Both the Cleveland Browns and Indianapolis Colts are playing well this year, but only the Colts have separated themselves in their division. They should be favored when they take on the Browns on Sunday. Indianapolis is 8-4 on the season, holding a two-game lead in the AFC South over the Houston Texans, who sit at 6-6.
Colts vs. Browns 2014: Cleveland facing must-win situation against Indianapolis
Andrew Luck will try to lengthen the Indianapolis Colts’ lead in the AFC South, and the Cleveland Browns face a must-win situation.
Cleveland has a puncher's chance to win the AFC North, making Sunday's game a must-win. The Browns are 7-5 on the season, tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens in the division. The Cincinnati Bengals are on top in the AFC North, and increased their lead by being the only team in the division to win in Week 13. At 8-3-1, they're now more than a game up on all of their division rivals.
With the Bengals taking on the Steelers this week and the Ravens playing the Miami Dolphins, the Browns have a chance to make a big move up the standings. First, they'll have to take care of their own business. Nobody expected the Browns to be as good as they are this season, but the Colts have been excellent as well and will be favored to win and potentially secure a playoff spot.
Digits
The Colts are very good at doing one thing in particular: throwing the football. Andrew Luck is having a phenomenal season, with 313 completions for 4,011 yards and 34 touchdowns against just 11 interceptions. He has a completion percentage of 63.7 on the season. Behind Luck, the Colts rank first in the NFL in passing, with 326.3 passing yards per game on average.
The Browns match up well with the Colts. They rank eighth in the league when it comes to defending the pass, with an average of 227.9 passing yards allowed per game. The Colts may need to rely on their running game, which is mediocre at 15th in the NFL at 112.0 rushing yards per game. That may be good enough against the Browns, however. They rank 29th against the run, giving up 132.5 rushing yards per game.
Who to Watch
Brian Hoyer: You should pay attention to the starting quarterback, anyway, but Hoyer is the player to watch because his job is on the line. There was some thought that the Browns could turn to rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel for this game, but Cleveland decided to stick with Hoyer. That's after it benched Hoyer last week for throwing two interceptions against the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. Hoyer has led them this far, but Manziel could enter Sunday's game if Hoyer begins to struggle.
Andrew Luck: Maybe this one is a bit obvious, but Luck has been incredible this season. He's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and he's slowly getting new weapons to emerge in Indy's offense, with players such as Donte Moncrief and Dan Herron beginning to contribute. Luck has a tough, tough matchup against Cleveland's pass defense, but he should be up to the task.
The Venue
The Browns have one of the most dedicated fanbases in the league, but even those fans were getting tired of things in recent years. Massive turnover in the front office and coaching staff year in and year out had FirstEnergy Stadium in Ohio looking a bit bare. But fans are back in full force this season, and should have the place packed with the Browns scrapping for a playoff spot.
How to Watch
Where: FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland
When: 1 p.m. ET
TV: FOX
Announcers: Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch, Pam Oliver
Online streaming: Verizon NFL Mobile | NFL Sunday Ticket
Odds
Indianapolis is favored by 3 points on the road over Cleveland, with an over/under of 49.5, according to OddsShark.
Preliminary Judgment
Seven of eight experts picking for SB Nation went with the Colts to win the game, with Matt Ufford the lone dissenter picking the Browns.
Further Reading
For more on the Colts, check out Stampede Blue.
To keep up on the Browns, head over to Dawgs By Nature.
See More:
