Follow the NFL doubleheader this Saturday from 4:25 p.m. with RDS2 and RDS.ca.
Browns c. Ravens (16 h 25, RDS2)
The Baltimore Ravens need only one victory Saturday afternoon to clinch the American Association North Division title.
Let’s say that on paper, the chances are great. First they have the Cleveland Browns in front of them with their record of 3-13 this season. A division match can, however, leave room for certain surprises, the Browns having had the upper hand over these same Ravens on October 27.
Cleveland will this time, however, have quarterback Bailey Zappe in the fray. He will become the fourth starting quarterback for the Cleveland squad this season.
If the home game isn’t enough motivation for Baltimore (11-5), quarterback Lamar Jackson is looking for a third Most Valuable Player title for his team and the fight is well on with mainly the quarterback of the Buffalo Bills, Josh Allen. The latter has attracted attention this season, but Jackson has recorded more than impressive statistics.
First of all, he has an efficiency rating as a passer of 121.6, very close to the record set by Aaron Rodgers in 2011 at 122.5.
The Ravens quarterback amassed 3,955 passing yards, 852 rushing yards and threw 39 touchdown passes against just four interceptions. Note that no player has obtained 4,000 passing yards and more than 800 rushing yards during the same campaign.
Among the Browns, one player who will certainly want to prevent Jackson from having a good outing is quarterback hunter Myles Garrett. The latter is trying to become the first Browns player to lead the NFL in sacks at the end of the regular season. He shares the lead with his rival from the Cincinnati Bengals, Trey Hendrickson at 14 sacks.
Should the Ravens lose, they will then have their sights set on the evening game between the Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers, as that is where the division title will be decided.
Bengals c. Steelers (RDS2, 20 h)
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be guaranteed to play in the playoffs, but their recent performance doesn’t bode too well for the Pennsylvania team.
Mike Tomlin’s squad will try to end a three-game losing streak Sunday night by hosting the Cincinnati Bengals, who have slim hopes of sneaking out the back door into the post-season schedule. season.
In addition to winning on Pittsburgh’s lawn, the Bengals (8-8) must hope for defeats suffered in their last game by the Denver Broncos and the Miami Dolphins.
Although star quarterback Joe Burrow is a prime candidate for NFL MVP, Cincy may end its 2024 schedule feeling like it hasn’t done enough considering of his level of talent.
Burrow starts this 18e game of the season playing what is possibly the best football of his career, having totaled 250 air yards and three passing touchdowns in each of his most recent eight starts. This constitutes a new brand for the NFL.
He also leads the league in completions (423), passing yards (4,641) and touchdown passes (42).
For their part, the Steelers (10-6) went from being favorites to win the American North Division title a few weeks ago to becoming one of the most worrying teams on the Goodell circuit. If the Ravens lose to Cleveland earlier, the Steelers would be crowned in the North following a victory.
Veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, who has seen snow during his long NFL career, hopes the Steelers will feed off adversity to surprise those who think they are dead and buried.
“We don’t have time to run away from adversity. You have to revel in it, said Wilson. We have to get over this wall. There is no magic solution to getting out of this kind of sequence. »
