Studs and duds from the Browns’ 19-16 victory over the Bills
The Cleveland Browns finally won a home game and despite the low offensive output, they even beat the spread. Much of the postgame discussion will be surrounding the poor play-calling in the red zone and even more specifically the goal line, but the Browns actually beat Buffalo in a fairly solid fashion. Cleveland won the time of possession and total yards battle. With that said, a few players really stood out, with some in a more positive light than others.
Stud: Jarvis Landry
Landry is one of the most polarizing Cleveland players, with a huge portion of the fan base screaming about how below average he is, but he plays hard and not just as a receiver. He has also proved to be an extremely valuable blocker, which was evident on Demetrius Harris’ fourth-and-1 conversion as Landry’s block secured the first down. Landry also finished as the leading receiver on the day with nine receptions for 97 yards and one touchdown.
Dud: Chris Hubbard
With all of the discussion surrounding Greg Robinson on the other side, Hubbard is the worst starting offensive lineman. His best play was a false start penalty that forced Freddie Kitchens to kick the field goal instead of going for it. That’s right, Hubbard’s best play was his penalty. It is one thing to get beaten or physically dominated, but Hubbard has plays where he fails to even place a hand on a defender.
Stud: Nick Chubb
Chubb is the centerpiece of this offense and breaks tackles at a stunning rate. Everyone knew what the game plan for Cleveland was going to be and it didn’t matter as Chubb still hammered out 116 rushing yards on 20 carries. Chubb failed to reach pay dirt, but it was not for a lack of trying. The plan appears to be to utilize Hunt in more of the receiving role, which should allow him to be fresher throughout the game.
Dud: Morgan Burnett
Burnett was the team leader in tackles with seven and had a statistically pleasant day, but the aging defensive back got worked over. He tallied almost all of his tackles by chasing down receivers who had beaten him. Burnett was the target on nearly every big play allowed through the air.
The Bengals were historically bad Sunday…even for them.
The Cincinnati Bengals didn’t just lose Sunday.
With a 49-13 knee-slapper of a performance against the Baltimore Ravens, the Bengals inched closer to the 2020 draft’s top pick while looking like a legitimate 0-16 contender.
Defensive end Carlos Dunlap called it “disgusting” and “embarrassing,” according to Fox 19’s Joe Danneman, which is only really beginning to scratch the surface of the disaster.
Keep in mind this all happened after a bye week. The Bengals held the ball for more than 36 minutes but scored 13 points. Baltimore technically didn’t need to take the field offensively thanks to two Ryan Finley turnovers that gave the Ravens 14 points — which would’ve won the game.
Remember that loss 51-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints last year? This slots comfortably behind it by a single point as the second-worst loss in team history. A field goal with 2:29 left stopped it from becoming the worst.
This was also the team’s 11th straight loss, which ties a team record.
Also consider the following from Jay Morrison of The Athletic:
First time in #Bengals history they've allowed at least 49 points through three quarters. Previous high was 38 in a 51-45 loss to the Browns in 2007.
At this point, words don’t do the situation justice. It shouldn’t have gotten to this point at all, and the options for improvement seem minimal.
Which is to say, the Bengals won’t run into a player like Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson every week, but wins are going to be hard to come by regardless given the lack of improvement out of the bye.
Five things we learned in the Kansas City Chiefs’ loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The Kansas Chiefs have now lost four of their last six games with the latest loss coming at the hands of the Tennessee Titans. Patrick Mahomes made his return, but there were too many mistakes made in all three phases of the game, resulting in a 35-32 loss.
Here are five takeaways from the game:
Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Mahomes is fine
It’s unfortunate that Mahomes didn’t get a win considering how well he performed in his return from a dislocated kneecap. He had a great game statistically, throwing for 446 yards and three touchdowns to no interceptions while completing 72% of his passes. The best thing is that his knee didn’t appear to slow him down. Mahomes was able to move around and escape the pocket and buy time like he usually does. He reported no pain or concerns after the game either, which is a good sign.
Although Mahomes moved around well, he did look a little rusty at times throughout the game. He almost threw an interception on his first drive and missed his mark a couple of times on throws that we typically expect him to make. He did miss a few weeks, so it’s not exactly shocking that he looked off at times. Overall he looked really good and he’s only going to get better as he continues to get back into his groove.
The offense might be hanging up ridiculous numbers, but the defense – with or without Chase Young – has been more impressive. The Buckeyes lead the nation in total defense, allowing just 215 yards per game. To put this into perspective, Wisconsin is second, giving up 231 a game. No defense since 2011 Alabama has finished a season allowing fewer than 250 yards per game.
Loser: Missouri’s offense
This got bad, fast. QB Kelly Bryant has been less than 100%, and he was out in the loss to Georgia. Now, the Mizzou offense that came up with 400 yards or more in five of its first six games hasn’t hit the 300-yard mark in any of its last three.
Getting stuffed and shutout by Georgia is one thing, but the Tigers have scored a total of 21 points over the last three weeks playing Vanderbilt and Kentucky before going to Athens. However, they’re 5-0 at home, 0-4 on the road, and they host Florida this weekend.
Winner: Tennessee
Well would you look at that. Tennessee, after starting 1-4 with losses at home to Georgia State and BYU along the way, has ripped off wins in four of its last five games to get to 5-5. And now, after all the pain, and all the suffering, it just has to win one of its last two games at Missouri or at home against Vanderbilt to go bowling. As a warning, thought, the Vols were 5-5 last year before playing Mizzou and Vandy, too, and were outscored 88-30 in the two losses.
Loser: Kentucky
Kentucky is keeping it all together with Scotch tape and bubble gum, but the lack of offensive punch has now become a problem. It had its shot late in the 17-13 loss to Tennessee, but couldn’t get into the end zone. Now, after failing to score 14 points in four of its last six games, it has two win two of its last three to go bowling. At Vanderbilt, UT Martin, Louisville – beat the Commodores, or else.
Winner: Illinois
And they did it with room to spare. Not three weeks ago, the Illini were done. The Lovie Smith era was a disaster, there was no hope for anything positive, and the idea of going to a bowl game for the first time since 2014 and the second time since 2011 seemed ridiculous. And then it beat Wisconsin, rolled by Purdue and Rutgers, and last week, took down Michigan State on the road to get to six wins with two games to go. It also helped that …
🔶 The pass 🔶 The catch 🔶 The celebration 🔶 The call 🔶 The moment
There was the 12-men on the field debacle in the 10-7 loss to Arizona State. There was the blowout loss at Ohio State. There were the losses to Wisconsin and Penn State by a combined score of 66-7. There was the suspension of heart-and-soul LB Joe Bachie to a PED test.
But everything was back on track with a 31-10 lead against Illinois going into the fourth quarter, and then … it was the biggest comeback win in Illini history. Now MSU has lost four straight and has to win two of its last three against at Michigan, at Rutgers, and Maryland to get bowl eligible.
Winner: Florida program bowl projections
USF is the one team probably out of the hunt – needing to win two of the last three games against Cincinnati, Memphis and at UCF to get to six wins – and FIU has to win one of its last two games against Miami or Marshall, but everyone else in the Sunshine State will get a vacation.
UCF became bowl eligible a few weeks ago, and so did Florida. Florida Atlantic is all but locked in with seven wins. After a win over Louisville, Miami is set, and now … Florida State is there. After the win at Boston College – despite the loss of head coach Willie Taggart – all the Noles have to do is beat Alabama State and it gets to start a new bowl streak.
Loser: The Pac-12 bowl projections
The Pac-12 needs some crazy things to happen in a hurry to get more teams bowl eligible. Arizona, Oregon State, Stanford, Washington State and UCLA are all 4-5 and need to win two of their last three games. Arizona State is no lock, needing to win just one more with at Oregon State, Oregon, and Arizona to go, and 4-6 Colorado has to beat both Washington and Utah. Cal is 5-4, and it has to win one of its last three against USC, at Stanford and at UCLA.
Winner: SMU 59, East Carolina 51
1,280 yards of total offense. 912 yards of passing. Just four penalties, one turnover each, and a finish that went down to the wire. Both teams are incapable lately of playing uninteresting games.
Loser: UCF
There was some thought that UCF was going to rip through the rest of its schedule, catch a big break, and get right back to a New Year’s Six bowl game. And then the O came to a complete stop with just three points in the second half of the 34-31 loss to Tulsa.
Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless are poised to pull off a possible reunion at ESPN’s “First Take,” sources told Front Office Sports. Bayless’ current contract with Fox Sports expires in 2020, said sources. Smith refers to Bayless as his “brother from another mother.” The former “First Take” sparring partners could reunite on the “Embrace Debate” morning show that turned them both into national stars. “They both want to make it happen. I’m just not sure ESPN will hit Fox’s number,” said one source.
It may seem out of reach, but the Chargers could still make the playoffs. Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez explains why.
It hasn’t been the season the Chargers were hoping for, but there is still hope that they can play in January.
Here’s four reasons why they could still make the playoffs.
The standings
Despite being 4-6, when looking around the rest of the conference the Chargers are still well within the mix. The team is only two games back from the Chiefs, who are 6-4 after losing the last four of six. Meanwhile, the Steelers have the second and last Wild Card spot at a 5-4 record.
Getting playmakers back
A plethora of players had season-ending injuries, including center Mike Pouncey and guard Forrest Lamp. But there are a couple difference-makers that’ll be back after the bye, safeties Derwin James and Adrian Phillips.
The Chargers defense is already one of the best in the league, allowing only 19.4 points per game. But the team has still struggled in close situations where they’ve been notorious to give up critical yards and points.
Having James and Phillips back will be huge because there presence brings the players that are capable of defending the run, manning up on position players and locking up the middle of the field, which is an area that they’ve struggled to defend.
As for the other side of the ball, having offensive tackle Russell Okung back has made all the difference in the world. When he got hurt in the Thursday night game, the pass protection collapsed, but Okung should be ready to go for Monday night against the Chiefs.
After an uninspiring few weeks, running back Melvin Gordon is starting to come into his own, while tight end Hunter Henry continues to be consistent at reeling in passes thrown his way on a weekly basis.
Benefitting from the bye
The upcoming Monday night game against Kansas City will mark the 11th straight game played. There’s no denying that playing that many consecutive contests is not an easy task.
For the Chargers, it’s one that’s much-needed. Players have been banged up throughout the course of it, including key members like Okung, Sam Tevi, and defensive tackle Justin Jones. The bye week will allow Phillips and James to caught up to being in football shape, as well.
Most importantly, the bye week will allow coaches and players to regroup with the game-planning for the last five games of the season. There have been a handful of blunders and things that need to be polished on both sides of the ball, so it’ll be beneficial to use that time to do so.
The Chargers have done this before
Being in a situation like this isn’t a new episode for the Chargers. In 2017, they overcame being 0-4 and finishing with a 9-7 record. In 2018, the team was 2-2 before ending with a 12-4 record. Along the way, they beat some of the league’s best in the most hostile environments.
In both seasons, Los Angeles found themselves dealing with injuries to key players, offensive inconsistencies, kicking woes among others. But they still managed to dig themselves out of the hole.
The Bolts are a frustrating team for fans to watch because they are notorious for playing up and down to their opponent, winning games they aren’t expected to and losing games that should be a gimme for them.
This season has been a whirlwind with a serious of unfortunate events, but they’re capable of making a run because things are clicking under new offensive coordinator Shane Steichen, the defense will get a boost with James and Phillips, and the bye week will do them wonders.
It won’t be easy having to play the Chiefs twice, the Vikings and the Raiders once more. But they have shown they can do it in the past, they have all the weapons to do it and the coach to guide them to the postseason.
Here’s our gallery of the best pics from Sunday’s big win.
It might not have always been pretty but the Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to get past the Los Angeles Rams and improve to 5-4. If you love defensive football, this game was for you. But if you missed the game we’ve got you covered. Sort of. Here are 70+ photos from Sunday’s big win.
Between Weeks 10 and 13, it is not that unusual for teams to take the week off and turn in a shocking loss where they did not show up. They are impossible to forecast and yet can have significant impacts on the fantasy players. Even if they don’t lose, teams will just play flat and others come off their bye and look like they still needed more rest.
Worst of all, this is the time of year that teams end up with more low-scoring games. And that means their fantasy players likely disappointed.
The Packers game had snow but it didn’t impact the game much. From now on, the weather will be a consideration as winter starts to move in and field conditions decline.
ATL 26, NO 9
Well. Wasn’t this a surprise? The Saints came off their bye (sort of) and proved that any team, at any time, can turn in a trash game. The Saints faced the worst secondary in the NFL and yet Drew Brees – at home – was limited to only 287 yards and no touchdowns. Michael Thomas caught 13 passes for 152 yards and Jared Cook ended with six receptions for 74 yards. Alvin Kamara (completely healthy) only ran for 24 yards on four rushes and added eight catches for 50 yards. Latavius Murray had one more carry than Kamara but only gained 12 yards. Again – go figure.
Matt Ryan won and yet only threw for 182 yards and scores to Austin Hooper (4-17, TD) and Brian Hill (1-10, TD). Julio Jones (3-79) was the only Falcon with more than 28 receiving yards. Devonta Freeman left with an ankle injury and Brian Hill turned in 61 yards on 20 carries. The Falcons really did nothing special and no player had a very notable game. But the realities of a trash game meant the Saints trailed from the second quarter on and never scored a touchdown. At home. Against a truly bad defense.
DET 13, CHI 20
The Lions scratched Matt Stafford and Jeff Driskel passed for 269 yards but only one score to Kenny Golladay (3-57, TD) and one interception. Ty Johnson left with a concussion so the top Detriot running back for now is J.D. McKissic who totaled 55 yards. Marvin Jones was the top receiver with five catches for 77 yards but the Lions had almost no rushing offense and a marginal passing effort with Driskel under center.
Mitchell Trubisky threw for three touchdowns though only 137 yards since he only had 23 passing attempts. Allen Robinson (6-86) was the top receiver while Taylor Gabriel (4-39, TD) and Tarik Cohen (4-23, TD) both had quiet days lifted by the scores. David Montgomery rushed for 60 yards on 17 carries but never had a target. It was a low-scoring effort for both teams but at least the Bears had no turnovers and secured the home win thanks in part to Stafford taking the day off.
LAR 12, PIT 17
Yeah, what a bounty of fantasy points. The Rams could get little going and their points reflect a fumble recovery for a touchdown, a safety and just one field goal by the offense. Jared Goff threw for 243 yards and two interceptions. Robert Woods (7-95) and Gerald Everett (8-68) were the only receivers with more than 50 yards. Todd Gurley rushed for 73 yards on 12 carries but failed to catch any of his four targets. The Steelers defense played very well but the Rams were just uninspired and flat. Goff only completed 22 of 41 passes.
Mason Rudolph passed for 242 yards and one score to his college buddy James Washington (6-90, TD) and Diontea Johnson (4-64) were effective but JuJu Smith-Schuster only managed three catches for 44 yards. Jalen Samuels was held to 29 yards on 14 catches and only added three receptions for 11 yards. James Washington was the best fantasy play in the game but by now, he’s riding fantasy benches and waiver wires. The Steelers got the win but there was nothing pretty here.
BAL 49, CIN 13
Ryan Finley’s debut could have gone better. The rookie passed for 167 yards and one score with one interception in a game that the Bengals immediately and permanently and significantly trailed. Joe Mixon ran for 114 yards with 30 carries and added two receptions for 37 for the rare good performance. Tyler Boyd (6-62) wasn’t terrible but all other receivers were. Tyler Eifert did catch a touchdown but ended with only two catches for 20 yards.
The best part of the Ravens easy win was that all the fantasy players showed up. Lamar Jackson ran for 65 yards and a touchdown plus passed for 223 yards and three touchdowns. Marquise Brown (4-80, TD) finally had a notable day and Mark Andrews (6-52, 2 TD) enjoyed his first two-touchdown game. Even Nick Boyle (4-78) produced a career-high mark in yardage. Mark Ingram only ran nine times but gained 34 yards and scored once. The Ravens also scored on both an interception return and a fumble recovery.
BUF 16, CLE 19
Plenty exciting for a Browns fan, not so much for everyone else. Josh Allen threw for 266 yards and no scores but ran in two touchdowns on his six rushes for 28 yards. That left Devin Singletary with only eight runs for 42 yards and Frank Gore still was given five runs for 12 yards. The only notable receivers were John Brown (5-77) and Cole Beasley (4-74). The Bills tried to tie with a 53-yard field goal with 17 seconds left but Steven Hauschka was wide left.
Nick Chubb ran for 116 yards on 20 carries and caught two passes for five yards. Kareem Hunt debuted to four runs for 30 yards and seven receptions for 44 yards. His nine targets were only behind Jarvis Landry (9-97, TD) and Odell Beckham (5-57). Landry fielded ten targets while Beckham had a team-high 12 targets but only caught five. Baker Mayfield threw two scores and produced 238 passing yards and most importantly, had no interceptions. Close game, not many fireworks but Hunt jumped into the game plan in his first game.
NYG 27, NYJ 34
They only had three wins between them, so at least the Jets got to rise to 2-7. The Jets benefitted by a fumble return touchdown and never had a turnover of their own. Sam Darnold only threw for 230 yards and one score to Jamison Crowder (5-81, TD) and Demaryius Thomas (6-84) led the receivers. Le’Veon Bell ran for 34 yards and a score on 18 carries and added four catches for 34 yards. The Jets won with 13 unanswered points starting at the end of the third quarter.
The Giants only had Saquon Barkley gain one yard on 13 carries and caught five passes for 30 yards. The offensive line was missing three starters and it showed. Daniel Jones racked up 308 passing yards and four touchdowns between Darius Slayton (10-121, 2 TD) and Golden Tate (4-95, 2 TD). No other Giants receiver gained more than 16 yards. It is a positive that Jones could connect with his wideouts so well, but in the end, it wasn’t enough and they had no rushing offense for support.
ARI 27, TB 30
Plenty of fantasy points in this one, just as expected. Kyler Murray threw for 324 yards and three touchdowns and added 38 yards on three runs. Christian Kirk enjoyed a career-best three scores on his six receptions for 138 yards. Andy Isabella caught another long pass and ended with 78 yards on three catches that included a 55-yard gain. Even Larry Fitzgerald (8-71) showed some life after declining for many weeks. The painful part of this game was that David Johnson was back, sort of, but only ran for two yards on five carries and caught one pass for eight yards. Kenyan Drake was given ten rushes for 35 yards and he caught six passes for six total yards.
Jameis Winston ended with 358 passing yards and one score to… Wow… O.J. Howard (4-47, TD). Mike Evans (4-82) and Chris Godwin (6-74) had just moderate production. Peyton Barber (11-43, TD) and Ronald Jones (11-29, TD) split the rushing duties but Jones went on to catch a team-high eight passes for 77 yards. The Cardinals own the worst defense against tight ends so Howard wasn’t a total surprise. But his production lowered both Evans and Godwin.
MIA 16, IND 12
Another low scoring upset. The Colts made Jacoby Brissett inactive so Brian Hoyer took over and threw for 204 yards and one score with three interceptions. Eric Ebron (5-56) and Jack Doyle (3-44, TD) were the only receivers of any note and Maron Mack ran for 74 yards on 19 carries. He only added one catch for 38 yards in this home game where the offense struggled against the Dolphins. This was another trash game and while they had to rely on Hoyer, he threw for three touchdowns last week in Pittsburgh.
The Dolphins hardly excelled. Ryan Fitzpatrick only totaled 169 passing yards and one interception. DeVante Parker (5-69) was the top receiver and no one else gained more than 32 yards. Kalen Ballage is the last man standing newest primary back and only gained 43 yards on 20 rushes with two yards on four catches. This snore-fest was two touchdowns and a handful of field goals. But hey – the Dolphins two-game winning streak is longer than all but two other AFC teams.
CAR 16, GB 24
On a day with so many flat performances and upsets, this went off as expected with several players delivering the fantasy points. Kyle Allen ended with 307 passing yards and one score to Curtis Samuel (4-35, TD). DJ Moore (9-120) and Greg Olsen (8-98) both turned in better than usual games and Christian McCaffrey ran for 108 yards and a score on 20 rushes. He added six catches for 33 yards. The Panthers are not very diverse. Only five players caught a pass and just one ran the ball.
Aaron Rodgers totaled just 233 passing yards with no touchdowns. Davante Adams (7-118) and even Jimmy Graham (2-59) were tops as receivers but no other wideouts gained more than 27 yards. Both Geronimo Allison (3-6) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (no catch) are mere afterthoughts by now. Aaron Jones had yet another monster game with 93 yards and three touchdown son his 13 carries. Jamaal Williams also had 13 carries and gained 63 yards. The Packers were mostly content to let the backfield control the game.
MIN 28, DAL 24
Yet another upset though it came down to four plays from the Vikings 19-yard line with under a minute to play. They only gained five yards. Ezekiel Elliott ran for only 47 yards on 20 carries for a career-worst in a home game. He added just two catches for 16 yards. Dak Prescott threw for 397 yards and three touchdowns between Amari Cooper (11-147, TD), Randall Cobb (6-106, TD), and Michael Gallup (4-76, TD). The loss evens up the NFC East at 5-4 with the Eagles.
Not unlike most games, Dalvin Cook took over with 97 yards and a score on 26 carries and was the leading receiver with seven catches for 87 yards. Adam Thielen was out and Stefon Diggs only managed 49 yards on three catches as the next best receiver. Kirk Cousins only totaled 220 passing yards and both scores ended up with Kyle Rudolph (4-14, 2 TD). The biggest difference in the game was that the Vikings stopped Elliott but the Cowboys had no answer for Cook.
The Game-o-the-Week
KC 32, TEN 35
High-scoring, all the right players turned in good performances and it was an upset. It’s a fantasy football delight.
Patrick Mahomes certainly looked back to form with 446 passing yards and three touchdowns. Tyreek Hill (11-157, TD), Travis Kelce (7-75, TD), and Mecole Hardman (1-63, TD) all rewarded their fantasy owners. Sammy Watkins caught five passes but only gained 39 yards but he’s been pretty unreliable for a long time. LeSean McCoy was a surprise healthy scratch but had fallen from favor for several weeks. Damien Williams ran for 77 yards on 19 rushes and added 32 yards on five receptions for a respectable day. The notable was that Damien Williams is being used as a workhorse back again.
Ryan Tannehill passed for 181 yards and two scores but only threw 19 passes, completing 13. Adam Humphries scored on his only catch in the game. The Titans relied on Derrick Henry who ran for 188 yards and two touchdowns with two catches for three yards. He scored on a 68-yard run in the third quarter.
The Chiefs led 29-20 at the start of the fourth quarter but the Titans would score two touchdowns against just one field goal for the Chiefs. The final touchdown came with 29 seconds remaining when Tannehill completed a 23-yard touchdown catch by Adam Humphries. The Chiefs ran the ball to their 38-yard line on the kickoff and with only three seconds left, Harrison Butker had his 52-yard field goal attempt blocked.
PASS. The Spurs (-625) are too expensive on the moneyline, although they should handle their business in this one. They’ll be on a mission after getting thumped by 20 in their building by the Boston Celtics Saturday. San Antonio had been 4-1 SU at home until that implosion. Avoid the Grizzlies (+450), as they have won just twice in nine tries.
New to sports betting? Every $1 wagered that San Antonio wins profits $0.16 if the Spurs prevail. (Ex: Bet $10 to win $1.60, $20 to win $3.20, $62.50 to win $10).
The SPURS (-11.5, –106) are just 2-7 ATS overall this season, but they’re going to get well against a Grizzlies (+11.5, -115) side which is really struggling to find their identity.
Memphis has not only managed a 2-7 SU record, but they have covered in just two games this season, too, while going 0-2 SU/ATS on the road. Look for San Antonio to win and cover, getting on track as they head into the new week with authority.
The OVER 22.6.5 (-106) has connected in eight of the past nine games at home for the Spurs. Interestingly, the over is 12-3-1 in the past 16 games after San Antonio allows 125 or more points in their previous game. Conversely, the over is 7-1 in the past eight when Memphis is thumped by 10 or more points at home, so it’s the perfect storm for a high-scoring battle in Texas.
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