It was pretty much a given that the Buffalo Bills had to reach the postseason in order for Rex Ryan to keep his job. Another loss last weekend likely extended the streak of playoff-less football in Western New York to 17 straight seasons, and could end the tenure of Ryan. Rex boasted that his Bills would be the best defensive team in the league when he took over, the failures on that side of the football the past two weeks will likely be his downfall. The move would be assured if the Bills can’t handle the Cleveland Browns in Week 15.
Watch this regular season Week 15 matchup live on Sunday, December 18, 2016, at 1 p.m. ET at New Era Field.
NFL Odds at BookMaker.eu
Cleveland Browns +10
Buffalo Bills -10
Over/Under 43.5
Odds Analysis
It’s hard to say if the opening line leaned toward the ineptness of the Browns or the sad state of the Bills. Buffalo hit the board at -10.5 and the line was quickly wagered down a half point after opening. The Bills have failed to cover in their last three games and have a tough time handling prosperity. They are 0-2 ATS in their last two as the favored team. Cleveland has failed to score more than 13 points in its past five games and the under has cashed each time. I don’t see a lot of offense in this one, giving the under plenty of value.
Injury Report
Cordy Glenn – The Bills’ starting tackle exited last game with a back injury. The ailment has been a concern for Glenn, who has dealt with the problem for the past several weeks. His absence is a major concern for Buffalo and their rushing attack. The Bills managed just 67 yards on the ground against Pittsburgh, breaking their streak of five straight games with at least 153 rushing yards. The line was already a bit thin after the loss of Seantrel Henderson to a suspension, giving the Browns some hope of slowing down the second-ranked ground game.
Matchup to Watch
It’s hard for an offense to get any traction when the quarterback is constantly in fear for his safety. The Browns have seen several of their quarterbacks go down with injuries this season and a lack of protection has been a big reason. Cleveland has surrendered the most sacks in the league by a wide margin and allowed Robert Griffin III to be taken down three times by the Bengals on Sunday. Griffin looked uncomfortable in the pocket, likely because he hasn’t played in three months, and probably because he was under constant siege.
The Browns improved in pass protection a bit against the Bengals after allowing 15 sacks in the previous two games. Cleveland has now surrendered 48 sacks on the year and the passing attack has faltered. One area the Bills have improved on defensively this season is getting after the quarterback and the pressure will continue to come. Buffalo has struggled in the last two games applying pressure and the team had two of its worst defensive games. The Browns are down three starters on the line and the results have shown.
Free ATS Pick
The window has closed on the Browns to get a victory this season and the odds are in favor of them going winless. Not all that surprising considering how poorly they’ve played the past few weeks. Even the return of RG3 couldn’t spark an offense that ranks as one of the worst in the league and again the defense surrendered too many big plays. You have to feel for Hue Jackson, who is genuinely one of the good guys in the game, but the Browns are horrible.
With rumors flying that Ryan is done, it makes us wonder just how motivated the Bills are going to be as they play out the string. In a couple of must-win games to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Bills failed to contain the Raiders and Steelers the last two games, all but securing another winter without playoff football in Buffalo. But the Bills don’t want to be the team that losses to the Browns, and that should supply enough incentive for them to break their losing streak and come away with a home victory.
NFL Odds: Bills 26, Browns 13
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