An NFL player’s rookie season is full of high and lows.  For Cleveland Browns (4-7) receiver Greg Little, it’s no different.  Little is in his rookie year out of UNC and has had one of the more impressive rookie seasons thus far.

Cleveland has been counting on their young wide out during their rebuilding process, and he’s quickly proved himself as a valuable asset on a growing team. This Sunday, the Browns will looking for Little to have a big impact when they take on the surging Baltimore Ravens (8-3).

The Browns selected Little with their second round pick in this year’s NFL draft, looking to add a receiver to compliment running back Peyton Hillis.  Instead, Little has become the focal point of the offense, compiling more receptions (47) than any other rookie.

However, it has not all been easy for the young star.  The start to his NFL career was plagued with controversy, as he was suspended his entire senior season at UNC for accepting improper benefits.  Little also struggled in a recent game against the Cincinnati Bengals (7-4), dropping five passes in the 23-20 loss.

New Cleveland head coach Pat Shurmur already thinks he’s seen enough out of Little to know he’ll be a future star.  “He’s no longer a rookie in my eyes,” Shurmur said in a recent interview with the Cleveland Plain Dealer.  “He’s played a lot of football, and he’s steadily become more and more productive, and more and more professional.”

Little thinks he’s ready to make an even larger impact in a league he’s already taking by storm.  “You want to be the player where great things are expected of you and I always want to be that,” Little said at his locker on Monday.  “I think I’ve kind of shown that I have the ability.  I’ve just kind of got to do it every week.”

A giant roadblock stands in Little’s way this coming week.  The Baltimore Ravens will travel Ohio in hopes of putting a stranglehold on their lead in the AFC North.

After two impressive wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3), and a Thanksgiving Day victory over his brother’s San Francisco 49ers (9-2), head coach John Harbaugh might finally have the strongest team in the AFC.

As always the Ravens defense is one of the top in the league, ranking third in total defense, behind only the Steelers (second) and Houston Texans (first).  Baltimore is also top five in pass defense and run defense, and have been playing well without one of their best players, linebacker Ray Lewis who has been injured the past two weeks.

Baltimore’s offense is a big reason many think the Ravens might be a legitimate Super Bowl contender, with quarterback Joe Flacco finally maturing into a reliable player that teammates believe can win the big one.

After Flacco led the Ravens on a game winning drive against the Steelers at Heinz Field, linebacker Terrell Suggs wanted the world to know just what he thought about his quarterback.  “This is the toughest place in the world to win.  It says something about our team.  It definitely says something about our quarterback,” the current NFL defensive player of the week said.

Flacco even seems to be having a little more fun now that he’s the big man on campus, sporting the classic Fu Manchu mustache during the Ravens victory over the 49ers.  “Just trying to get everybody to do it, trying to get everybody to get on the bandwagon here on our offense.  It’s tough convincing everybody,” Flacco said in a laugh after the Thursday victory.

“A lot of great teams, they always have their signature thing that they go through a season with, and were just trying to create one,” Flacco said.  Even Suggs was asked about the new look for his quarterback and said that he can keep it “as long as we win.”

The Browns will be looking to give Flacco a reason to shave this Sunday.  In a game that may have tiebreak implications, the Ravens players are out to show they take no game lightly.  “It’s good to be in the lead, and it’s good to have the wins we do, especially against our divisional opponents.  But if we don’t handle ourselves well going down the stretch it means nothing,”  Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson said.

Look for the Ravens to give the ball to running back Ray Rice frequently Sunday, opening up the Browns defense to the play-action pass and yet another impressive rookie wide receiver, Torrey Smith. Flacco will try and establish a relationship with receiver Lee Evans as well.  Evans has been injured most of the season but returned to the line-up week 11, and could be a valuable weapon down the stretch.

The Browns should benefit from the return of running back Peyton Hillis, who was a surprise in the line-up last week against the Bengals, and has stated he expects to play.  Although Hillis has had issues both on and off the field this season, it is hard to imagine the Browns having much of a chance without him.

Young quarterback Colt McCoy will certainly look to get the ball to Greg Little, as well as security blanket tight end Ben Watson.

In all, expect a game similar to one the Ravens played Thanksgiving Day.  Baltimore’s physical, relentless defense will get after the quarterback, and look to shut down the Browns running game.  Although there may not be a ton of scoring, you will certainly see a hard fought game, with future stars trying to shine.