Last week’s edition of “bold predictions” wasn’t a total failure, but there was only one hit in three at-bats. The Tennessee Titans failed to win back-to-back games and the Jaguars were no match for the powerful Ravens. Meanwhile, the Seahawks came roaring back late in the game to stun the slumping Philadelphia Eagles.
What about this week’s selections? It begins with a clash of struggling clubs at MetLife Stadium on Sunday and ends on Christmas evening between two first-place teams (one a division champion) tied for the best record in the league.
3. Commanders shut out the Jets
A year ago, Ron Rivera’s Washington Commanders finished dead last in the NFC East with an 8-8-1 record. Three of their eight wins came against the playoff-bound Jacksonville Jaguars, Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles. The latter victory by Washington was the Super Bowl-bound Birds first loss of the season after an 8-8 start.
Rivera’s club was led by a defensive unit that finished third in the league in terms of fewest yards per game allowed. Last season’s Commanders gave up a respectable 343 points and 36 offensive touchdowns in 17 contests. In 14 outings this year, Washington has already given up 423 points and 43 offensive TDs. Rivera’s squad has permitted 28-plus points in five consecutive contests.
Can a bad offense take advantage of an inept defense? The New York Jets are dead last in the league in total yards per game and their offensive unit has reached the end zone only 13 times. Hence, the aroused Commanders hand Robert Saleh’s club their second straight shutout.
2. Texans clinch their first winning season since 2019
It began with a strong offseason, highlighted with the hiring of a new head coach. Former Houston Texans Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans had certainly made a name for himself as the defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers. Earlier this year, he became the eighth different head coach of a franchise that first took the field in 2002.
Prior to this season, the Texans owned a 11-38-1 record this decade. Just 14 games into Ryans’s tenure, Houston owns an 8-6 record. Last week, the team won a divisional road game in overtime without its star rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud. The Texans’ defense came up big in a 19-16 victory at Tennessee.
The club returns home this week and the task ahead is a Cleveland Browns’ club that boasts the NFL’s top-ranked defensive unit. Kevin Stefanski’s team owns a 9-5 record despite the fact that the club has gone through four different starting quarterbacks while committing a league-high 30 turnovers.
It’s also worth noting that Cleveland is a perfect 3-0 this season vs. AFC South squads. However, that mini-streak comes to an end on Sunday afternoon at Houston. Those numerous Browns’ miscues catch up with them this Sunday as Houston’s impressive bounce back season continues.
1. Ravens remain undefeated vs. the NFC
It’s a team that has already clinched a playoff berth and seems to be hitting its stride at the right time. So, is the subject here the Baltimore Ravens or the San Francisco 49ers?
How about both? John Harbaugh’s club has won four straight games, while Kyle Shanahan’s squad is riding a six-game winning streak. Both teams own 11-3 records and are atop their respective divisions. The Ravens (225) and 49ers (234) are 1-2, respectively, in the NFL in fewest points allowed. Only the Miami Dolphins and Dallas cowboys have scored more points than the Niners, while Baltimore is right behind Shanahan’s club in this department.
During their midseason three-game losing streak, San Francisco lost to both the Browns and Bengals, the latter at home. Of course, this has been a different football team since that setback to Cincinnati. They have won their last six games by a collective score of 207-94.
Meanwhile, Baltimore (4-0 vs. the NFC in 2023) has the kind of pass rush that could make life uncomfortable for 49ers’ quarterback Brock Purdy. There are a league-best 50 sacks, and look for the Ravens to bring the heat on Christmas. Harbaugh’s team gets the nod, which means the favored Niners will score exactly 17 points. That’s the same total they scored in each of their three setbacks this season.