How did ESPN do with its Ravens-Browns game coverage?

CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Browns hosted the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football. Here’s a look at how ESPN did with its coverage, from graphics, insight and more. Baltimore won, 47-42.

The coverage

ESPN’s socially distant Steve Levy (play by play) and analysts Brian Griese and former Brown Louis Riddick, with Lisa Salters on the field.

The storyline

The Browns are not the Browns of recent years as they faced the Ravens in an AFC North clash. How much the Browns have improved was not lost on the announcing crew.

Overall

Fairly solid broadcast. Jargon was kept to a minimum, and graphics used weren’t flashy or gratuitous but noted interesting points.

Hometown tunes

“Little Black Submarines” from Akron’s The Black Keys set the tone as the lead-in to coverage.

About the fans

Fans in NFL stadiums have ranged from none to several thousand this season because of varying coronavirus restrictions state to state. The Browns received dispensation from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to continue to host 12,000 fans through the turnstiles. Levy mentioned it early in the game. Also, brief cutaways of fans off site via virtual screens were shown after Nick Chubb’s touchdown run in the first quarter. In fairness, the network alternated the virtual screen shots between Browns and Ravens fans. Few camera angles showed the actual fans in the stadium, compared to the usual local broadcasts. With five minutes remaining, Levy said, “Sounds like 68,000 strong.”

Statistical side

‣ We learned the last time a pair of starting Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks met in a Monday Night Football game was Dec. 12, 1977, when San Francisco’s Jim Plunkett and Dallas’ Roger Staubach faced off.

‣ After Mayfield threw a lateral to Jarvis Landry, and the wide receiver completed a pass, Levy noted Landry is 4-4 for 74 yards as a passer this season.

‣ Good graphic: Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson’s career red-zone stats as of the first half: 120 passing attempts, 40 touchdowns, 0 interceptions.

Tweet of the night

‣ Only four running backs topped 5 yards per rush in their first 40 games – Gale Sayers, Adrian Peterson, Jim Brown and Nick Chubb – who tops them all at 5.3 yards. Incremental, sure, but the Browns running back is in good company.

‣ Right before halftime we saw a graphic showing Jackson had recorded three pass attempts but was sacked four times. “It’s an odd stat line,” Levy said. Yes it is.

‣ Going into the third quarter Griese did a nice job explaining the quandary a defense is in (zone vs. man coverage) when facing the speedy Jackson. Early in the third quarter the Ravens quarterback already racked up 100 yards rushing.

‣ Jackson set a Monday Night Football record for most rushing yards from a quarterback. With five minutes remaining in the third quarter, we learned he had nine rushes for 124 yards.

‣ As Browns coach Kevin Stefanski questioned the number of players on the field for Baltimore, we learned he was five of six on challenges this season.

‣ As the Browns were contemplating going for a two-point conversion, the announcers discussed a statistical belief in the league: You are more likely to score on one two-point conversion than two miss two of them.

Quotable: Griese

‣ “Kevin Stefanski is the No. 1 reason the Browns are in this position tonight. … The marriage with Baker Mayfield has been perfect.”

‣ “That was kind of a weak call,” on the defensive holding call on Browns defensive back M.J. Stewart as the Ravens mounted a first-quarter drive.

‣ “I don’t know what you want him to do with his head at that point,” on Matthew Judon’s roughing-the-passer call in the first quarter as his helmet hit Mayfield.

‣ “I was told there would be no math,” after he counted out the multiple players on the field in the second half for Baltimore.

‣ “That guy is an absolute sniper,” after the sure-footed Justin Tucker nailed the game-winning field goal.

Levy quote of the game

“I would make a Willis Reed reference, but I might lose some of the audience,” referring to Jackson coming back in the game from the locker room where he had been nursing cramps, and then throwing a scoring strike. The New York Knicks’ Reed, of course, famously hobbled onto the court in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.

Griese quote of the game

As the game ended: “The game of the year in the National Football League, in my eyes.”

Misses

‣ Levy called Baltimore the Browns’ archrival. I’d say it is Pittsburgh. But hey, to promote the game …

‣ Levy’s comment after the Marion Motley story, about how the former Brown experienced racism when he was in the NFL as a pioneering Black player, was a bit too casual.

‣ Showing an image of the litany of 20 years’ worth of Browns quarterbacks crossed off on a long scroll, and incorporating it into Santa’s wish list, is trite. Enough.

The good ol’ days

I especially like the DraftKings ad that shows excited NFL fans crammed in a bar cheering their Fantasy players. Remember when we crammed into bars …

Would have liked to have seen …

‣ … Salters follow up after Griese’s comment about Jackson needing to have his cleats checked. The Baltimore quarterback was sliding all over the field. Mayfield’s footing, however, seemed fine. (They did show a Ravens staffer carrying new cleats for Jackson.)

‣ … a statistic in the second quarter showing each team’s penalties and yards.

Next up

The Browns move to 9-4 and will face the New York Giants on the road at 8:20 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 20. NBC will televise the game.

I am on cleveland.com’s life and culture team and cover food, beer, wine and sports-related topics. If you want to see my stories, here’s a directory on cleveland.com. Bill Wills of WTAM-1100 and I talk food and drink usually at 8:20 a.m. Thursday morning. And tune in at 8:05 a.m. Fridays for “Beer with Bona and Much, Much More” with Munch Bishop on 1350-AM The Gambler.

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