The Cleveland Browns suffered another disappointing heartbreak against the Baltimore Ravens on Christmas Eve (12/24/11). The end of the first half certainly has fans scratching their heads. Why the Browns did not attempt a field goal is beyond comprehension. Browns’s coach Pat Shurmur looked like he was going to explode when the team did not go for a field goal.

Shurmur is saying that he is responsible for the communication breakdowns that happened throughout the game. However, speaking of the particular play at the end of the first half, Shurmur said, “I never would have called a run in that situation with that much time.”

Seneca Wallace took the field as quarterback for the game because Colt McCoy is still out with his concussion. Wallace really looked a lot better last week. He had a few good passes in today’s game, like the excellent touchdown pass to Evan Moore, but he seemed far less confident in this game than he did in the Arizona game.

Wallace has been in the NFL for nine seasons, but he really seemed to be carrying a rookie confidence around with him today. This is the thing that the Browns do not need, especially when playing a team with the talent of the Ravens.

Going into the second half with no points on the board looked really terrible. Then, finally Josh Cribbs saved the day by running an 84-yard touchdown off of a punt. It was a truly remarkable play. This play was not a game-saver, but it definitely re-energized the Browns and gave the fans a little hope and confidence.

Should we even discuss the fourth quarter? Specifically that play where Wallace passed to Hillis when they should have just kicked the ball. This was another head-scratching play that is becoming all too characteristic of the Browns.

Then, with two minutes to go in the game, Phil Taylor just had to go offsides. The Browns had one more chance to actually do something, but him going offsides completely eliminated their chances of a last ditch effort. Had he not gone offsides, the Browns would have had two minutes (I know not much, but at least it would have been something) to at least attempt to score a touchdown.

The Browns will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers for their last game. If they expect to add another win to their record, they are going to have to stop with the careless mistakes and put forth more focus.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

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When the Cleveland Browns take on the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, December 24, 2011, they will be doing it with Seneca Wallace at quarterback. There is a good chance he will play the role of QB in the final game against the Pittsburgh Steelers the following week as well.

Colt McCoy is still out because of the concussion he sustained due to the head on collision courtesy of James Harrison. He is still having recurring symptoms from this injury and until he is fully recovered from this injury, it is simply not safe for him – or the other players – for him to be out on the field. McCoy will not travel with the Browns either. He will stay home and rest and focus on recovering.

Since Wallace is going to be taking over the role of quarterback for the remainder of the season, he has to start acting like a starting quarterback. According to his teammates. He is falling into the role well.

“I think he’s more vocal in the locker room and on the field,” said Joe Thomas, a left tackle for the Browns. “When you’re the starter, you’re the coach on the field, not only calling plays but getting everybody lined up correctly, making sure the formation’s are correct, the personnel is right. You’re kind of the designated rah-rah guy. When things are going south, you’re the guy that needs to stand up and get everybody in a positive direction.”

Wallace has acknowledged that he is just the backup quarterback and that he is afraid to overstep his boundaries. However, he needs to lose this mentality as it could hold him back. He is not the backup at this moment. He is the starter for the remainder of the season and he needs to think like a starter. He has played in nine NFL seasons and has earned his time on the field.

In the Arizona game, Wallace showed that he has what it takes to make plays. He definitely gave the Browns some new energy. The only thing the Browns need to work on right now is keeping that energy throughout the entire game because that energy definitely faded by the end of the third quarter. If Wallace can keep throwing good passes and keep his men energized, the Browns just might have a chance to defeat the Ravens.

R. Elizabeth C. Kitchen is a lifelong Browns fan who grew up in a household of Browns’ fans. She was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio and still lives there. Regardless of the trials and tribulations the Browns have been through, she remains loyal, albeit honest about her home team. Follow Rose on Twitter @Rose_Kitchen

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

If the Baltimore Ravens are going to finally break through and win their division, they are going to have to do it without their best wide receiver. The Ravens will lose Anquan Boldin for the final two games as a result of torn cartilage in his knee. This is a significant loss for a team that is looking to win their division and earn a playoff bye. The Ravens are currently 10-4 and tied with the Pittsburgh Steelers atop the AFC North. The Ravens have the tiebreaker but won’t have an easy time winning the final two games. For an offense that is already less than stellar, this is a tough loss for the Ravens.

Boldin will have minor surgery to repair the torn cartilage. While surgery on the knee is usually really serious, Boldin shouldn’t require an extensive coverage. In fact, he is expected to return for the playoffs. Apparently, the injury has been lingering and it was decided that now was the best time to get everything fixed. Baltimore did not disclose which knee was injured. However, the team did announce that Boldin will be ready for the playoffs. That is a good thing for this team, but it could make winning the division difficult.

Boldin has 57 catches and was on track for a 1,000 yard receiving season. He is one of the best threats in the Baltimore passing game. Without him, Lee Evans should get more action in the final two games. Baltimore still has Joe Flacco and Ray Rice so they should still be able to move the ball. However, losing a receiver like Boldin at this point in the season can’t be easy.

Baltimore has played seven playoff games in the past three seasons and all of them have been on the road. This team knows more than any other how important it is to get a home playoff game. The Ravens were on track for that until they lost to the San Diego Chargers. They still control their destiny. If they beat the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals in the final two weeks, they will win their division and earn a bye. They are still good enough to do that. However, losing Boldin is definitely a blow.

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All season long the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens have been battling back and forth for the lead in the AFC North. On Sunday night the Steelers retook the lead in the division-for now-when the Ravens lost to the San Diego Chargers by a score of 34-14. The loss drops the Ravens to 10-4 while the Steelers have a record of 10-3.

The best part about the Ravens usual choke job is that earlier this week I wrote my thoughts on Flacco whining about his team being disrespected by the media. It seems that Flacco believes that he and the Ravens deserve more attention than the Steelers, the New England Patriots and especially Tim Tebow. Then in typical Flacco and Ravens fashion they went out and proved exactly why they don’t get the respect the other teams do.

Nobody is perfect. The Green Bay Packers lost for the first time today and even the mighty Tebow couldn’t overcome the Patriots today. Championship caliber teams only allow this to happen once or twice though. The Ravens have now lost four times to teams they should have beaten. The first loss was against a Titans team that just lost to the previously 0-14 Titans. Loss two was to a 4-10 team and all the Ravens managed was a measly, meaningless touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Next the Ravens lost to a Seattle Seahawks team that is currently 7-7 but most agree it would be a joke if Seattle were a playoff team. Then finally the Ravens lost yesterday to a Chargers team that has some talented players that are finally playing well but a Ravens team aiming for the number one seed should not be beat by 20 points by anybody.

The Steelers have a half game lead over the Ravens in the AFC North but they have yet to play this week. Pittsburgh will play the Monday night game against the San Francisco 49ers. If the Steelers beat the 49ers they will move a full game ahead of the Ravens. If the Steelers lose in San Francisco then the Steelers will move back into a tie atop the AFC North but the Ravens hold the tiebreaker.

The big question for the Monday night game is Big Ben. The Steelers quarterback has been suffering from an ankle injury and is questionable for the game. Roethlisberger did manage to practice the last two days and some theorize now that the Ravens have lost and the Steelers can get the division lead that Roethlisberger will try to play.

On the opposite side of the ball James Harrison will be out for the Steelers after being suspended one game for a helmet-to-helmet hit on Cleveland Browns quarterback Colt McCoy two Thursdays ago. Playing in Harrison’s place will be Jason Worilds. Worilds is just a second-year player but has started the last four games in LaMarr’s Woodley’s place. Woodley will be back in the lineup on Monday so that allows Worilds to move to Harrison’s spot.

The Steelers need to win the game not only to hold the lead in the division but also to try and grab the number one overall seed in the AFC. Currently the Patriots are the number one seed because today’s win over the Denver Broncos gives them a half-game lead over the Steelers until the Monday Night game. If the Steelers are victorious over the 49ers then the Steelers will pull even with the Patriots and the tiebreaker would give the Steelers the number one seed.

Sources:

Denis Poroy, Philip Rivers leads San Diego Chargers to 34-14 rout of the Baltimore Ravens, The Washington Post

The last several generations of Lee Andrew Henderson’s family were Pittsburgh born and even though he was born in Alabama he has been a long time fan of the Pirates, Steelers and Panthers. Lee Andrew Henderson can be found on Twitter @LeeAHenderson

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