Ravens use schedule as motivator again

Baltimore Ravens: Safety Eric Weddle gets to see former teammate Philip Rivers before Christmas, but he's not in much of a festive move about the Ravens drawing one of the AFC's best teams -- the Los Angeles Chargers -- given the rest disparity. "It's obviously a disadvantage," Weddle said of the schedule working against Baltimore, with the Chargers having 10 days between Week 15 and Week 16 games. By comparison, the Ravens enter Saturday's game on less-than-normal rest. "We're going to use this as motivation," Weddle said. "It's stacked up against us. We're going to be the underdog. No one is going to think we're going to win. This just adds to the game. Would we like to have 10 days to prepare for one of the best teams in the league? Of course, but we don't."

Cincinnati Bengals: Another key skill position player is likely done for the season. Wide receiver Tyler Boyd has a sprained MCL and needs at least two weeks to recover. With only two games remaining, he's a candidate for injured reserve, where he would join quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green, though head coach Marvin Lewis said no decision has been made yet. Boyd reached his goal of becoming the first Cincinnati wide receiver to reach 1,000 yards in a season not named Green since Chad Johnson did it in 2009. Now, he's looking at bigger targets to knock down in 2019. "Hopefully I get into the Pro Bowl. I've been working my tail off each and every day," Boyd said.

Cleveland Browns: Interim head coach Gregg Williams (NYSE:WMB) said he believes the Browns are shaking the losing culture that has defined the franchise since returning to the NFL in 1999. But he prefers players focus on the next day, instead of the next milestone on the schedule. At 6-7-1, the Browns are still barely alive in the playoff chase. "I would say that our guys understand there is a good young team in there," Williams said. "We have to continue to focus on week after week after week on don't look ahead. Do not look ahead. That is when things start to maybe become more distractions that we were just talking about."

Pittsburgh Steelers: First-round safety Terrell Edmunds and the Steelers kept Tom Brady & Co. without a touchdown in three red-zone opportunities and without a point in two goal-to-go situations on Sunday, which the rookie said was all part of the mindset implanted by the defense early in the week. "It was like a playoff game for us," Edmunds said. "We just lost three games in a row. We just have to come together as a team, come together on Tuesday, and keep it going."

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--Field Level Media