The talk of the town within the Ravens locker room is the return of QB Joe Flacco to the city where he spent the first 11 years of his career.
On Sept. 14, Flacco will return to Baltimore for the first time since the 2018 season, his last season as a member of the Ravens, when they face the Browns in Week 2. Players like QB Lamar Jackson, TE Mark Andrews and CB Marlon Humphrey remember being in the same locker room as Flacco. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh was sentimental about Flacco coming back to Baltimore but also preached the need to be prepared to play against him.
"(Joe Flacco's) iconic, I think, in Baltimore football history. I respect that and admire that and still keep in touch with him, except not this week," Harbaugh said. "This week it's not about that for us as a football team. It's about us getting prepared for a good quarterback that knows how to play the game, (who's) capable of making plays against you, and we're going to have to be at our very best to defend against Joe and the whole offense."
For players like Jackson and Andrews, they played with Flacco when he was 33 in his final season with the Ravens. Now, seven years later, he's 40 years old and in his 18th NFL season.
Jackson still remembers Flacco throwing an 80-yard pass across his body to former Ravens WR Chris Moore, saying that after seeing that back then, it doesn't surprise him that Flacco is still playing at a high level at 40 years old. Andrews chalked up Flacco still playing football in 2025 due to his work ethic, the same one Andrews picked up from him in his rookie year.
"That's the thing about life, man. You never know what's to come," Andrews said. "It's a credit to him and how hard he worked. I am very proud of him."
Harbaugh talked about the throw power that Flacco possesses as well as his accuracy. He said Flacco operates the Browns passing game skillfully and labeled his former quarterback as a drop-back quarterback who has a good catchable ball. Humphrey backed up Harbaugh's characterization of Flacco and said that he's still the same player that he was in 2018.
"He looks at all his reads. To me, it's almost a lost art (of) quarterbacks – the three-step drop, five-step drop (and) to go through all their progressions the way Joe does," Humphrey said. "Obviously, it's a familiar face coming back to Baltimore. It is a weird thing (with him) being in that Browns' jersey, but we're excited to go against him and hopefully come out on top."
However, the Ravens and LB Kyle Van Noy recognized that Flacco isn't the only threat on the Browns' offense. Van Noy looked at players like TE David Njoku and rookie TE Harold Fannin Jr. as potential issues on offense for Cleveland. Van Noy spotlighted Fannin, calling him an excellent player after recording 63 receiving yards in his NFL regular-season debut.
Van Noy also said he also has his attention on another Browns rookie, RB Dylan Sampson. Sampson had 93 all-purpose yards in Week 1, including recording eight receptions for 64 receiving yards, being nominated for Pepsi Zero Sugar Rookie of the Week.
On the other side of the ball, a week after the Browns' defense allowed just seven net yards in the second half against the Bengals, Harbaugh cautioned about the danger that the Browns' defense presents. Players like DE Myles Garrett are defenders that Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken said the Ravens have to look out for.
"(Myles Garrett) just happens to be one of those elite players that you've got to do a great job (with) the modes you play in, the looks you give him and the help you've got to give your guys," Monken said. "That's all part of it. That's no different. And he's an elite player. He's going to wear a gold jacket. He's hard to go against. He's hard to prepare for – as the whole defense is. They do a great job at an attacking style defense [and] make you earn it."
With the attack-style defense that defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz employs, Harbaugh characterized the defense as smothering. He said the Browns have a downhill brand of defense and the only way to succeed against Cleveland's defense is to break through it.
"[When] watching the tape, obviously [the Cleveland Browns] bring it like they always do," Harbaugh said. "[They have a] physical and aggressive defense, [a] smothering type of a defense, man coverage, [they] mix it up, run out and play zone, try to disguise on you a little bit and a heavy pass rush."
Monken noted that the Browns' defense doesn't give way to the offense, especially when they gain momentum. He pointed out in the Bengals game, once the Browns took the momentum from the Bengals' offense, it became more difficult for the Bengals to run the ball, which Monken said cannot happen to Baltimore in Week 2.
"You have to be able to run the football against these guys," Monken said. "You can't just let them tee off and get after you. So, when (the Bengals) couldn't run the football, that put them behind the eight ball."
With RB Derrick Henry running the ball for Baltimore, he's a big part of the Ravens' offense – especially after rushing for 169 yards in the season opener. According to Monken, Henry will have to establish himself before the Browns' defense gains momentum.
Henry said he wants to the Ravens to be able to establish their offense no matter who they're playing. Against a Browns defense that proved they can stop the run, allowing 46 rushing yards against Cincinnati, Henry will be challenged in Week 2.
"I'm looking forward to Sunday," Henry said.
