The Cleveland Browns cannot another setback on Sunday.
Kevin Stefanski’s team has failed to reach eight wins in back-to-back weeks now, and they’ll face a big AFC rival in pursuit of a playoff berth.
Notably, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ aspirations to win the game took a massive blow late in the fourth quarter, as star QB Trevor Lawrence had to be helped off the field after suffering an ankle injury.
Now, MoreForYouCleveland reports that the Browns went from 3.5-point underdogs to 1.5 to 2-point favorites, depending on the sportsbook (via MoreForYouCleveland on Twitter).
The #Browns are now -1.5 to -2 favorites for Sunday depending on the book you use, the line was +3.5 last night
— MoreForYouCleveland (@MoreForYou_CLE) December 5, 2023
Lawrence is obviously their offensive catalyst and most important player, and while they have a solid running attack with Travis Etienne, not having him on the field will severely hamper their ability to hurt the Browns’ stout defense.
Even if Lawrence is able to shake things off and play through injuries, chances are that he’s not going to be as mobile as he usually is, and that means trouble against the Browns’ elite pass rush.
The Jaguars suffered a heartbreaking loss of their own, losing a 34-31 game at home to the Cincinnati Bengals to make things even more interesting in the AFC playoff race.
The Browns need to be almost flawless for the rest of the way, and they need to get back to their winning ways on Sunday if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Of course, no one wants to see injuries and the best players getting hurt, but this could give Kevin Stefanski’s team a massive edge.
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