Vegas Ignores Momentum, Favors Kansas City Chiefs Against Cleveland

NFL News - December 14th, 2009 - Written by John

Cleveland Browns hybrid back Josh Cribbs couldn't stop gleaming during a post-game interview with ESPN after giving his fans what he called an early Christmas. After beating rival Pittsburgh at home for the first time in over a decade, all seemed right in Cleveland in a season that had been marred by calamity.

It will be bah humbug all over again if the Browns fail to multiply it's good fortune this week when they get the hapless Kansas City Chiefs on the road.

The Browns are underdogs by two, according to BetUS, with a total of 36 1/2 in the NFL Week 15 Betting Odds. But after the big win, coupled by an ugly loss by the Chiefs last week, it appears Cleveland is carrying the bulk of the momentum into a game that, frankly, neither of them are salivating for. With nothing but draft position on the line, it will likely me more of a matter of pride.

Kansas City is in the middle of a three-game slide in which they've lost by an average of 22 points, but only lost by six last week. Still, the offensive woes continued, only scoring 10 points against the Bills, and Matt Cassel was picked four times by a swarming secondary that leads the league in interceptions.

The Browns' secondary is slightly less intimidating, but was effective last week against the Steelers.

Cassel gets the edge in the quarterbacking department, mainly by default because of his opponent. He has six games with at least 200 passing yards, while Brady Quinn has but three, and his 13 touchdown passes are five more than Quinn. But the troubles have come in the turnover department and he has six interceptions and no touchdowns in his last two games.

That, despite the emergence of Jamaal Charles as the team's top tailback. Charles has 605 games despite only starting five games, and is coming off his best game of the year in which he grinded out 143 yards on just 20 carries. He had the team's only touchdown last week, and has scored in four of the last five games.

The Browns, meanwhile, looked equally moderate last week, but were far better on defense, sacking Ben Roethlisberger eight times and limiting him to 216 total yards.

Cribbs ran for 87 yards on eight carries, primarily out of the wildcat formation, and had another 55-yard kick return earlier in the game. With the loss of Jamal Lewis for the season, Cribbs will likely see more time in the backfield, alongside Chris Jennings and Jerome Harrison. Jennings led Cleveland with 20 carries last week.

The teams make up two of the bottom three defenses in the league and two of the bottom four offenses.