NFL Week 12: Winners (Chiefs) and losers (Raiders)

Winner: Cleveland Browns fans 

For every Cleveland Browns fan in America, congratulations. Over the past two decades, you have been nothing but a laughing stock and our favorite punching bag at FirstEnergy Stadium. Today, you begin a new chapter in your life known as winning.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Browns marched into Duval County and picked up the 27-25 victory of the Jacksonville Jaguars. Baker Mayfield missed a wide-open touchdown in the red zone, but he also finished with 258 yards and pair of scores. Nick Chubb picked up his third consecutive 100-plus yard rushing game and another score on his way to 1,000 yards.

With the victory, Cleveland now sits at 8-3 on the year. No matter how the year plays out, they will finish .500 or better for the first time since 2007. With five games left to play, Cleveland also should be in the driver’s seat of AFC Wild Card contenders to earn a trip to the playoffs as the No.5 seed.

So smile, Browns fans; the eternal suffering of mediocre play has finally reached a closing chapter.

Loser: Anyone who watched the Denver-New Orleans game 

If you thought the Broncos were about to shock the world with Kendall Hinton coming off the practice squad and upsetting the Saints, go seek medical attention ASAP, please. And this isn’t a knock on Hilton, who was told that due to quarterback negligence he was starting an NFL game.

With all four quarterbacks in quarantine due to COVID protocol, Hilton struggled under center, going 1-of-9 for 13 yards and two interceptions on the way to 31-3 loss. Taysom Hill though wasn’t great passing against the Broncos’ secondary. Still looking for his first touchdown, the gadget-man went 9-of-16 passing for 78 yards and an interception. If not for his running skills, New Orleans would have only won by 14.

Hill is filling in decent for New Orleans, but he’s not the future quarterback. If Drew Lock, or any quarterback for that matter, wears a mask, perhaps this is the upset of the week. But the biggest loser is anyone actively sat down to watch the pure agony that a football game in Mile High.