The Cleveland Browns sit in fifth place in the AFC with their 9-4 record entering Week 15. That’s good enough for a one-game lead in the Wild Card standings, but the grip is tenuous.
This weekend will help shake out the AFC playoff picture. In fact, it already has. Thursday’s night overtime win by the Chargers in Las Vegas dropped the Raiders to 7-7. That’s an important loss for the Browns in the tie-breaker process because the Raiders beat the Browns earlier this year.
Here are the other games with impact on Cleveland and the most favorable outcomes.
New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins are 8-5 and breathing down Cleveland’s neck. New England is 6-7 and clinging to mathematical improbability for a postseason berth. Just one more Cleveland win eliminates the Patriots from overtaking them for a spot, so it’s obvious to root for New England to somehow take down the Dolphins.
Denver Broncos at Buffalo Bills
Buffalo leads the AFC East at 10-3, two games up on the Dolphins in that division and one game above the Browns overall. At 5-8, the Broncos are insignificant for Cleveland. A Bills win clinches the East and helps them cement the No. 3 seed (or higher). Presuming the Browns hang onto the top Wild Card spot, that would mean Cleveland would avoid playing Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs.
Detroit Lions at Tennessee Titans
The rule of thumb applies here: always root for NFC teams to beat AFC playoff contenders. The 9-4 Titans clinch a playoff berth if they win and the Ravens lose. It’s not terrible if the Titans win because that would help them win the South, and the Browns fare better in Wild Card tiebreakers against the Colts than the Titans despite beating both of them.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
The hope here is ex-Browns coach Romeo Crennel can pull off one last upset as the interim coach of the Texans. Indianapolis, like Cleveland, is 9-4. They’re chasing the Titans in the South and currently hold the No. 6 seed.
Looking forward, as long as the Browns and Colts (or Titans) are the only teams involved in a tiebreak situation, the Browns will prevail. But Cleveland loses out in multi-team situations in almost every scenario. A Colts loss here would help in that regard, too.
Jacksonville Jaguars at Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens’ win over the Browns on Monday night dramatically improved their playoff vitality. At 8-5, they’re still very much in the picture despite being on the outside looking in at the start of the week.
Jacksonville hasn’t won since Week 1, though they have played some close games of late. A Jaguars upset would be the single best outcome the Browns can hope for in any game this weekend.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals (Monday)
The Steelers clinch the North with a win. In looking at the roster the Bengals are expected to trot out, it’s probably time to give up the dream of a Browns’ division title.