OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Cleveland upset the Ravens in their first meeting of 2024, but these teams couldn’t be in more different spots entering Saturday’s regular-season finale.
While the 3-13 Browns have been ravaged by injuries and still have a mathematical chance of earning the first overall pick in the 2025 draft, Baltimore (11-5) has already clinched its sixth trip to the playoffs in the last seven years and will become AFC North champions for the second straight season with a home win on Saturday. Cleveland has also tabbed Bailey Zappe to start, which will make the former New England Patriot the 40th quarterback to start a game for the Browns since the franchise returned to the NFL in 1999.
Baltimore was a 20-point favorite as of Thursday evening, according to multiple sports books.
The Ravens are the much healthier team with top backup running back Justice Hill (concussion/illness) and reserve cornerback Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring) being the only players ruled out for Week 18. Meanwhile, the Browns officially ruled out four starters on Thursday, a list headlined by four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder) and 2023 Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku. That doesn’t include wide receiver Cedric Tillman (concussion) — who was placed on injured reserve earlier this week — or the eight other Browns currently on IR who played a part in that Week 8 upset win in Cleveland.
The winning quarterback in that contest — veteran Jameis Winston — is officially questionable with a right shoulder injury and expected to serve as the No. 3 emergency quarterback on Saturday. Despite missing two days of practice this week, six-time Pro Bowl defensive end Myles Garrett (thigh) does not carry a game status designation and will play.
Head coach John Harbaugh had expected Hill to return to play against Cleveland after sitting out Week 17 with a concussion, but an illness sidelined the reserve back for the entire practice week, which prevented him from moving through the steps of the concussion protocol in time to be cleared to play. That Hill — who sustained his concussion in the Dec. 21 win over Pittsburgh — is no longer experiencing symptoms bodes well for his availability for the opening round of the postseason next week.
“The illness is what’s keeping him off the field right now,” Harbaugh said. “It’s not the concussion. The concussion’s gone.”
Third-string tight end Charlie Kolar (forearm) is officially questionable to play against the Browns after being designated to return from injured reserve this week. He was listed as a full practice participant all week and would need to be activated by 4 p.m. Friday to play in the regular-season finale.
Below is the full Week 18 injury report:
BALTIMORE
OUT: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis (hamstring), RB Justice Hill (concussion/illness)
QUESTIONABLE: TE Charlie Kolar (forearm), G Patrick Mekari (illness)
CLEVELAND
OUT: RB Jerome Ford (ankle), LB Jordan Hicks (concussion), TE David Njoku (knee), RB Pierre Strong (concussion), CB Denzel Ward (shoulder)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Cameron Mitchell (knee), DE Ogbo Okoronkwo (knee), DT Dalvin Tomlinson (knee), TE Blake Whiteheart (knee), QB Jameis Winston (right shoulder), WR Michael Woods (knee)
