The Cleveland Browns are 5-3 and sit one-and-a-half games behind the Baltimore Ravens for first place in the AFC North, and they will get the opportunity to gain some ground when they host the Ravens this Sunday.
Jake Trotter of ESPN recently stressed how important these next couple of games are for the Browns, saying that they will have a great chance of hosting a playoff game if they can win both of them.
Cleveland’s next two games are against a pair of division rivals in the Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, both of whom are currently ahead of the Browns in the standings (the Steelers have the same 5-3 record, but they are technically ahead by way of the tiebreaker because they beat Cleveland earlier this season).
The Browns are playing in an ultra-competitive AFC North in which every team in the division is over .500 You have the Ravens at 7-2 and the Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals both at 5-3. The Bengals have been red-hot of late, winning their last four games.
While Cleveland has had an impressive season thus far, it unfortunately can’t pick the division in which it plays, so it will need to be even better from here on out to assure itself of a playoff spot.
The Browns currently boast the NFL’s top-ranked defense, as they are allowing just 234.8 yards per game. However, they have had some issues offensively, ranking 18th in the league in total offense. Much of that is due to the fact that Cleveland has had some instability at quarterback, as Deshaun Watson missed some time with a shoulder injury. Fortunately, Watson returned last weekend and looked solid in leading the Browns to a win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Cleveland is aiming to make just its second playoff appearance since 2003. It earned a trip to the postseason during the 2020-21 campaign when it won 11 games and nailed down a Wild Card berth. The Browns defeated the Steelers in the Wild Card Round before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round.
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