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BEREA, Ohio — A lot has changed for the 4-5 Ravens since they last faced the Browns in Week 2. Since that 41-17 Baltimore victory, the Ravens have dealt with a three-game absence for Lamar Jackson after he injured his hamstring in Week 4 against the Kansas City Chiefs. In the tough part of their schedule, they lost four in a row and fell to 1-5 before rebounding to win their next three. More Cleveland Browns coverage Browns still likely to face Lamar Jackson + Dillon Gabriel looks to build momentum : Berea Report Lamar Jackson sits out practice Wednesday with a sore knee as the Ravens prepare to visit the Browns on Sunday Browns aim to unlock offense, Cavaliers injury updates: Wednesday’s Sports 4 CLE On the defensive side of the ball, to try and salvage a unit that was ranking near the bottom of the league in most major categories, they also made one big personnel change. All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton has once again proved he can do it all, playing primarily in the box in recent weeks, largely to try and help fix a porous run defense. “He’s a really good player,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. “He’s played safety, he’s played nickel, he’s played their dime linebacker. So, he’s really a player that has always had that versatility. Can show up anywhere, they can blitz him, he can play the deep half, he can cover tight ends. So, there’s really a lot of versatility to what he does.” The Ravens struggled over the first five weeks to stop the run, giving up 146.4 yards per game and an average of 4.7 yards per attempt. According to The Athletic, Hamilton played only 36% of his defensive snaps in the box or in the slot in those games. In Weeks 6-9, that percentage jumped to 94%. And in that same span, the Ravens went from giving up 146.4 rushing yards per game to 85.7 yards per game over Weeks 6-9. It should be noted that Hamilton didn’t play in Week 5 and the Ravens had a Week 7 bye. For the season, the Ravens are still the 20th-ranked run defense allowing 123.2 yards per game — but it’s still a marked improvement. In addition to using Hamilton to shore up the run defense, the Ravens have also used him to blitz more, and he has two QB hits over his last three games. “He’s a great player and I think they use him a bunch in different ways and he’s versatile, which you can all see,” Browns QB Dillon Gabriel said. “But that’s the challenging part and that’s also the exciting part, to go work through that and find answers to that. They do a really good job, all three levels, like I said, and you can see ‘em on all three levels.” With Hamilton playing more in the box, Baltimore has used their first-round pick Malaki Starks and safety Alohi Gilman deep. This isn’t the first time the Ravens have moved Hamilton around in their defense, either. While he played primarily in the slot as a rookie, last year they moved him back to free safety to help their pass defense, which was ranked 31st (244.1 ypg) at the end of the regular season. In his time with Baltimore, Hamilton has made two Pro Bowls and has one All-Pro selection. Against the Browns in seven career games, he has two interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown) and one forced fumble. “Good genes, I think; probably good genes,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters on Monday when asked how Hamilton is able to be so effective moving around. “He is talented. But the other thing is, versatility is not just talent; it’s also understanding the game and also studying. He’s got to know a lot. “There’s a lot he has to know, process and understand about the gameplan, and I just think he kind of knows the whole defense. He probably could line up in any position. We’ll keep him away from nose guard, how about that? You can play him at all the other ones. But, he’s special that way.” Hamilton’s role may change week to week, but his impact doesn’t — and the Browns will have to account for him everywhere on Sunday.
