My guesses:

Buffalo 31
Kansas City 23

Baltimore 34
Houston 27

Detroit 26
Tampa Bay 24

San Francisco 29
Green Bay 20

I have yet to look at any Vegas numbers but my general guess at this point is that these games might not be as high scoring as some might expect minus the TB-DET game. It's the only dome game on the slate and arguably the two worse defenses against the pass remaining or where teams will focus because their opponents are better stopping the run than the pass (maybe one can say that about HOU too).

It does appear having home field is an advantage this year.

...unless you're Dallas-

Winners next week:

Bills
Texans
Bucs
Niners

Then the Bucs and Texans go to the SB.

All the home teams win. Bank on it.

j/c...

Oof. Lol.

It never ceases to amaze me what passes as a sports journalist these days. That was hilarious!

Yep. Not much beats the normal question; How did today's loss/win feel today?

It kind of reminds me of the US media during the first Gulf War. Gen Schwarztkopf being asked about specific strategy and he would tell them that answering that would get our men killed. They kept asking these stupid questions.

I remember SNL spoofed by creating a press conference having a "reporter", Kevin Nealon I think, ask our general, what is our greatest weakness and how would you attack it.

You can't make this up.

Talk about a moronic question unless of course the Lions plan on leaving all the doors open for the game!

I can just hear the owner, "What were you guys, born in a barn?" or "Do you think I want to pay to heat the whole outside?"

I remember all of that.

That's pure awesome!

Watch him score two or three goal line touchdowns. I feel like a Ravens RB does that every now and again.

lol. Yep!

The irony in all of this is that he is just a few months older than Nick Chubb.

But Chubb looks so much better for his age.

That's because Chubb is the bionic version of Leroy Kelly.

Classic SNL!

https://vimeo.com/45593328

I think I'm looking forward to the KC/BUF game the most

Moving OCDs reply to me from the Game Day forum to this one

" I think Baker beats the lions."

He might, any given Sunday.

I'm rooting for the Lions for several reasons.

They are my second favorite team because my cousin played WR for them

They have not been to a SB as to where TB had won one with Brady

I have a sister and nephews who live in Michigan and go to the Lions games

I'm rooting for the Lions and it has nothing to do with Baker being the QB for TB

I hope all four games are exciting

I would like to see the Bills win

Honestly, I'm looking forward to all four games

First time in awhile, there were post seasons in the past where I watched but could have cared less who won.

This weekend I actually have four teams I would like to see win

Texans Bills Lions

The packers / 49ers game I'm still going back and forth with

I think the Packers because they are getting there without Rodgers

Then there's that wanting to see Purdy keep that Mr Irrelevent push going

Idk, just good games without the Refs screwing it all up

If that's possible

On the road in the playoffs Baker aint beating anyone. Slight chance if he were playing at home.

Baker is due for a Baker game.

With all that said, I'm not rooting against him.

That quote makes it look like I said that

I did not say that, OCD said that to me LOL

I'm rooting for the Lions The team not an individual

For those who want to root for Baker and not his team well root for Baker

It takes a team effort to win

It's always rooting for Baker

Why not rooting for the Panthers or rooting for the Rams or rooting for the Bucs ?

If you like Nick Chubb, do you root for Nick Chubb to win or the Browns to win ?

If you want to see Baker win, then root for the team, it takes a team to win

Or a good pay off to the Refs !

I'm not rooting for Baker to lose

I'm rooting for the Lions to win which has nothing to do with Baker for goodness sake !

No doubt I would like to see the Lions and Bills in the Super Bowl.

Detroit and Buffalo have suffered as much as we have.

I like Baker but I am rooting for the people of Detroit and Buffalo.

Maybe it will cause a cosmic shift and our day will come.

With the T. bay vs Lions game I'm torn. I'm one who generally always roots for the underdog when I don't have a dog in the fight. That would certainly be T. Bay. But at the same time my best friend as well as my former hunting and fishing partner before he moved to Alpena, Michigan is a huge Lions fan. So I wouldn't be especially excited or disappointed should either team win. And I would certainly be happy for my friend should the Lions win.

I really like Mahomes but the Bills owner voted against Modell moving the team to Baltimore and I will always be grateful for that. Nothing is more appreciated than someone being on your side when your back is up against the wall. Advantage Buffalo.

As a huge supporter of Kyle Shanahan and the miracle QB known as Brock Purdy I will no doubt be rooting for the 49'ers.

The Houston vs Baltimore game is simple. I despise Baltimore and Stroud is the cream of the crop of the youngest QB class. And being a former Buckeye and having watched his develop at OSU doesn't hurt either. Houston all the way on that one.

Those aren't predictions but who I will be rooting for in the games this week-end.

I'm all in on the Lions... for many different reasons.

If they happen to lose, Baker is the consolation prize... because I root for underdogs.

Ravens Offense and Defense playing against the Texans looks so much better than we did.

With that said, it's criminal.that we didn't play the Texans at home since we had a better record. Seeding system sucks.

Makes me sick watching this game. I really wanted to see Flacco go to Baltimore and beat his former team. So embarrassing the way we were blown out. What a let down

j/c:

John Dorsey traded Kevin Zeitler for Olivier Vernon. Straight up.

Todd Munken used to be our OC.... But he had Freddie and Dorsey.

#FreeToddMunken

Browns are/were pretenders.

Ravens are the real deal.

Browns caught lightning in a bottle this year. My concern is that is not sustainable. There are no guaranteed playoffs next year. Stefanski still has never won a division.

I will root for Tampa Bay. My folks moved to the Tampa Bay area in 74 and my Dad had season tickets starting in the 76 inaugural season. He held them until he passed in 94. My brother took them for another 10 years or so before giving them up. I have been to probably 30 Bucs games over the years, so I have a rooting interest.

I also liked Baker, so it is a natural.

I for one, am damn glad that we didn’t go to the sewer rats and got blown out. The Texans absolutely embarrassed us and then went to Rats and got absolutely embarrassed. Whomever here thinks that we would have had a snowballs chance in HELL to get out of Ratville without a 51-0 blowout isn’t paying attention.

The Baltimore Lamars won’t lose until Lamar gets hurt. And he’s figured out a way to play his game without getting hurt, unlike our Mr Franchise. That clown will get hurt every year. Just watch. He’s gonna be our “injury report warrior” until his crap, embarrassment of a contract is over. I will bet my every dollar.

We had a super fun run with the whole Flacco thing - which was obviously a hilarious fantasy.

We come back to earth next year starting with all the “he’s knocking the rust off” 8 week gimme for Watson. Then once he has an even respectable game, he’ll go down. It’s his game. He will get hurt.

I hate that Watson is our QB. After Flacco, you realize how incredibly un-enthusiastic everyone in the country is about that creep. I can’t think of a more unlikeable player in the NFL. Plus, he has NONE of the game intelligence that other top QBs have. He hasn’t read a defense since pop warner.

The clowns. My god.

And? You say that like it’s some kind of bad thing. We had no pass rush, oh and btw he replaced an average guard with Wyatt teller .

I absolutely hate (and am jealous) how good the Ravens consistently are.

Ravens played like the best team in our division, which they are, unfortunately. The Browns have some work to do, let’s hope they are up to the task.

I heard a stat this week that Kevin Stefanski is tied for 9th longest tendered coach in the NFL but last in the AFC North. Mike Tomlin 16 years, John Harbaugh 15 years, Zac Taylor 5 years, and Kevin Stefanski 4 years. The Ravens and Steelers have been consistently good because they have continuity. It is also not a coincidence that all 4 of the AFC North teams had winning records when their 4 coaches are in the top ten tenured coaches in the league. The 2 go hand in hand.

One thing I've noticed the last 2 weeks. The Packers sure are a punishing team, they hit hard and hurt people.

Baltimore took care of business easily in the 2nd half ... SF (I think) will win this game

I ended up pulling for them as the game went on.

The NFL favors teams playing with house money and nothing to lose. It’s the ultimate one and done format. The truly elite teams with elite QBs are able to rise above it.

Lamar has come a long way. He really puts a ton of pressure on a defense.

Third and five if the middle backer is moving in zone coverage. Lamar is going up the middle. He gained over 850 yds.

When he extends plays. Now he finds receivers and is accurate enough. The Ravens are very good in all facets of the game.

Great field goal kicker. Defense flies to the ball and covers. Offense can run and pass. They will be hard to beat.

The AFC is loaded. Mahomes, Allen, Burrow, Lamar, Stroud, Lawrence, Herbert, Tua, (Rodgers) (Will Levis).

IMO with the talent that is there. The defense has to be great. You have to cover and apply pressure. And it must be at a high level. The offense can be in the upper half of scoring. But the defense has to be near the top in order to win in the playoffs.

Looking forward to watching Baker tonight - Expecting Tampa to get smashed like Houston did but it's nice to have someone to root for.

I have never held anything against Baker. I always felt he was a guy who could win and lose games.

But he always played hard and gave it everything he had.

I wish him well but I want the Lions to win.

The KC/Bills game should be epic. Mahomes has to travel so we shall see. Every time I watch Allen. I think of what could have been. When we drafted Baker I had mixed feelings. Allen always looked like the guy with the most upside. The problem was his inexperience as glaring. He was a guy who fell into hero ball mode. He made bad mistakes. At the same time he was clearly the guy with the most pure talent. I wonder where we would be now if we had selected him?

I like the guy and hope the Bills win.

I like Baker too and wished him well when he left. I wanted him to be our QB for the next 10-15 years when we drafted him but obviously it didn't work out. I too am rooting for the Lions because if there's any fan base that's had it worse than us it's Detroit. Either way the Lions or Baker will be in the championship game and both are good stories. I hope Buffalo wins today. I like JA and have nothing against KC but KC has been there and won while Buffalo has never won a Super Bowl. GO Bills!!!

I’ll be sharing that clip with a few my old teammates. Tell them it reminds me of how they used to play.
😂

I’ll be rooting for Buffalo. I want to root for Detroit but would love to see Baker get a shoot in the Title game. Great football on today.

What he refused to mention is that Berry traded Mayfield, a QB playing in the divisional round of the playoffs today for a conditional draft pick while agreeing to pay over 5 million dollars of his contract. Every GM has their warts. Selecting which warts to point out by which GM you choose to screams of an agenda.

agree with that

Lions look they won't be denied today

Lions fans are pumped!

SF looks very beatable.

Can the lions make it to the Super Bowl…leaving Cleveland as the only non expansion franchise to never appear in a Super Bowl?

Bucs offensive line is not good.

Aren’t we technically an expansion franchise? I mean, the team that played here from ‘46-‘95 plays in Baltimore and has won 2 already. - Led by our Ozzie Newsome who learned everything that he knows here in Cleveland. Doesn’t change the fact that it’s a pathetic attribute for us though.

There's something up with this scheme, 3 sacks and three times the defender has been untouched. They just stuffed Rashad white in the backfield, off the edge, untouched.

it's amazing that the Bucs can't get the ball more to Evans or Godwin

They’ve been getting it to Evans but the Godwin thing has been an issue all season.

If the bucs lose it won’t be because of Mayfield.

I see number 6 lost the game for the Bucs.
Baker just isn't a big game QB. He chokes when the
Lights are brightest

Baker is pretty much money at throwing game ending interceptions. I still love the guy though.

Baker doing what he does. When the game is on the line, throw a stupid pass to a covered receiver and get it picked off

It’s a game within a game. Baker played great and loose all game because they were underdogs. But on a last minute drive the concept of favorite and underdog goes out the window and you’re expected to deliver.

I still think he played great this game and defense let them down more than Baker.

Check.

He actually played really well. You’re acting like you were proven right and you weren’t.

Now if you wanted to say he’s not clutch when it matters most that would have been proven right.

How did the Browns 2020 playoff loss vs the Chiefs end? Looked very similar as what happened to the Tampa today.

I thought that was game 1 of the following year.

The Baker haters are far more annoying than the Baker lovers. Some of the comments are laughable.

You are right. The playoff game ended with that stupid scramble by Henne on 3rd and long, then the quick pass on 4th and short to Hill. Then running out the clock. I totally forgot Baker could not lead the team to take the lead in the 4th quarter after Mahomes was knocked out of the game.

Mahomes is so good.

I think I would legit rather listen to Foghorn Leghorn than Tony Romo.

Endless, annoying blather. The voice. 😫 The non-stop "this is what the team will do". The obnoxious, patronizing explanation of what's going on in the game within the game.

Somebody please shoot me.

Romo is awful. I was calling that back when he was the shiny new toy.

Equally awful is Greg Olsen. The new shiny toy.

Chiefs just got nailed with the worst rule in football, the fumble through endzone touchback. At least they didn't get an uncalled helmet-to-helmet as well.

Right? Don't want to hear them crying about it either.

Me too. He's actually improved. He's gone from WOAT to three levels below SUCK.

Buffalo just can’t solve KC.

Allen misses alot of big throws

He wasn't good when it mattered AS USUAL!!!!!!!!!!!!...smh.

And Buffalo's D SUCKS!

Wide right.

Another possible 3 weeks of:

They were celebrating after every catch like he had just scored a TD every time.

Extremely annoying.

Josh Allen is just a big choker

He did not play well on that last drive, imo.

Elway is to Cleveland as Mahomes is to Buffalo.

Ouch!

I thought Baker played well - and I actually thought of one of your comments or one of someone's comments about him not being good enough to carry his team to a win.... TB were not a complete team and BM isn't in a special enough QB to make it happen by himself - he's had flashes and special games here and there, but it's not the exception not the rule. I thought he tried to do too much and that was the reason for the 2nd interception. Even with the two interceptions - the first one a catchable ball Evans tipped up - his rating was 94+.

Not sure what TB will do - but I imagine Baker will be in a team somewhere next year and be starting.

I think the poot showing by the 49ers v Packers is just what they needed as a wake up call. I think they go on to win it all.

My prediction is he will be offended by TB’s offer but it eventually gets done. Neither side has many options.

I would hope that BM has grown up a little in the last 24 months and lost some of that petulance ... I doubt many teams were knocking at his door. When he went to the Panthers he had to beat out the rookie, I think at TB he was in open competition early on?

But never underestimate the chip on his shoulder for sure. I can't see a better team for him to be on - and they have most of their draft picks.

Allen choked?

Really?

Did you see the plays he made? Choking should look so good. The field goal kicker misses 44 yarder in the wind and Allen choked.

Allen did not choke. He played very well. I'd take him on the Browns anytime and in fact wish he was our QB. Baker played well too. He made some great throws. Baker is what he is. I was watching the game with some friends. When Tampa got the ball at the end and started their final drive, I told them Baker will throw a pick. 2nd throw he did and that was that. We've seen it all before......

"Has Baker earned the right to return?"

"He most definitely has," Bowles said of Mayfield, who led the Bucs to a 10-9 record and an NFC South title in the franchise's first year of the post-Tom Brady era. "Obviously, it's too early to talk about that and business is business, but Baker had a hell of a year. We love him. The guys love him. And we'll see what the future holds."


Baker had a very good game. Throwing darts down the stretch. He ended his team's hopes with the INT after leading them back into a possible Hollywood ending. 1:35 at his own 15... gonna have to keep doing what he had been doing -- throwing passes into tight windows. This one took a great play by the defender to send them home.

"Same ole Baker" Sure, why not. I wonder how many failed come-from-behind-by-14-points-in-six-minutes losses end in an INT? Probably 70-80%. But yeah, Baker sucks. People love to hate him -- I get it. I know he's not much more than a slightly above average NFL QB, but he's a gritty underdog and fun to root for.

Fun game. Good season for Baker, it will be fun to watch him from afar while we complain about how much our QB du jour sucks here in Cleveland. 🤣

I still have a hard time watching the Bills. It breaks my heart because JA should be wearing different colors. Knew it then, know it now -- the perfect AFC North QB. I call him Paul Bunyan. Runs like a bull and can't even get hurt, he'll run right over you and stare down, wondering why it's taking you so long to get up.


Josh Allen does this:


There were a few dropped passes. And Diggs just does not look the same to me at all.



Unfortunately, Josh Allen also does this:



The "hero ball" complaints are valid. Don't know when they get resolved but it will coincide with a championship.

You know, I actually don't disagree with you. Very, very few NFL announcers are great. The ones who I've felt over time that have been are usually former NFL HC's. Even Madden was good if you could translate what he was trying to say.

Former NFL HC's have had the experience of teaching players the game. They can fill those hours with play breakdowns, explain what each side is running on any given play and what they should be running based on reacting to the opposition. Bernie was great at that!

But at the same time I understand that these announcers have all of this time to fill. They just have to keep coming up with things to say even when they have nothing left to say. That leads to much of the blatering we hear. I'm not so sure any of us could fill all of that time with substance. Of course we're not getting paid too either so there's that.

I still maintain that this team would be better in both short and long term had they stuck with Baker and the draft capital over Watson. Not sure how anyone can dispute that at this point. But hindsight is great. But that is also a knock on this staff. Making a move to make a move because your HC can't get it done with an injured QB, its almost like this year, we have the worst possible injury luck as could be, have 5 qb's, no running game, 1 receiver, 1 TE worth anything and still get to playoffs.. They say oh the culture here is different now... well guess who helped with that culture.. all those coaches you let go. Players are 100x more loyal to their position coaches than the HC if they have a good relationship. So now we are shaking up the staff again. I get trying to get better, but is this really the year you could really evaluate where you are? I said before, this would have been the year you just get everyone healthy and run it back and see how it goes then.

They can dispute it because it has not played itself out to this point. And neither side has any conclusive answer at this point. And this year that same HC made the playoffs with four different starting QB's. Anyone claiming they know which way things would have turned out best at this juncture is doing nothing more than chasing rainbows.

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but weren't the Browns offering Baker a pretty decent extension during his 4th season before they were talking to Houston about Watkins? I don't remember the numbers, but I am pretty sure it wasn't highest tier elite QB money, but it was pretty good. Again, I may be way off base, but that is my recollection. Anyone else recall this.

BTW. I wanted him to succeed here, but was really turned off by his comments about his teammates after he left.

there was a rumor that he turned down 30m/year but that was said to be 100% false.. who knows

https://bleacherreport.com/articles...contract-with-30m-aav-before-2021-season

Hey Pit, No direct reply to you

I like this post and it reminded me of the Announcerless game in 1980 between the Jets and Dolphins

It was actually pretty good, IIRC, it was liked by many

Any of you remember that game and did you like it ?

Regarding the time to fill, that is how I feel about the 24 hours sports TV & radio networks, their talk shows constantly. Sports is only so complicated and interesting. It can fill 24 hours on multiple networks. IMHO, that is why the coverage branches into the social crap. There are only so many minutes Xs and Os fill. Even draft time for 3-4 months each commentator has about 20 mock draft revisions.

The quality goes way down when the quantity is forced to last so long.

It wasn't going to work between KS and BM. I believe they were 2 egos showing a lot of immaturity at that point and time when both were having sophomore slumps trying to establish themselves in the pecking order the season after reaching the playoffs. We were correct sticking with Stefanski over Mayfield.

I'd rather listen to an actual foghorn than Romo.


A better solution: shoot Romo. Win/win.

Maybe we can get the kid from The Golden child to make the shot bounce off of Ed Mcman... I mean Romo and hit Collinsworth.

Collinsworth is 100x better than Romo and Olsen.

All 3 suck and are awful. Give me Moose, damnit.

I don't disagree with you in principal but I think there's more to it than that. If you could get everyone to watch all of the sports news at the same time you would be on to something. But it's a little more complicated than that. I'll use the news for example. A lot of the news I watch is late at night. After all of my normal evening viewing has ended. If 24 news wasn't available I would not have that option.

So I feel that the 24 news and sports channels are there so that no matter which shift you work or at what time you wish to fit viewing sports and news into your schedule, it is there and available for you to view. But I do know what you mean about the sports opinion shows. Same with the news opinion shows. One isn't really really sports news the other isn't really news. Which may be why I don't watch "news or sports" during the time periods those are aired.

How lucky we were to hear Don Criqui back in the 80’s….And also to hear Pat Summerall and John Madden together in the 80’s and 90’s calling games. - That was awesome commentating.

I can still hear it in my head.

"Good afternoon everyone. Don Criqui alongside Bob Trumpy..."

Fixed that for ya.

back in the day announcers called the game and added a little color to what was happening, adding to the game but the focus was still the game.. I feel like these clowns nowadays never shut up, always some dumb story or anecdote like they can't have any silence whatsoever, takes away from trying to pay attention to the game.. then they do a bad job reporting on things happening on the field. Theres no good personalities left.. I would love Manning to get a spot, he and eli are atleast entertaining.

Dick Enberg was the best!!! I miss having people like him calling games.

Criqui and Bob Trumpy were one f my favorite all time teams. Summerall and Madden make me think of football because they were on so long, but Don & Bob I liked best. Maybe because they did some of my favorite Browns games, especially the 1886 win at Cincinnati and the Jets 2 OT game. I just loved listening to them call our stomping of the Bengals and destroying Boomer's :high powered" offense.

There was nothing like Charlie Jones saying "buckle up your seatbelts" when the Kardiac Kids offense took the field late in the 4th quarter of a close game. There were more than a few of those.

This thread reads like the conversations heard in an assisted living facility.
Buncha Ole Phartz reminiscin' 'bout "them days that use ta was..."

Count me in.
Olde School did it with class. New School does it like [complete the rhyme]

I can tell you I really like Jin Nantz, but I hate listening to Ian Eagle call a game. This is Nantz's last year calling football games, so Ian Eagle is becoming CBS's #1 play by play man. As bad as it gets!

Ole Phart? I can accept that. I love thinking of NFL from yesteryear.

So where are we suppose to post if watching a game ?

I'm enjoying the Lions winning so far !

So much for the Lions' lead.

Me too.
A lot of things have changed since those days, and much of it hasn't been for the better.


Or maybe, we're just becoming old phartz who don't like the new ways...
NOPE.

Those guys were just better.
We could be biased... but we could also be right.

Watched 1987 Browns at Steelers on YouTube today —

1. It was Criqui and Trumpy.
2. There were cars parked on the sideline near the tunnel.
3. Mark Malone was really bad.
4. While the game was 36 years old, the commercials felt like they were 100 years old.

Criqui and Trumpy were awesome if for no other reason than the nostalgia of it all.

I'll watch old games too, just out of boredom and nostalgia. I recently watched the 89 Browns at Lions game on Thanksgiving. We lost, but the commercials had my dying

5. I forgot to add…Kosar never worked out of the shotgun, not even on 3rd and long. So weird.

When I became a browns fan in the late 80s, Don Criqui called a lot of our games.
First offensive snap with Bernie dropping back: “and the Browns come out firing...”
Still remember that.

I like Ion Eagle, he’s very good. Sets a nice pace, good voice, reads the room.