The Cleveland Browns saw their playoff odds take a massive jump on Thursday night despite not playing a game. As their AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers dropped a game to the then lowly two-win New England Patriots, Cleveland’s chances of making the playoffs now sit at 69 percent with five games to go (according to ESPN’s Football Power Index).
The Steelers on the other hand? They saw their playoff odds drop to a rock-bottom 33.3 percent. With quarterback Kenny Pickett out, not that he was playing at a high level anyway, the Steelers turned to former second-overall pick Mitch Trubisky. And it went about as well as one would think.
The Browns, of course, have to take care of their own business despite being in the driver’s seat. Games are not played on spreadsheets, so Cleveland will need to show up and give the Jacksonville Jaguars a gritty game for 60 minutes. If they do, however, they could all but seal their postseason fate with a win.
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