As discussed on Tuesday’s Team-By-Team podcasts, I’ve abbreviated this week’s Matchups column in order to highlight critical situations rather than write up every player in every game, a task that’s become humanly impossible due to Covid breakouts across the league and subsequent NFL rule changes made to enhance player game-day availability but render the predictability of game-day availability unknown until very late in the week, if not game day itself.
My goal is to provide 1-3 per-game capsules focusing on potentially high-impact scenarios created by not only offense-versus-defense matchups and vice versa but injury and illness clusters that may lead to fantasy-friendly opportunities and/or play a significant role in determining outcomes of each game.
** I expect this week’s Matchups Update Log to be potentially even more valuable than this column because never before in NFL history have late-week changes been as monumental as down the 2021 regular season stretch. I’ll spend most of Friday and all day Saturday keeping the Update Log up to date. Especially crucial scenarios like Lamar Jackson’s availability will be addressed in the Update Log.
Christmas Saturday Games
4:30 PM ET Game
Cleveland @ Green Bay
Visiting Lambeau on an exceptionally short turnaround — the Browns lost to the Raiders last Monday and face the Packers on Saturday — Cleveland also looks likely to remain exceptionally shorthanded. Injuries and illnesses have especially taken their toll on DC Joe Woods’ defense; DE Myles Garrett (groin, questionable) couldn’t practice all week, DT Malik Jackson (knee, questionable) barely did, DE Takk McKinley (Achilles) is done for the year, SS John Johnson (hamstring) has been ruled out, and as of Thursday afternoon, DE Jadeveon Clowney, S Ronnie Harrison, CBs Troy Hill and Gregory Newsome, and DT Malik McDowell all remained on the Covid list. Even if Marquez Valdes-Scantling (Covid) can’t get cleared, this is a smash spot for the entirety of Green Bay’s offense.
8:15 PM ET Game
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