it.
We saw Devontez Walker emerge as a legitimate red-zone threat with two scores, and DeAndre Hopkins proved he still had plenty of gas left in the tank, hauling in a 23-yard TD to put the game out of reach. Joe Flacco’s return to Baltimore was a nice sentimental subplot, but his interception to Nate Wiggins early in the third quarter was the beginning of the end.
The "Hurricane" in Cleveland: Week 11
By the time November 16 rolled around, the vibe had shifted. The Ravens were sitting at a mediocre 4-5, trying to find their identity. The Browns were 2-7 and essentially playing for pride.
Then things got chaotic.
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Dillon Gabriel, who had been starting for Cleveland, went down with a concussion in the third quarter. Enter Shedeur Sanders. The much-hyped fifth-round pick made his NFL debut in the middle of a divisional dogfight. It wasn't pretty. He went 4-for-16 and looked every bit like a rookie seeing NFL speed for the first time.
Yet, Cleveland led 16-13 late in the fourth.
The Ravens won on a play nobody saw coming. Facing fourth-and-inches at the Browns' 35-yard line, everyone in the stadium expected a Lamar Jackson "tush push." Instead, they ran a play called "Hurricane." Mark Andrews lined up under center, took the snap, and instead of diving forward, he bolted left. Patrick Ricard cleared a path, and Andrews—who had broken the franchise receiving record earlier that game—scampered 35 yards for his first career rushing touchdown.
It was a gut-punch for a Cleveland team that had largely outplayed Baltimore for 55 minutes.
Why the Ravens vs Browns 2025 Season Matters for 2026
If you're a bettor or a fantasy manager, these games provided some massive takeaways that the mainstream media sort of glossed over.
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- Lamar is evolving: The days of needing Lamar to run for 100 yards to win are over. In the first matchup, he only had 13 rushing yards. He's winning from the pocket now, which is terrifying for the rest of the AFC North.
- The Mark Andrews Factor: Andrews isn't just a tight end anymore; he’s the emotional and tactical heartbeat of the offense. Breaking Derrick Mason’s receiving record while scoring the game-winning rushing TD in the same season? That’s legendary stuff.
- Cleveland’s Identity Crisis: The Browns are caught between the "win now" defense of Myles Garrett (who is still a god-tier pass rusher with 15 sacks) and an offense that is clearly in transition. Whether Shedeur Sanders is the future or just a stopgap is the only question that matters in Cleveland right now.
What You Should Do Next
If you're looking to capitalize on what we learned from the Ravens vs browns 2025 matchups, start by looking at the 2026 futures. The Ravens' ability to win ugly—like they did in Week 11—is the mark of a playoff-caliber team even when they aren't "themselves."
Keep a close eye on the Browns' injury report heading into the 2026 draft. They lost Cam Robinson and Jack Conklin to knee injuries in that second Ravens game, and their offensive line depth is currently non-existent. If they don't go heavy on O-line in the offseason, it won't matter who is playing quarterback.
Go back and watch the "Hurricane" play from Week 11. It’s a masterclass in how John Harbaugh uses pre-snap alignment to manipulate modern NFL defenses. It’s the kind of play-calling that wins championships, and it’s why Baltimore is never truly out of a game.