NFL Stock Watch: Lions make history; Cowboys fall short in critical spots

Geoff Schwartz

FOX Sports Betting Analyst

With wins on Sunday, the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins are in the playoffs. The Browns are a win away from joining them while the NFC East title appears to be heading back to Philadelphia. The Eagles would be the first repeat winner in that division since 2004. 

It was another wild NFL Sunday, and I’ve got the teams that saw their stock rise and fall on Christmas Eve. 

STOCK UP

Detroit Lions

Congratulations to the Lions and their long-suffering fan base. With the Lions’ victory on Sunday against the Vikings, the city of Detroit has its first division title since 1993. It’s been so long that the Lions were in a different division back then, so this is their first NFC North title! 

It’s a remarkable accomplishment for a franchise that has not experienced any sustained success in multiple generations. Dan Campbell was hired before the 2021 season and went 4-19 in his first 23 games. His Lions are 19-6 in their past 25 games. The build started with fortifying their lines and adding weapons on offense. They traded for Jared Goff, and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson molded the offense to Goff’s skill set. This Lions team plays like its coach, with confidence, aggressive and without fear. It’s all paid off with an NFC North title and a legit opportunity to win a home playoff game. 

Dave Helman, Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma break down Lions history

Cleveland Browns

Joe Flacco leading Cleveland to the playoffs was not on the 2023 NFL bingo card. After the Browns throttled the Houston Texans, they are one win away from the postseason. If the Ravens lose to the 49ers on Christmas night, the Browns are even in position to win the AFC North. 

Cleveland’s defense is fantastic, sitting first in DVOA for most of the season. What the team didn’t have for 12 weeks was a consistent offense to match its defense. Enter Joe Flacco, who has led the Browns to three straight wins…


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Publish date : 2023-12-25 03:20:39

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