Scully’s NFL notebook: Cleveland's playoff drought could be over

Pittsburgh’s unbeaten season came to an end in Week 13. The loss enabled 11-1 Kansas City, which holds a tiebreaker advantage, to surpass the Steelers for the top spot in the AFC. That’s important, with the addition of a seventh playoff team, which means only one team in each conference will receive a first-round bye.

The playoff races are heating up, and it’s more contentious in the AFC. Las Vegas, Baltimore, and New England are outside the bubble, but there’s plenty of football remaining over the next four weeks.

Cleveland on upswing as 18-year drought nears end

Cleveland impressively notched its fourth straight victory last week and outscored Tennessee, 38-7, by halftime. The Titans closed belatedly to make the final margin respectable, but the outcome never was in doubt.

It was a signature win for the 9-3 Browns, who are on the verge of snapping an 18-year playoff drought. Tennessee entered in good form and was favored by four points after it crushed Indianapolis in Week 12. Cleveland’s previous four wins came against teams outside of the playoff picture — Cincinnati, Houston, Philadelphia, and Jacksonville.

On the coaching carousel for decades, Cleveland finally found the right man in Kevin Stefanski, and the 37-year-old former offensive coordinator is a leading candidate for Coach of the Year.

General manager Andrew Berry has also shined in his first season. He added right tackle Jack Conklin via free agency and drafted left tackle Jedrick Wills Jr.

The offensive line turnaround is remarkable (40 sacks allowed in 2019), and the Browns have the pieces to make a postseason run if quarterback Baker Mayfield doesn’t falter. Nick Chubb leads a premier rushing attack. The Browns lost Odell Beckham Jr. to a season-ending injury, but Rashard Higgins and Donovan Peoples-Jones have stepped up to complement Jarvis Landry. Myles Garrett is the face of a solid defensive unit.

But Cleveland’s hopes rest upon Mayfield. The third-year quarterback delivered a career-best effort against Tennessee, when he completed 25 of his 33 passes for four touchdowns and no interceptions. I like his progress in recent weeks, but Mayfield must back it up.

He will get the opportunity to prove his worth over the final four games of the regular season.

He struggled earlier this season against Baltimore (Week 1) and Pittsburgh (Week 5), as Cleveland lost those two games by a combined 76-13 margin, and both division rivals remain on Cleveland’s schedule. The Browns will also meet the surging New York Giants in Week 15.

Rams looking good in NFC West

The Los Angeles Rams hurt Arizona’s playoff chances in Week 13, when they scored 21 fourth-quarter points in a 38-28 road win, and moved back into a tie with Seattle for first place in the NFC West. I like their chances.

The Rams held Arizona to 232 total yards, kept Kyler Murray (21 for 39) mostly in check, and they feature the league’s third-best run defense. Los Angeles ranks second in total defense, limits opponents to only 291.3 yards per game, and it holds a significant edge over Seattle on the offensive and defensive lines.

The Seahawks were manhandled by Los Angeles in a Week 10 defeat, when they scored only three second-half points as the Rams forced three turnovers and constantly frustrated Russell Wilson, and the Giants exploited Seattle’s deficiencies in a 17-12 upset win last week.

Los Angeles will face Seattle again in Week 15.

Turnovers can be an Achilles' Heel for quarterback Jared Goff, but he was clean in Week 13, when he completed 37 of his 47 passes for 351 yards and a touchdown. Head coach Sean McVay can get the most out of his offense, and Los Angeles will try to carry its momentum forward against New England in Week 14.

Pushovers no more?

The 2020 NFC East has been the worst division in NFL history, but New York and Washington are trying to change the narrative late in the season.

Washington stopped Pittsburgh’s bid for an undefeated season and overcame a 14-0 deficit. The Football Team held the Steelers to 21 rushing yards and forced a late interception of Ben Roethlisberger to seal a 23-17 win.

New York won at Seattle with a backup quarterback. The Giants rode a strong a defensive performance and nearly 200 rushing yards to a 17-12 victory as an 11-point underdog.

The NFC East race will be interesting over the final month of the season.

New York and Washington are now tied for first, at 5-7. The Giants hold the tiebreaker advantage, as they have defeated Washington twice this season, and both teams have a difficult four-game stretch remaining.

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