Bills secure AFC East, Ravens continue with self-inflicted wounds
Mackenzie Salmon breaks down the top storylines from Week 13 in the NFL.
Sports Seriously
In Week 12, the Cleveland Browns (3-9) and Pittsburgh Steelers (9-3) played in a chaotic, beautiful snow game that saw an upset. When the teams meet in Pittsburgh, can the Browns deliver the same result?
Jameis Winston is the gift that keeps on giving, and he gave football fans another wild performance in a shootout against the Denver Broncos, even though Cleveland ended up taking the loss. The Browns aren’t playing for much these days, but fans will tune in to see what the quarterback can do when his team faces a heated rival.
After the frustrating loss in Cleveland, the Steelers offense decided to light up the Cincinnati Bengals defense for 44 points and secure another winning season for Mike Tomlin. However, the Steelers have their sights on much more than just finishing the season over .500, in addition to getting revenge on a team that it lost to just a few weeks ago.
The Steelers are favorites to defeat the Browns, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week.
Lions vs. Packers | Dolphins vs. Jets | Vikings vs. Falcons | Giants vs. Saints | Eagles vs. Panthers | Steelers vs. Browns | Buccaneers vs. Raiders | Titans vs. Jaguars | Cardinals vs. Seahawks | Rams vs. Bills | 49ers vs. Bears | Chiefs vs. Chargers | Cowboys vs. Bengals
As always, the Browns go as Jameis Winston goes. One week after throwing a pair of pick-sixes, protecting the ball should be a focus, especially against an aggressive Steelers defense — one that leads the league in takeaways (25). This is a bit of a steep line, and the Browns are rather unpredictable. I very cautiously like Pittsburgh to cover here.
The Steelers had a statement win versus Cincinnati. Mike Tomlin’s now coached 18 non-losing seasons in Pittsburgh, the longest such streak by a coach to begin their career. It’s time for Tomlin to get coach of the year. The Steelers aren’t the most talented team in the AFC North.
The Steelers just may be the surprise of the season thus far. The Browns just aren’t operating on the same level.
Pittsburgh still has to be frustrated that it lost to Cleveland two weeks ago. Much like how it did against Cincinnati, expect the Steelers to ramp up the intensity on the offensive end to make sure Cleveland doesn’t get a chance to steal another game.