Baltimore Ravens linebacker Roquan Smith had a fiery message for the Cleveland Browns and Deshaun Watson ahead of their high-stakes Week 10 AFC North clash.
The Ravens will be hosting the Browns on Sunday, November 12 for the matchup. Baltimore traveled to Cleveland on Oct. 1 and took down the Watson-less Browns 28-3 in convincing fashion. Smith is eager to see Watson in their second and final clash of the regular season.
“I got a great deal of respect for Watson and the way he plays the game,” Smith said during an exclusive interview on Ravens Vault. “The numbers look pretty solid from the offensive side. With him being in there, he’s a threat to throw it deep, featuring his guy Coop [Amari Cooper]. And he’s a threat pulling it down and taking off. It won’t be anything we haven’t seen before. We will be very excited for this opportunity.”
Watson needed to shake off some rust in his return to the field after missing the majority of four games. He completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 219 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Arizona Cardinals. He had two deep connections with Cooper, who finished with a season-high 139 yards.
Roquan Smith to Defend Home Turf Against Browns ‘By Any Means Necessary’
Smith made some waves ahead of the first matchup, giving the Browns some prime bulletin board material.
“At the end of the day, you’re considered the bad guy because you’re going into essentially another man’s house, and you’re trying to take over,” Smith told reporters in Baltimore in October. “His wife, kids, (and) everyone is there to watch them. So, we’re going over there to beat their tails in front of their wife and kids.”
It’s safe to say Smith and the rest of the Ravens’ stingy defense did just that, limiting the Browns to just 166 yards of total offense. Smith led the way with 10 tackles and a pair of passes defended.
Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson — who started in place of Watson on short notice — was picked off three times.
Ravens Expect ‘Pissed Off’ Browns
Smith and the Ravens are now in the position to defend their home turf and he knows Cleveland will come in with a chip on their shoulder.
“Like I always say — make no mistake about it — it’s our home turf. We are home, we have to defend it by any means necessary,” Smith said. “We have invaders coming to town. I look myself in the mirror every day and I know what I’m going to do. I know what each and every guy in the locker room plans to do as well. Everybody has a plan until that plan doesn’t go as planned.
“Those guys are going to come in here pissed off and rightly so after the last game. It’s a new game, a new week. but we are excited for the challenge and can’t wait to look at them in the face, chin up, chest out.”
The Browns have not won in Baltimore since 2019, when they bested the Ravens 40-25.
The game has a lot of meaning in the AFC North race, which is currently the most competitive in the NFL. With a win, the Browns (5-3) could make up some ground on the Ravens (7-3) and also keep pace with the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3) and Cincinnati Bengals (5-3).
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Ravens LB Roquan Smith Sounds Off on Browns Ahead of Clash