The Ravens’ hopes of making the playoffs are on life support after losing Sunday night. They now stand at 7-8. The Green Bay Packers are on their way to a Saturday night primetime game this week. It is a must win. Baltimore’s chances of making the playoffs would be effectively ended if they lost. But even if they win, the Ravens are still dependent on the Pittsburgh Steelers losing.
The Ravens’ worst nightmare is that they will be forced to accomplish this feat without the best player in the league. Lamar Jackson, who suffered a back injury in the New England Patriots game, is not expected to play for the Ravens this week. Tyler Huntley will be back at the helm in Week 17 after suffering a back injury against the New England Patriots.
The Packers are in a good position for the playoffs, but they are also trying to improve their NFC seeding. Jordan Love will be sidelined by a concussion, just like the Ravens. The Ravens defense will face Malik Willis instead, who has proven to be an effective backup quarterback for the Packers during his time at Green Bay.
The Ravens will focus on running the ball, and stopping the rush. The offensive strategy without Jackson should consist of feeding Derrick Henry, and using Huntley to run the game. Micah Parsons is no longer part of the Packers’ front seven, which is a big blow. To win, it is important to slow down Josh Jacobs, a quarterback who is extremely mobile, and Willis.
Last week, the Bengals offense got back to its winning ways and cruised past Miami Dolphins 45-21. This was Cincinnati’s fifth win this season, and it gave Joe Burrow and his team a confidence boost they needed. The Bengals, even though they have no chance of making the playoffs again, will still try to end the season with a bang and gain some momentum.
This Sunday, the Arizona Cardinals will be at home to give us another chance. The Cardinals, who have a 3-12 record this season and have been losing seven consecutive games since early November, have one of NFL’s worst records. The Cardinals defense is near the bottom of the league after allowing over 27 points and 35 yards per game. This will set the stage for a successful offensive performance by the Bengals.
Quinn Ewers was a backup quarterback who made his first start for Cincinnati last week. They intercepted him twice. This Sunday, they’ll be facing another backup quarterback in Jacoby Brissett. Brissett has been a veteran starter for Arizona and is a seasoned veteran. He has exceeded expectations in many games and kept the Cardinals offense competitive.
Brissett, his teammates and the Bengals’ offense are all talented enough to turn the game into a thriller late. The Bengals will need to force turnovers and get out to a large lead.
The Steelers are now in the lead for the division, and they have won three consecutive games to go well over.500. The Steelers’ 29-24 victory over the Detroit Lions last week was a controversial one, clouded by some close calls made late in the game.
Steelers’ offense has been on fire lately, with an average of 28 points scored per game in the recent three-game winning streak. Aaron Rodgers played his best football this year during this three-game winning streak, averaging 224+ yards per game while committing no turnovers. The Steelers had their best season rushing performance against the Lions with 230 yard on an average of 8.5 yards per rush.
The Steelers are going to rely on their running game again this Sunday against the Cleveland Browns in order to avoid any costly mistakes. This is especially true since they won’t have their best pass-catcher, D.K. Metcalf was suspended for 2 games after an altercation in Detroit with a Detroit fan. T.J. Watt, the star edge rusher, will also miss another game as he recovers after a lung injury.
In a home game earlier in the season, the Steelers beat Browns 23-9. The history of this AFC North rivalry suggests that anything can happen. It has been a fairly even matchup over the last few years. Mike Tomlin’s team should be ready and prepared to win the division title, despite the absence of two key players on either side of the ball.
Last week, the Browns who lost four straight games also managed to play a close matchup with the Buffalo Bills. They only lost by three points. The Browns were able to win the second half with a touchdown, they outgained Bills by yardage and had six first downs more than the Bills.
A win over the Steelers, with only three wins this year, would hurt the Browns’ position in the draft order. They are more concerned about winning on Sunday, and they would love to be able to spoil the Steelers’ AFC North title.
What is the Browns’ recipe for a surprise? Make it ugly. The team will need to keep the ball away from danger and shorten the field while winning the time of possession. Shedeur Sanders is a very good interception player and the Steelers defense is very opportunistic. On paper, this matchup is not a good one.
Quinshon JUDKINS, the Browns’ key offensive player who sustained a leg injury in last week’s game, will not be available. It will be harder to rely on the run, but it’s still important to have a rushing offense. The Browns need to be aggressive on defense against an offense that is missing the Steelers’ No. The Browns should be aggressive defensively against a Steelers offense that is missing their No. Myles Garrett could make NFL history if he sets a record for the most sacks made in a season.