Baltimore Ravens (7-8)
After losing last Sunday night and falling to 7-8, the Ravens’ playoff hopes are officially on life support. This week’s matchup against the Green Bay Packers, on the road in a primetime Saturday night atmosphere, is officially a must-win game. A loss would effectively end Baltimore’s postseason chances — but even with a win they no longer control their own destiny, as the Ravens need the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose as well.
To make matters worse, the Ravens will have to achieve this feat without
their best player on the field. After suffering a back injury against the New England Patriots, quarterback Lamar Jackson is not slated to suit up in Week 17. That will place Tyler Huntley back under center in a high-stakes situation with playoff implications on the line, which he’s not unfamiliar with.
The Packers, meanwhile, are in good playoff position but are also playing to better their seeding in the NFC. Like the Ravens, they’ll also be without their starting quarterback as Jordan Love’s concussion will keep him sidelined. So, the Ravens’ defense will instead face Malik Willis, who’s proven in his time in Green Bay to be a competent backup who can win games for the Packers.
Running the ball and stopping the run will be the name of the game for the Ravens. Feeding Derrick Henry and utilizing Huntley in the run game should be the offensive recipe without Jackson. The Packers’ defense is a strong unit but their front seven no longer has Micah Parsons, which is a major blow. On the other side of the ball, slowing down Josh Jacobs and Willis, an extremely mobile quarterback himself, is paramount to getting a win.
Cincinnati Bengals (5-10)
The Bengals’ offense got back on track in a big way last week and cruised to a 45-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins. That gave Cincinnati their fifth win of the season and a much-needed confidence boost for Joe Burrow and company. Although they no longer have any shot at creeping back into the playoff picture, the Bengals will still look to the end the season on a high note and build some momentum.
The next chance to do this will come back home against the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals have one of the worst records in the NFL this season at 3-12 and have lost seven straight games dating back to early November. Having allowed over 27 points and 350 yards per game, the Cardinals’ defense ranks near the bottom of league rankings — setting the stage for another successful offensive outing for the Bengals.
Cincinnati’s defense had the benefit of facing a backup quarterback making his first start last week in Quinn Ewers, who they intercepted twice. They’ll face another backup this Sunday in Jacoby Brissett, but Brissett is an experienced veteran who has started most of the year for Arizona. He’s exceeded expectations and kept the Cardinals’ offense competitive in several games.
If the Bengals don’t create a lot of separation on the scoreboard come the second half, the Brissett and his supporting cast are talented enough to make the game a nailbiter late. Forcing turnovers early and getting out to a big lead will be important for the Bengals to do.
Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6)
Just a few weeks ago, the Steelers were reeling and appeared destined for another uneven finish to the year, Now, they’re in the driver’s seat to win the division and have reeled off three straight wins to be well above .500. Last week’s nailbiter finish against the Detroit Lions resulted in a controversial victory clouded by close officiating calls late in the game — but still a 29-24 win nevertheless.
The Steelers have hit their stride offensively of late, averaging 28 points per game during this recent three-game win streak. Aaron Rodgers has played some of his best football of the year over this stretch, throwing for 224+ passing yards in each game with no turnovers and a high completion mark. Against the Lions, the Steelers also turned in their best rushing performance this season with 230 yards on 8.5 yards per carry.
To take care of business against the Cleveland Browns this Sunday, the Steelers will surely look to lean on their run game once again and avoid making any costly miscues. That’s especially true given they’ll be without the services of their top pass-catcher in D.K. Metcalf, who was suspended for two games following an altercation with a fan in Detroit. They’ll also be without star edge rusher T.J. Watt again as he recovers from a lung injury.
The Steelers comfortably beat the Browns earlier this season, 23-9, at home. History suggests anything could happen in this AFC North rivalry matchup, though, which has actually been fairly back-and-forth over the past several years. With the chance to clinch the division title on the line, Mike Tomlin should have his team ready to go and prepared, regardless of absences to two key pieces on each side of the ball.
Cleveland Browns (3-12)
The aforementioned Browns lost their fourth straight game last week but managed to make a competitive matchup against the Buffalo Bills, losing only by three points. The Browns won the second half by a touchdown margin, out-gained the Bills in yardage, and had six more first downs — giving them some things to hold their hat on.
With just three wins on the year, an upset win over the Steelers would be damaging to the Browns’ draft positioning near the top of the order. However, they surely care much more about winning this Sunday and would relish at the chance to potentially play spoiler to the Steelers’ clinching the AFC North crown.
What is the recipe for the Browns to pull off an upset? Make the game ugly. They’ll need to shorten the field and win the time of possession, while keeping the ball out of harm’s way. Shedeur Sanders has six interceptions over the past three games and the Steelers’ defense is very opportunistic, so on paper this is far from a great matchup.
Making matters worse is the Browns will be without a key offensive piece in Quinshon Judkins, who suffered a leg injury last week. That’ll make leaning on the run game much tougher, but they’ll need to find a way to establish a rushing attack regardless. Defensively, the Browns should play aggressive against a Steelers’ offense missing their No. 1 wide receiver. Myles Garrett can make NFL history by setting a new record for most sacks in a single season.
