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- Browns hoping for help with playoff picture (ohio.com) - The Browns did their part Saturday night to keep their playoff hopes flickering. Now they’re hoping for some help on Sunday. Despite their 17-16 win over the Denver Broncos in a nationally televised prime-time game, the Browns (6-7-1) would be eliminated from making the playoffs Sunday if the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-5-1) defeat the New England Patriots (9-4), the Indianapolis Colts (7-6) prevail against the Dallas Cowboys (8-5) and the Tennessee Titans (7-6) triumph over the New York Giants (5-8), according to ESPN Stats and Information.
- Williams’ trust in defense pays off (cleveland.com) - The safe decision -- probably the right decision -- would have been to kick a field goal on fourth-and-1 from the Broncos’ 10-yard line with 1:53 left in the game. The Browns, after all, were leading by a point. Go up four points and make the Broncos and Case Keenum score a touchdown if they want to win. Gregg Williams wasn’t interested in playing it safe, though.
- It wasn’t pretty, but Browns still in playoff hunt (ESPN) - The Cleveland Browns don’t care how it happened, they just care that it did. When Jabrill Peppers sacked Denver Broncos QB Case Keenum on fourth down with 43 seconds left and the Broncos at midfield and down one, the visiting sideline erupted.
- Refocused: Browns vs. Broncos (PFF) - The Cleveland Browns defeated the Denver Broncos, 17-16, in Week 15 of the 2018 NFL season.
NFL:
- Nick Foles expected to be a free agent after season (NFL.com) - When the Eagles re-worked Nick Foles’ contract before the season, it drew great fanfare. Now that Foles is the starter today and likely going forward through the regular season - as Carson Wentz hopes to heal a stress fracture in his back - Foles’ status is once again in the spotlight.
- Alex Smith out of hospital, NFL future uncertain (ESPN) - After spending days in the hospital and enduring multiple surgeries on his broken leg, Washington Redskins quarterback Alex Smith finally has been released -- with an encouraging prognosis, no less -- per league sources. There is some optimism, but hardly certainty, that Smith will be able to resume his NFL career, though the priority for now is simply recovering from a spiral leg fracture that became infected after multiple surgeries.
- 5 stitches were not enough to save Denver’s cornerbacks (Denver Post) - A half hour after the dust settled, Bradley Roby was the cat who looked like he’d landed on the wrong side of a punch.
- Reeling Steelers face make-or-break game vs. Patriots (triblive.com) - The Pittsburgh Steelers would like to make a correction to the NFL schedule. It’s the part that lists the postseason as beginning on the first weekend of January. While that technically remains true, the Steelers would beg to disagree as it pertains to their situation.