The Green Bay Packers won their third consecutive NFC North title after outlasting the Baltimore Ravens in an epic showdown in Week 15. The Packers will look to tighten their grip on the No. 1 seed in the NFC when they host the Cleveland Browns on Christmas Day. Who will prevail in this Week 16 clash? Here's a breakdown of the Browns vs Packers matchup.
Cleveland Browns installed as +7.5 underdogs
The Cleveland Browns wasted a huge opportunity to go top of the AFC North, losing 16-14 to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15. Daniel Carlson broke Browns fans' hearts, hitting a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give Las Vegas the much-needed win.
It was a costly result for the Browns, who dropped out of the playoff picture with the defeat. They are currently in 12th place in the AFC standings with an even 7-7 record. The good news for the Browns is that they are just one game back of fourth place in the AFC. That position belongs to the Cincinnati Bengals, meaning the AFC North title is still in play for the beleaguered Browns.
Reinforcements are on the way for the Browns with quarterbacks Baker Mayfield and Case Keenum expected to be ready for the Christmas Day clash against the Green Bay Packers. Third-string quarterback Nick Mullens did an admirable job filling in as the Browns' starting QB against the Raiders, completing 20 of 30 passes for 147 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
A total of 24 players were placed by the Browns on the COVID reserve list before the game against the Raiders and the hope now is that some of them will recover before the showdown with Green Bay. The key players who tested positive for COVID-19 for the Browns are Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper, Jedrick Wills, James Hudson III and Jadeveon Clowney.
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Green Bay Packers enter Week 16 as -7.5 favorites
Green Bay extended its winning streak to three games with a thrilling 31-30 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in Week 15. It was an important win for the Packers, who moved to the top of the NFC standings with an 11-3 record. They grabbed sole possession of first place after Tampa Bay and Arizona lost their respective games over the weekend.
Aaron Rodgers starred in the Week 15 win, completing 23 of 31 passes for 268 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He made history with that performance, tying Brett Favre's franchise record of 442 career touchdowns.
The victory did not come easy for the Packers, though, as the injury-plagued Ravens staged a furious comeback in the fourth quarter. Baltimore scored 13 unanswered points to slice the deficit to just one with 42 seconds left. Instead of kicking the extra point to tie the game, coach John Harbaugh decided to go for a two-point conversion again.
Just like in the gut-wrenching 20-19 loss to Pittsburgh in Week 13, Baltimore failed on its two-point try with Tyler Huntley's pass to Mark Andrews going incomplete. The Packers heaved a huge sigh of relief as they became the first team in the NFL to clinch a division title this season.
Writer's Prediction
Green Bay wins and covers the spread.
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