12-25-21

Cleveland Browns @ Green Bay Packers 

Game Breakdown Jack: Christmas comes with a doubleheader Saturday of Football and the Packers kick it off at home as the Cleveland Browns head to Green Bay. The Packers got an early present last week as they clinched the NFC North division for the third straight year and earned a playoff spot in their win against the Baltimore Ravens last week. The Browns will have both quarterback Baker Mayfield and top pass catcher Jarvis Landry back in the lineup after missing week 15 against the Raiders on Monday afternoon. Nick Chubb, the Browns start running back currently 4th in the NFL in rushing yards with 1017 rushing yards. His seven touchdowns are impressive as well. Chubb will face off against the Packers Defense who is currently tenth best in points allowed will be an uphill battle for the running back who has seen twenty-plus opportunities in five of his eleven games played this year. The Browns are in a must-win scenario as they sit currently in the AFC North division, in which all four teams are currently within one game of one another. 

While this is a must-win scenario for Cleveland, Aaron Rodgers is having another MVP season.  Aaron Rodgers (299/441, 3487yds, 30TDs- 4INT)on the season. Rodgers had 2 INT in his first game of the season and has only been picked off two times since then in the last 14 games. He continues to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, especially with Davante Adams. The number two option Marques Valdes- Scantling will be questionable without COVID protocols so it will be on the running backs of Green Bay to help this offense be a full threat. It has become a 50-50 split between Aaron Jones and AJ Dillion, both have 150 carries and over 630+ yards on the ground each. Cleveland has a top 10 rushing defense Green Bays’ offense is too balanced to doubt. Now that Green Bay has clinched a playoff spot it is to be believed that they are going to be looking forward to a playoff bye week or maybe a repeat MVP season from Aaron Rogers. The Packers are tough to go against at home this week. Could this mean the end of Cleveland’s playoff hopes?

Game Pick: Green Bay Packers

Game Breakdown Sean: 

The Cleveland Browns are very lucky in this one as they get both their quarterback (Baker Mayfield) and Head Coach (Kevin Stefanski) back for a critical matchup in Green Bay. The Browns sit at 7-7 only one game back in the AFC North with an opportunity to make the playoffs. It’s been their defense keeping them alive in many of the games but with a groin injury to star defensive end Myles Garrett the Browns will have to find offensive success through Nick Chubb who rushed for over 1,000 yards in a third straight season. Without a solid run game, I don’t know if the passing offense can ever get started. Mayfield has had an injury-plagued season resulting in a subpar outing (62% completion, 2,603 yards 13:7 TD:INT ratio). And currently, the Browns don’t have a single pass-catcher with 500 yards to their name. 

It’s been the total opposite for the Green Bay Packers offensively. Once again Aaron Rodgers is proving why he is one of the best in the business with another MVP caliber season (68% completion, 3,487 yards, 30:4 TD:INT ratio). Davante Adams continues to prove that he is one of the IF NOT THE BEST wide receiver in the National Football League with 1,248 yards on 96 receptions and 8 touchdowns. This is his second straight season with 1,200+ receiving yards. Plus both AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones have rushed for over 600 yards on the ground and have 3 and 4 touchdowns respectively. Because of all that Green Bay has won their third straight NFC North title. Green Bays’ defense has played well all season and Rasul Douglass has been a bright spot since joining the team off the practice squad in their game against Arizona back in October making the Pro-Bowl as an alternate this year.

This game should be interesting if Cleveland can find ways to run the ball effectively and open the passing lanes on play-action passes. But even with the addition of Mayfield and Stefanski back for this one, the Packers have played too well all season. I don’t see them dropping a game this late in the season, with a one-game lead on the Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Cardinals for the NFC playoff race to keep the first seed.

Seans Game Pick: Green Bay Packers

Game injuries: 

Packers OUT David Bakhtiari OT, Ty Summers LB, Billy Turner OT, WR Malik Taylor, WR Marques Valdes- Scantling currently in COVID 19 Protocol.

Browns OUT: S John Johnson III (Hamstring), QUESTIONABLE: DE Myles Garrett (Groin) and DE Mailk Jackson (Knee)

Indianapolis Colts @ Arizona Cardinals 

Game Breakdown Sean: 

Christmas Night matchup features two of the top teams in the NFL and that is a great gift from Santa to us when the Indianapolis Colts make their way to Arizona to take on the Cardinals. Arizona is coming off of a shocking loss to the Detroit Lions where their offense struggled to make anything happen offensively. In the first half alone Arizona’s offense could only muster 74 total yards while defensively they allowed 246 with 10 points to go with it. The Cardinals were just flat-out terrible last week on both sides of the ball, in a game that they should have won. They have to bounce back this week after dropping two straight. Expect James Connor (187 carries 700 yards and 14 touchdowns) to be utilized against the Colts defense along with Chase Edmonds (82 carries 483 and 1 touchdown). Indianapolis gives up 109 yards per game and utilizing both running backs with Deandre Hopkins shut down for the rest of the season can be huge for this offense coming off of a game in which they struggled. Christian Kirk, AJ Green, Rondale Moore, and Zach Ertz need to find ways to separate themselves from the Colts defenders that rank 17th against the pass. Arizona finds themselves tied with the Rams for the NFC West division and if they have any hope of winning it they need to win today.

Indianapolis ran all over the Patriots and got a statement win last week thanks to Jonathan Taylor. Wentz barely threw the ball last week because he didn’t have to at all and if they run the ball effectively this week against the 5th best passing defense in the NFL. Taylor has established himself as one of the best running backs in the NFL and is up for MVP consideration. Indianapolis has bounced back from starting the season 1-4 and finds themselves primed for a deep playoff run. One person that needs to be highlighted for the Colts offense is Carson Wentz. Wentz has a great first season with the Colts, posting a 62% completion, throwing for 3,006 yards with a 23:6 TD:INT ratio. This is light years better than his final season with the Eagles (57% completion, 2,620 yards, 16:15 TD:INT ratio) proving that coming back to his former QB coach in Frank Reich was a great decision for him his career. 

Overall looking at these two teams I have to lean towards the Indianapolis Colts. Their defense has stepped up when they needed them the most relying on Darius Leonard who is one of the best linebackers in the NFL. Their offense is firing on all cylinders and no defense has yet to find a way to slow down Jonathan Taylor. The Cardinals should put up a fight after last week’s embarrassing performance but overall it’s the Colts game to lose.

Seans Game Pick: Indianapolis Colts

Game Breakdown Jack:

The second slot of the Sunday games featuring the Indianapolis Colts faces off against the Arizona Cardinals. In what should be a showdown between the top 3 scoring offense of Indianapolis and MVP candidate Johnathan Taylor and the Arizona Defense that is fifth-best in points allowed. Both are currently on pace to be playoff teams; both are extremely well balanced. Both teams are top 10 in both points scored and points allowed. The Cardinals currently have a 10-4 record and are tied with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFC West division. The Cardinals are currently the leader in rushing TDs in the NFL thanks to James Conner, who currently has 16 total touchdowns in the NFL. Signed in the offseason from Pittsburgh and is now a Pro Bowl player this season. Kyler Murray has the weapons to get it done as the Cardinals quartet of wide receivers including Deandre Hopkins, Christian Kirk, A.J Green, and Rondale Moore could find their way into the playoffs with the aid raid system Kliff Kingsbury always dreamed of. At home after a bad game in Detroit, last week could mean they have a chip on their shoulder this week.

The Colts will need to lean on Jonathan Taylor as they have all season to continue to be dominant for Indianapolis. So far on the season, he has 19 total touchdowns on the season, and it comes into question in this matchup as Colt’s offensive line will be without key blockers for Taylor this weekend. Indianapolis will be without Center Ryan Kelly due to personal reasons and their all-world left guard Quenton Nelson. The formula for both of these coaches will create a high-scoring matchup through the run games. The Cardinals defense that has many now has two Pro Bowlers in Safety Budda Baker and Edge Rusher Chandler Jones who can be disruptive against Carson Wentz give reason to believe they can lead the Colts offense to make mistakes, although they are currently first in the league in turnover differential with +14. Both teams make an argument to have the edge in this game. I do believe the Cardinals win this game after an embarrassing loss on the road in Detroit last week. 

Jacks Game Pick: Arizona Cardinals

Game Injuries: 

Colts: S Andrew Sendejo (Concussion) OUT, C Ryan Kelly (Personal) OUT, Quenton Nelson (Covid Protocol)

Cardinals: DE Jordan Phillips (Knee) OUT, QUESTIONABLE, RB James Conner (Heel), WR Rondale Moore (ankle), OL Max Garcia (Knee).