Rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson delivered his best passing game of the season in last Saturday’s win over the Los Angeles Chargers, completing 12 of 22 attempts for 204 yards and a timely 68-yard touchdown to fellow rookie Mark Andrews. Andrews, who’s averaging 16.6 yards a catch, has caught the two longest passes of Jackson’s career. The Ravens’ wide receivers, on the other hand, are still searching for their connection with Jackson.

The Ravens would have been thrilled to run for 159 yards in a game during the first half of the season. But that total, which they achieved against the Chargers, was their lowest since Jackson took over as starter in Week 11. Rookie running back Gus Edwards continued his second-half breakout with 92 yards on 14 carries at Los Angeles. But poor ball security undermined the rushing attack, with Jackson and running back Kenneth Dixon both fumbling.

Even with Melvin Gordon back in their lineup, the Chargers managed just 51 rushing yards against a Ravens defense that ranks fourth in the league in fewest yards allowed per attempt. Linebacker C.J. Mosley made his fourth Pro Bowl in five years and leads the Ravens with 99 tackles. Pro Football Focus continues to grade interior linemen Michael Pierce, Brandon Williams and Brent Urban as outstanding run defenders.

The Ravens neutralized another elite quarterback last weekend, holding Philip Rivers to a season-low 181 passing yards and intercepting him twice. They’re tied for sixth in the league in sacks despite no individual player having more than 8½ (Za’Darius Smith). They continue to lead the league in fewest yards allowed per attempt. Cornerback Marlon Humphrey did not make the Pro Bowl, but grades as the sixth-best cornerback and fifth-best cover corner in the league.

Cyrus Jones has averaged 14.4 yards per punt return. Justin Tucker missed field-goal attempts from 53 and 65 yards against the Chargers, but rebounded to hit a clutch 56-yarder. He’s made 31 of 35 field-goal attempts on the season, with the other two misses coming on blocks. Sam Koch has quietly fallen to 11th in punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line and 16th in net punting average.

The Ravens could not go into their must-win season finale any higher after a dominant defensive performance on the road against the playoff-bound Chargers. Coach John Harbaugh will be back next season after his job security was a story for much of the year. The Ravens are unlikely to take the streaking Browns lightly after losing to them in Week 5. But they went into Week 17 in a similar position last year and came up short against the Bengals, so that bad memory lingers.

Despite a few error-plagued performances, quarterback Baker Mayfield has lived up to his status as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. In the Browns’ past five victories, he’s thrown 13 touchdown passes against just one interception. With Mayfield leading the way, Cleveland’s offense has been the second-most efficient in the league over the past six weeks, according to the analytics website Football Outsiders. Slot specialist Jarvis Landry leads the Browns with 76 catches for 874 yards.

Rookie running back Nick Chubb has provided a dynamic complement to Mayfield, averaging 5.3 yards per carry and accumulating 278 yards over the past three games. Pro Football Focus has graded him the best running back in the league through 15 games. With Chubb leading their attack, the Browns rank ninth in the league in both yards per game and yards per carry. They rushed for 112 yards against the Ravens in Week 5.

Browns have been vulnerable here, allowing the ninth-most rushing yards per game in the league. They gave up 187 to the Houston Texans in a 29-13 loss in Week 13. Linebacker Jamie Collins Sr. is their leading tackler, and safeties Damarious Randall and Jabrill Peppers have played well against the run. Defensive end Myles Garrett is primarily known as a pass rusher, but he’s underrated as an every-down force.

The Browns have played sound pass defense for much of the season, holding opposing quarterbacks to just 7.0 yards per attempt. Cornerback Denzel Ward made the Pro Bowl as a rookie and played one of his best games in the Browns’ Week 5 victory over the Ravens. Ward hurt his shoulder last Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. Linebacker Joe Schobert and safeties Randall and Peppers have also excelled in coverage. Garrett leads the Browns with 12½ sacks and made his first Pro Bowl.

This is the one real weakness for the Browns, who rank last in special-teams efficiency, according to Football Outsiders. Kicker Greg Joseph has made 16 of 18 field-goal attempts, but has missed four extra points. Peppers has not broken a punt return longer than 33 yards or a kick return longer than 28. Britton Colquitt has been a bright spot, ranking fifth in the league with 32 punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Browns are a team on the rise, with five wins in their past six games and a collective sense that they’ve finally turned the corner toward a bright future. They technically have nothing to play for in Baltimore, but coach Gregg Williams has said his team will treat this as its playoff game.