The Browns, with a top-three pick in the 2025 NFL draft all but secured, will conclude the 2024 season as 19.5-point underdogs when they face the Ravens in Baltimore on Jan. 4 with Bailey Zappe as their starting quarterback. Talk about a game made for turning the channel to watch something else with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. — this is it. The Ravens (11-5) clinch the AFC North if they beat the Browns. The Browns (3-13) currently sit third in the draft order behind the Patriots and Titans, who also are 3-13. The Browns will earn the first pick if they lose to the Ravens and on Jan. 5 the Titans beat the Jaguars and Patriots beat the Bills. Stranger things have happened; Buffalo (13-3) is favored by only two points because Bills coach Sean McDermott plans to rest some starters. “Obviously, I’m more comfortable,” Zappe said during the practice week leading to the game with the Ravens. “There are some things that (offensive coordinator Ken) Dorsey obviously brought in whenever he came in here that I didn’t have whenever I was with AVP (Alex Van Pelt) with the Patriots. Some different verbiage stuff that I had to learn over the last few weeks, but pretty much got all that down. “There’s not really anything that I can think of that I don’t know in this offense, really. But Dorsey and Ash (quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant) have done a great job of staying with me after practices, after meetings and just kind of getting extra work for me to kind of get that stuff down pat.” Zappe will be the fourth quarterback to start for the Browns this season and the 40th since 1999. They started five quarterbacks last season. Zappe was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. He was 4-4 as a starter in 2022 and 2023 combined. He was with the Patriots in training camp this past summer with former Browns offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt as his O.C. in New England. He signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad after being cut by the Patriots on Aug. 26. The Browns signed Zappe off the Chiefs’ practice squad Oct. 22 — two days after Deshaun Watson suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon in a game with the Bengals. Zappe was third on the Browns’ depth chart behind Jameis Winston and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, but Winston was benched after throwing eight interceptions in his last three games as a starter. DTR started the last two games and turned the ball over five times by throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Zappe and Thompson-Robinson will both play against the Ravens, but he did not say how the playing time will be divided. “The story or the nature of backup quarterback play is you have to be ready to roll whether you know you’re starting or don’t know you’re starting,” Stefansaki said. “You could play the first play of the game or somebody needs a shoelace and you have to go in there. You have to always be ready at that position.” Zappe won’t be playing with a full deck when he faces the Ravens. The Browns on Jan. 3 placed running back Jerome Ford (ankle), running back Pierre Strong (head) and tight end David Njoku (knee) on injured reserve. Wide receiver Cedric Tillman was already on injured reserve with a concussion. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson on Jan. 3 was downgraded to out with a knee injury. Cornerback Denzel Ward (shoulder) was ruled out Jan. 2. The Browns signed wide receiver Kaden Davis, defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour and safety Christopher Edmonds to the active roster from the practice squad. They also elevated cornerback Kahlef Hailassie and running back Jacob Kibodi from the practice squad. Browns at Ravens When: 4:30 p.m. Jan. 4 Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore Records: Browns 3-13, Ravens 11-5 TV: WEWS, ESPN Radio: WKRK-FM 92.3, WNCX-FM 98.5, WKNR-AM 850, WKKY-FM 104.7