One of the most exciting NFL games in recent years unfolded on Monday night, as Cleveland hosted Baltimore in a rematch of the beatdown the Ravens gave the Browns in Week 1. It looked like more of the same after the half, as Baltimore built a 28-14 lead. However, the Browns came roaring back to take a 35-34 in the late going. The Ravens scored a touchdown with a two-point conversion, but then the Browns only needed 47 seconds to tie the game at 42. Cleveland ultimately left too much time on the clock, as the Ravens drove down for a game-winning field goal. The final score, 47-42, resulted when Cleveland’s last-gasp series of laterals went so far back that it led to a safety. The Browns have emerged as an AFC contender and a team that comes to compete each week — which might be the best news out of the league in a while.
As you consider NFL betting for the coming week’s games, take a look at some of the other developments.
NFL News: Weekly Rundown after Week 14
NFL to Broadcast one Wild Card Game on Nickelodeon
No, this isn’t a joke about the NFL finally having had enough of Jerry Jones’ childish tantrums after another Dallas loss. The league will broadcast the 4:30 pm Eastern time wild card game on January 10 on Nickelodeon, with a lot of broadcast featured aimed at younger fans. The on-field graphics, virtual on-screen filters and guest reporters will attempt to build a fan base among the next generation. Such Nickelodeon stars as SpongeBob Squarepants, Patrick Star and others will take part in the visual elements. At halftime, fans will get a preview of Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years, which is a prequel of the popular cartoon. CBS will also carry the game simultaneously.
Green Bay Now Leads the NFC
The Packers went to Ford Field and held off the Detroit Lions, 31-24. In combination with a bizarre loss for the New Orleans Saints in Philadelphia, the Packers now hold the top seed in the NFC. That means that, unless COVID-19 outbreaks go haywire and the league has to go to 16 playoff teams because of disruptions to the regular season, the Packers would have the only bye. The irony, of course, is that the Packers still only have one win over a team with a record above .500, but you have to play the schedule that the league gives you. The Packers continue to grind out win after win, with a Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, a decent running game led by Aaron Jones, and a defense that has become opportunistic under Matt LaFleur.
Could Tampa Bay Win the NFC South?
It looked like the New Orleans Saints were going to keep on chugging even without Drew Brees at quarterback, but then the Saints went to Philadelphia and laid an egg against the Eagles. Tampa Bay beat Minnesota on Sunday despite only getting 196 passing yards out of Tom Brady. It helped that the Vikings had three missed field goals and a missed PAT, but the Bucs’ Ronald Jones still had 18 carries, and Brady spread the ball around to eight different receivers. The Bucs’ defense, which had taken some criticism lately, stood tall late in the win. The Bucs, at 8-5, are two games back of New Orleans with three games to go, and there’s still no timetable on Brees’ return.
How are all of these first-year coaches winning (except for Mike McCarthy)?
Joe Judge moved from special teams coach to head coach in New York. Despite losing to Arizona on Sunday, the Giants are still contenders in the NFC East. Kevin Stefanski is leading Cleveland with just one year as a coordinator on his resume, and the Browns already have more victories than they have had since 2007. It’s about establishing a culture, getting the players to buy in, and having a system that both works on the field and builds accountability in the locker room. Atlanta is getting terrific work out of interim coach Raheem Morris, so whoever the Falcons add at general manager might want to keep him. In Jacksonville, if Doug Marrone is on the way out, one name getting some currency is Urban Meyer.
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