Cleveland Browns safety sends clear message following Baker Mayfield's second interception
John Johnson III is watching his Cleveland Browns from home because of COVID-19 protocols. But that’s not stopping him from chiming in on Cleveland’s Christmas game against the Green Bay Packers.
After Baker Mayfield threw his second interception of the first half on Saturday, Johnson took to Twitter to send a strong message about the offense. He had four words — and plenty of Cleveland fans would say the same thing.
“RUN THE DAMN BALL,” Johnson tweeted, along with an eye-rolling emoji.
The Browns have Nick Chubb, who’s proven to be a difference-maker at running back. He entered Christmas ranked No. 4 in the NFL with 1,017 rushing yards to go with seven touchdowns.
Through Cleveland’s first four drives against the Packers, Mayfield threw the ball 14 times for 130 yards and a touchdown — along with those two interceptions.
Chubb scored the Browns’ first touchdown of the game in the first quarter and Mayfield found Harrison Bryant for another one in the second quarter. Cleveland missed the extra point on Chubb’s touchdown and Mayfield couldn’t complete the two-point conversion after Bryant’s, giving Green Bay a 14-12 lead with 7:03 left in the first half.
Green Bay has locked up the NFC North title and is closing in on the No. 1 seed in the NFC. Cleveland, meanwhile, is still fighting for its playoff life. The Browns are 7-7 and remain “in the hunt” for the postseason in the AFC. A victory over the Packers would be huge heading into Week 17.
NFL playoff scenarios entering Week 16
Here are all the playoff clinching scenarios for Week 16, courtesy of NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
First, the NFC features some of the best teams in the entire NFL. For the first half of the season, it looked like nobody was going to defeat the Arizona Cardinals. Since, they’ve looked beatable — but they still have an inside track to the playoffs.
The Cardinals simply need to win to clinch above all, but they can make it due to help from many different teams. A combination of results from the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints could guarantee the Cardinals’ return to the playoffs.
As for their division foe, the Los Angeles Rams also could clinch with a victory. However, losses by both the Eagles and Saints could guarantee their spot if they’re unable to defeat the Vikings on Sunday.
Finally, the defending Super Bowl Champions could clinch their division on Sunday, as Tom Brady and the Buccaneers need a victory over the Carolina Panthers to win the NFC South. However, they can also clinch the division with a loss — as long as the Saints are defeated by the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football.