Cleveland Browns (3-10)
The Browns put together one of their best offensive performances of the season last week but still came up short of a victory. Their stingy defense surprisingly gave up 31 points and 184 rushing yards to the Tennessee Titans at home. That overshadowed their offense totaling over 400 yards and 22 first downs.
Cleveland was stymied on the ground, gaining just 61 yards on 20 carries. Quinshon Judkins (26 yards on 14 attempts) was shut down by the Titans’ defensive front. Shedeur Sanders, albeit completing only 55% of his throws, posted a career-high 354 passing yards with three touchdowns and another 29 yards rushing. The Browns had a chance to tie the game late but botched a two-point conversion try with a minute remaining.
If Sanders and the passing attack’s season-best showing can carry over into this week, they could challenge the Chicago Bears at home. It won’t come as easy, though, as the Bears are playing for postseason positioning and have a takeaway-happy defense. Also, the Browns are on the road instead of at home.
Running the ball more efficiently will be important to protect the football and sustain possessions. The Browns’ defense also needs to do a better job against the run. That will be a tall task against the Bears, who rank second in the NFL in rushing yards per game on the season.
Baltimore Ravens (6-7)
The Ravens lost a second straight divisional matchup on home turf last week, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers by five points (27-22). Baltimore was on the wrong end of some highly questionable officiating calls that proved costly, but that’s far from the sole reason for their defeat. The Ravens played incomplete football in all three phases, which has been a recurring theme for much of the year.
Offensively, the Ravens had just two scoring drives and nine total points in the first half. When they started sustaining drives and scoring more in the second half, their defense struggled to get stops to give the offense a chance to take the lead. On special teams, a missed extra point and two penalties were less than optimal. All of this played a part in the team falling to 6-7 and losing their division lead.
With no margin for error remaining, the Ravens are seeking to right the ship and avenge their Week 13 loss to the Bengals this coming Sunday. Lamar Jackson seemed to find some life last week, which will hopefully carry over into Cincinnati. Jackson and the Ravens’ offense struggled two weeks ago versus the Bengals, who are still plenty vulnerable defensively, so a bounce-back performance is more than possible.
On the other side of the ball, the Ravens have struggled to slow down Cincinnati’s offense in their past several matchups. They had more success in the first half in Week 13 but still wound up surrendering 32 points. The Ravens need to do a better job of generating pressure on Joe Burrow and containing Ja’Marr Chase, to the best extent possible.
Cincinnati Bengals (4-9)
The Bengals watched their playoff hopes all but evaporate last week in dramatic fashion. For much of the afternoon in Buffalo, the Bengals were in control over the Bills and appeared primed to pull off another big upset. They led by 10 points at halftime and again by 10 points early in the fourth quarter, 28-18.
From there on, the Bills went on a quick 21-0 run to take a commanding lead late in the game. Burrow’s pick-six interception with 5:25 remaining squandered the Bengals’ lead. Then, Burrow was intercepted again just one play later and the Bills promptly scored five plays after. Cincinnati managed 25 first downs and went 3-for-3 in the red zone with 34 total points, but another high-scoring output was again not enough to win.
This coming Sunday, they’ll be seeking a repeat performance against the Ravens of their beatdown in Baltimore two weeks ago. In that game, the Bengals’ defense had a season-best showing and forced five turnovers while allowing just 14 points. Repeating that exactly will be difficult, but the Bengals could still have a good chance to win if they can surrender less than 39 points.
Burrow may be without the services of wide receiver Tee Higgins again, who re-entered concussion protocol following last week’s game. Without Higgins in Week 13, the Bengals still scored 32 points in this same matchup and ran the ball well. They have to feel confident in their ability to move the ball on Baltimore’s defense, it’s just a matter of if their defense can up to the task once more.
Pittsburgh Steelers (7-6)
After appearing lifeless in a Week 13 drubbing at home versus the Bills, the Steelers bounced back with a crucial win on the road in Baltimore last Sunday. Pittsburgh’s passing attack had arguably their best performance of the season, with Aaron Rodgers throwing for 284 yards and completing a handful of explosive passes of 30+ yards.
The Steelers were not able to run the ball effectively and gained only 13 first downs, while also losing the time of possession battle. However, they won the turnover battle and enough played well enough situationally to pull out a narrow victory — which has been their recipe for victory over the Ravens often in recent years.
Now, with the division lead back in hand, the Steelers will look to start building some momentum. That starts with a home matchup on Monday night against the Miami Dolphins. Once left for dead at 2-7, the Dolphins have won four straight games to claw their way back to almost .500. Miami’s defense has allowed 17 or less points in each of their past four contests, so they’re plenty capable of giving the Steelers’ offense a challenge.
On the other side of the ball, the Steelers should have an advantage at home. The Dolphins’ offense, particularly in the passing game, have been up-and-down for much of the year and prone to turnovers. Pittsburgh’s defense ranks tied for second in the NFL in takeaways with 23 total. They may be without the services of T.J. Watt, however, who suffered a lung injury earlier this week.
