Jacksonville Jaguars host Cleveland Browns
The Jacksonville Jaguars will be hoping that they can get a win, and that it won't take a miracle like it did last Sunday, as they take on the Cleveland Browns on Sunday 21 November.
Previous meetings and recent games
The Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the few NFL teams that the Cleveland Browns have a winning record against since the NFL's realignment. The two teams used to go head-to-head twice a year when they were both in the AFC Central from 1995-2001. But since
then, they've met only four times with the Browns winning three of the four meetings. The last two, including last season, were won by the same score of 23-17.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off their unbelievable 31-24 Hail Mary win over the Houston Texans. The win helped them improve their record to 5-4, but they still have a minus-54 point differential.
The Cleveland Browns are coming off a heartbreaking 26-20 overtime loss to the New York Giants. The poor Browns have faced some of the stiffest competition in the NFL with their six losses coming against teams who have a combined 37-17 record. They've only
played one game against a team below .500. Who knows, if they played in the NFC West maybe they would be leading the division.
How they match up
It was David Garrard who put up the winning pass against the Texans last Sunday, but the Jaguars have always been a team that runs on the back of running back Maurice Jones-Drew. Jones-Drew is in the NFL's top ten in rushing this season and has carried the
ball 745 yards so far this season.
Not far behind Jones-Drew is the Cleveland's Peyton Hillis. Hillis has run the ball 726 yards this season, including 184 yards against the New England Patriots two weeks ago. He has, however, fumbled the ball five times this season – tied with New York Giants
running back Ahmad Bradshaw for most in the NFL amongst running backs.
On the defensive side of the ball, both teams are in the bottom half of the NFL, but in this case the Browns have a slight edge. But the Browns could be without one of their top linebackers Scott Fujita who did not practice during the week after picking
up an injury against the Jets.
The Browns could also be without their top return man and a dynamic option in the wide receiver position as Josh Cribbs will likely miss out after also picking up an injury against the Jets.
What to expect
Except for their week 2 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Cleveland Browns have been underdogs in every game they've played this season, and they are the underdogs once again. After upsetting the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints (who were 12 point
favourites) and the New England Patriots (who were favoured by four) in back-to-back games before falling to the Jets, the Cleveland Browns are the perfect dark horse pick.
The Browns grind it out just about every game and there's no way the Jaguars are going to repeat their miracle performance of a week ago.
Browns will win 23-17... again.
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