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Bengals win in 2020 draft order race with loss to Browns

Here’s the updated 2020 NFL draft order.

The Cincinnati Bengals remain on pace for the top pick in the 2020 NFL draft coming out of Sunday’s loss to the Cleveland Browns.

After a brief week of that victory feeling, the 1-12 Bengals remains the only solo-win team in the NFL via the loss to the Browns. Meanwhile, a few notables like the Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins took losses.

The top of the race looks like this, per Tankathon:

  • Cincinnati 1-12
  • NY Giants 2-10
  • Washington 3-10
  • Miami 3-10

Those New York Giants are the lone threat to the Bengals right now and they suit up Monday night for a game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Regardless of the result there, the Bengals sit in a good spot — at least for the next week or so. Cincinnati doesn’t figure to have much of a chance against a visiting New England Patriots team next weekend, not with Tom Brady and Co. playing for AFC playoff seeding.

The Bengals close the season against New England, Miami and Cleveland and remain favorites for the top pick in 2020.

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Bengals comment on officiating during loss to Browns

Tyler Boyd and others commented on how the game went.

Most observers would seem to agree the officiating during the Week 14 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns wasn’t the best.

During Cincinnati’s 29-17 loss, officials flagged a few phantom penalties and had a rather large precedent-breaking moment on reviewing, taking an interception away from the Bengals.

Replies from head coach Zac Taylor during the postgame presser say it all:

On whether coaches have been told that pass interference has changed since more calls are being overturned:

“You’re saying it’s unclear? You said it.”

On being animated on WR John Ross III’s hold on HB Joe Mixon’s run:

“Yes.”

The flag on John Ross that wiped out a big gain was clearly a bad call, to which Ross agreed.

“I had him in his chest. The reason why it maybe looked like I was holding was he tried to get away at the last second and (Bengals RB) Joe (Mixon) ran by him already,” Ross said. “No, I did not think it was a hold at all.”

Fellow wideout Tyler Boyd also noted things didn’t feel balanced, yet preached just controlling what they can.

“I felt today nothing was going our way,” Boyd said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “It’s the first time I felt all year the refs were on their side. But like Zac (Taylor) came in and said. You can’t worry about what you can’t control.”

Overall, it was an uncharacteristically bad day for the Bengals in the flags department. They lost 99 yards on eight flags, which paired with a three of 12 mark on third downs and six points in the second half was clearly a recipe for disaster. Which isn’t to say these flags were all on officials by any means, as a lapse in judgment from Joe Mixon resulted in a personal foul, for example.

But the Bengals were measured in their commentary here. Most would probably agree the officiating at key moments Sunday wasn’t in line with the usual quality. But the overall theme coming out of the loss is one of accepting discipline and execution woes and demanding better as the season winds down.

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AFC playoff picture: Ravens extend their lead on No. 1 seed in Week 14

The Baltimore’s Week 15 win and the New England Patriots losing to the Kansas City Chiefs helped extend the Ravens’ lead on the top seed

The Baltimore Ravens are officially going to the playoffs. After defeating the Buffalo Bills 24-17 in Week 14, the Ravens punched their ticket to the dance and will be on their way no matter what else happens this season.

But a hard-fought victory deserved a little extra love, which Baltimore got thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs defeated the New England Patriots to help extend the Ravens’ lead for the No. 1 seed. Baltimore now holds what is effectively a 1.5-game lead for the top seed thanks to their head-to-head tiebreaker over the Patriots due to their Week 9 win.

Take a look at the AFC playoff picture after Week 14:

2019 AFC playoff picture:

Seed Team Overall record Conference record
1 Baltimore Ravens 11-2 7-2
2 New England Patriots 10-3 6-3
3 Kansas City Chiefs 9-4 7-3
4 Houston Texans 8-5 7-3
5 Buffalo Bills 9-4 6-3
6 Pittsburgh Steelers 8-5 6-3

The Ravens haven’t locked up their own division quite yet with the Steelers picking up a close win of their own over the Arizona Cardinals. But with a win next week, Baltimore can officially close the book on the division for the season regardless of how Pittsburgh fares.

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5 standouts from Titans’ 42-21 win over Raiders

It took a full team effort in which several players stood out, but some were just a cut above the rest.

The Tennessee Titans (8-5) look like a fully developed team as they recorded a 42-21 win over the Oakland Raiders (6-7) on the road Sunday.

Next week, they’ll take on the division rival Houston Texans in Nissan Stadium for the tiebreaker for the top spot in the AFC South.

It took a full team effort in which several players stood out, but some were just a cut above the rest.

Here’s a look at some of those names.

1. QB Ryan Tannehill.

We’ve heard plenty about Tannehill’s inconsistencies in the past, but he’s kept his foot on the gas since he’s been the starter in Tennessee.

Tannehill had yet another huge game, completing 21-of-27 passes for 391 yards with three touchdowns and one interception while distributing the ball to 10 different receivers.

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Observations from Titans’ 42-21 win over Raiders

Here are some quick observations we made throughout the game.

The Tennessee Titans (8-5) recorded their fourth straight victory as they came into Oakland and defeated the Raiders (6-7), 42-21.

The game was a shootout at first, tied 21-21 at halftime, but the defense came alive and the team was able to leave with a dominant victory.

The Titans look like a team that compete as they face the division rival Houston Texans in Nissan Stadium next week.

Here are some quick observations we made throughout the game.

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– The Raiders won the toss and elected to defer, allowing quarterback Ryan Tannehill and the offense the first go.

– Tannehill attempted a slant deep in Raiders territory, and was intercepted by Maurice Hurst. Tannehill tackles him at the Titans’ 24-yard line.

– It took the Raiders hardly an time at all to put a D’Andre Washington touchdown on the board. This marked Washington’s second touchdown of the season.

– Khari Blasingame made his first career catch, a 24-yarder, on a wheel route to bring the Titans to the Oakland 23. It wasn’t long after that Derrick Henry took a 12-yard touchdown in to make it 7-7 with 3:21 left to play in the first quarter.

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– The Titans got a stop on the Raiders on the following drive, leaving them punting.

-A.J. Brown caught a 91-yard playaction touchdown pass from Tannehill to give the Titans a 14-7 lead in the second quarter.

– Carr hit Rico Gafford as the Titans got lost in man-to-man coverage, allowing them to tie the game up at 14-14.

– Tannehill connected with Anthony Firkser on what would have been a touchdown pass, but it was called back due to holding on offensive lineman Nate Davis.

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– Brown came up with his second touchdown of the day on a 16-yarder from Tannehill. He broke through three tackles as he drove his way into the end-zone.

– The Titans were nearly able to prevent a Raiders touchdown at the bottom of second quarter, but the defense gave way and allowed a touchdown reception by tight end Foster Moreau. The game was tied at 21-21 soon before halftime.

– Ryan Succop tried for a 42-yard field goal just before the half, but it hit the goalpost.

– After leaving the game at the two minute warning, Henry came out with the team in the second half.

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– Safety Kenny Vaccaro left the game with a concussion as Amani Hooker entered the game in his place.

–  Linebacker Jayon Brown came up with a near-interception, bringing up third down for the Raiders.

– Henry punched in the score for the Titans after a 38-yard reception by tight end MyCole Pruitt. The Titans led by a touchdown at that point.

– Tannehill found tight end Jonnu Smith on 17-yard touchdown at the top of the fourth quarter to extend the team’s lead to 35-21.

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– Cornerback Tye Smith forced a fumble, and Brown took it in for a score. Smith has now forced fumbles in back-to-back games.

– With just under four minutes remaining in the game, the Raiders went for it on fourth down at the Titans’ 1. There was nobody home when Carr went to throw the ball, and Tennessee took over on downs.

Winners and losers after Bengals fall to 1-12 with loss to Browns

Winners, losers coming out of Bengals-Browns in Week 14.

The Cincinnati Bengals fell to 1-12 on the season during Sunday’s 27-19 loss to the Cleveland Browns.

Outside of a strong game from Joe Mixon, the Bengals looked lost offensively, converting three of 12 third-down attempts and scoring six points in the second half.

Coming out of the loss, here’s a quick look at some winners and losers, ranging from Mixon to John Ross and more.

 

Winner: Tyler Boyd

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) turns after completing a catch in the first quarter during a NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneer and the Cincinnati Bengals, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2018, at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati.

Cincinnati Bengals Vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Oct 28

Boyd had been all over the place since the bye, sometimes getting good usage, other times just disappearing outright. Sunday was more of the former, with the No. 1 wideout getting six targets and turning it into five catches for 75 yards. It certainly didn’t hurt that John Ross was back on the field to space things out.

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John Harbaugh: Mark Andrews injury isn’t serious

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh doesn’t believe tight end Mark Andrews’ injury is serious. Andrews said he’ll play Thursday.

The Baltimore Ravens escaped Buffalo with a win over the Bills and might have escaped with much more. Ravens tight end Mark Andrews left in the first half with what was later called a knee injury and didn’t return to the lineup.

After the game, coach John Harbaugh noted Andrews’ injury wasn’t very serious, according to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley. With a quick turnaround in Week 15 to play the New York Jets in just four days, there could still be some concern about Andrews being able to suit up for next week. However, Harbaugh said Andrews told him he’d play on Thursday night.

Though Andrews missed much of the game due to the injury, he was still targeted three times (tied for second most on the team) and caught one pass for 14 yards. His two other targets were just off his fingertips, including one in the end zone that would have been a touchdown. The weather clearly affected Baltimore’s passing attack in Week 14 with high wind gusts blowing the ball around but Andrews’ absence was also felt, especially on third downs (27% conversion rate) and down the stretch when they usually pull out to an insurmountable lead.

Andrews has been the driving force of Baltimore’s passing attack. Andrews leads the team in receptions (54), receiving yards (707) and receiving touchdowns (7). While missing a game or two wouldn’t be the end of the world with the 5-8 Jets and 6-7 Cleveland Browns up next, and a playoff spot already clinched; missing much more than that could put a damper on the Ravens’ offensive juggernaut.

We’ll see where Andrews places on this week’s injury report as a better indication of his status for Week 15.

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Ravens officially clinch playoff spot with win over Bills

The Baltimore Ravens have punched their ticket for the 2019 postseason after beating the Buffalo Bills 24-17 in Week 14.

The Baltimore Ravens entered Week 14 with a clear and obvious goal: win. With a chance to punch their own ticket into the postseason, Baltimore simply had to beat the Buffalo Bills to do it. While the Bills didn’t make it very easy, the Ravens sealed their 24-17 win and a playoff spot.

No matter how the remainder of the season goes for Baltimore, they’ll be playing after most of the league packs it up and starts their offseason plans. As we’ve seen before, anything can happen once in the playoffs and with just six teams earning a chance to represent the AFC in Super Bowl LIV, the Ravens have cemented themselves among the league’s best squads.

But with the win over Buffalo, Baltimore also opened themselves up to a number of other key playoff scenarios.

Sitting at 11-2 right now, the Ravens have ensured they’ll remain the AFC’s No. 1 seed for at least another week. They hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the New England Patriots thanks to their Week 9 win. With the Patriots playing the Kansas City Chiefs in the evening games, there’s a chance the Ravens could actually go up a game on the top AFC seed.

Baltimore also has a chance to formally clinch the AFC North crown as well. They’ll need the Pittsburgh Steelers to lose to the Arizona Cardinals in the evening games but would set themselves up as no worse than the No. 4 seed if that happened.

Though many might be a little downtrodden after back-to-back close wins thanks to the Ravens blowing out opponents in previous weeks, no Baltimore fan is upset at a guaranteed playoff spot.

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Watch: Marcus Peters enjoys a beer in the stands after game-clinching stop

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters was so pumped up after sealing the win, he jumped into the stands to enjoy a beer with fans.

It wasn’t the prettiest of wins but the Baltimore Ravens answered the call in Buffalo and beat the Bills 24-17. It went down to the wire, with Buffalo driving and looking to tie the score up in the final minute. Though Baltimore’s offense was able to hang 24 points on Buffalo, it was the Ravens’ defense that needed to come through strong to close out this game.

On fourth-and-game at Baltimore’s 17-yard line, Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen targeted wide receiver John Brown at the goal line. However, Ravens cornerback Marcus Peters was right in his hip pocket, deflecting the ball away and sealing the victory.

Peters wasn’t done there though, he took to the stands to celebrate with fans and got a (hopefully) ice-cold beer for his troubles. At the 16-second mark of the clip, you can see Peters crushing the plastic cup into his mouth, surrounded by those wearing purple.

Defending the pass might be dirty work at times but it’s clearly thirsty work as well.

Peters has been on fire for Baltimore since getting traded by the Los Angeles Rams prior to Week 7. His aggressive play style and personality have translated beautifully to the Ravens’ defense, where he’s notched three interceptions in seven games, returning two for touchdowns. There’s been a dramatic improvement in Baltimore’s defense and the clear line in the two units’ play has been Peters’ arrival.

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Bengals fall victim to NFL’s erratic replay review rules after critical INT

A rare occurrence went against the Bengals at the worst possible time.

The Cincinnati Bengals had a chance to save a losing effort against the Cleveland Browns in Week 14 after William Jackson tipped a pass intended for Odell Beckham Jr. and Jessie Bates intercepted it.

NFL officials and rules intervened.

The scene? Fourth-quarter, Bengals down eight points and in great field position if the interception counts. Granted, the offense had been terrible near the goal line all day, but the point stands.

After the interception though, officials decided to review the turnover and decided Jackson committed DPI. And he did — the problem here is the precedent of this actually happening leaguewide.

Simply put, it doesn’t.

This reaction summed it up nicely:

And here:

Now, Bengals coaches and players will say they shouldn’t have been in a position to need help from officials in the first place. Very true. So is the fact that, while the result stinks, it moves the team closer to the first-overall pick.

But it just seems poetic that for all the twists and turns this season took to date, including the worst start in franchise history, the run of bad luck simply wasn’t done.

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