BEREA, Ohio -- Quarterback Joe Flacco is the face of the Baltimore Ravens.

But their bread-and-butter is running the ball.

Flacoo’s inflated contract notwithstanding, the Ravens under John Harbaugh are a physical team that likes to attack the line of scrimmage. In the Harbaugh era since 2008, Baltimore ranks ninth in rushing yards per game (121.3) and eighth in rushing touchdowns (93). For years it was with Ray Rice running the ball, now it’s Justin Forsett and Bernard Pierce.

The Ravens rank 13th in the league in rushing offense, the Browns 25th in stopping the run. Baltimore averages 4.5 yards per carry, the Browns are giving up 5.4.

While the Ravens are pleased with their run game, the Browns have a "yeah, but" thinking on their run defense. When it comes to the run game, the Browns giveth -- now they hope to take away.

Coach Mike Pettine said the team was willing to give something against the Saints to defend Drew Brees.

"We went into the game with the mentality that if they’re running the ball, Drew’s not throwing it," defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil said.

That meant smaller linemen were in the game for pass-rush purposes. Out went a Phil Taylor, in came an Armonty Bryant.

"Sometimes when you go against those elite quarterbacks, you have to have that mentality a little bit that you understand you’re going to concede some rushing yards," Pettine said, "but in the long term, the clock’s moving, you’re shortening the game. I think they ended up with 10 possessions for the game, which is below the NFL average."

Any time Brees does not have the ball, the defense gains. The Saints finished with 174 yards after the Steelers had 127. But the Browns missed 14 tackles against the Steelers, too, the main issue according to Pettine.

This week the offensive similarities of the teams are striking. Kyle Shanahan learned the Browns' offense when he coached under Gary Kubiak, who worked for Shanahan’s father in Denver. Kubiak is now with Baltimore.

The offenses are very similar, with stretch zone-blocking schemes in the running game. Flacco is not exactly made for play-action, though, so the Browns will probably have that element more available than Baltimore.

Pettine, though, expects that this will be a "typical AFC North, old-school kind of game." Meaning physical and run-game dependent. The defensive approach will not be the same as it was with New Orleans.

"We want to run the ball, so do they," Pettine said. "I think it’s important for us to take that mentality that we’re going to stop the run."

Pettine even channeled his inner Dick Goddard (the longtime Cleveland-area weather forecaster) and said the early forecast Sunday calls for a lot of rain.

"It’s something that we have to take into account," Pettine said. "I think it could turn into one of those games where we have to stop the run."

For many reasons.