The Browns don’t play on Sunday this week. Instead, Cleveland fans can sit back and watch the action around the league while waiting for Monday night’s matchup at FirstEnergy with the Baltimore Ravens.
Here’s what Browns fans need to watch in regards to the team’s burgeoning postseason prospects.
The week already started off promisingly, with the Los Angeles Rams thumping the New England Patriots, 24-3, on Thursday night. The loss drops the Patriots to 6-7 and in the distant rearview mirror for the playoffs.
Tennessee Titans at Jacksonville Jaguars
This one’s obvious. The Jaguars have an 11-game losing streak. If they can somehow snap it against the 8-4 Titans, it would be a huge boon for the Browns. Cleveland already owns the tie-break with Tennessee from the Week 13 win in Nashville, but avoiding the tiebreaker is even better.
Kansas City Chiefs at Miami Dolphins
Kansas City is 11-1 and all but out of reach for the 9-3 Browns. The 8-4 Dolphins are the much more pertinent foe in this one for Cleveland. A Chiefs win would keep the Dolphins at least one game back of the Browns in the Wild Card race. It also would help augment the Browns’ chances in a tiebreaker with the Dolphins, who they do not play in 2020.
If you’re looking more macro-level, presuming the Browns win the top Wild Card spot, the Chiefs winning makes it more likely that Cleveland would face the Steelers instead of Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City in the Divisional Round after a playoff victory in the Wild Card round. That’s really putting the cart before the horse…
Indianapolis Colts at Las Vegas Raiders
This one’s huge for the Browns and the entire Wild Card picture. The Colts are 8-4, the Raiders are 7-5. Indianapolis is currently the No. 7 seed, the final playoff team. Las Vegas is the top team on the outside looking in, and a win would lift them up over the Colts.
The Raiders beat the Browns, while Cleveland owns the head-to-head victory over the Colts. An Indianapolis win here would do wonders for the Browns in keeping the Raiders at least two games back with three to play. It might seem counterintuitive to root for the team closer to the Browns in the standings, but burying the Raiders deeper is the more favorable outcome for Cleveland here. Here’s why:
If the Browns beat the Ravens, they’ll be three games up on both Baltimore and Las Vegas with three weeks to play. If you’re still nervous about the Browns not making the postseason despite the 97 percent probability, it would take both the Ravens and Raiders winning out and the Browns losing out for Cleveland to not make it–if the Raiders lose to the Colts.
Pittsburgh Steelers at Buffalo Bills
If you’re a believer in the Browns chances to win the AFC North, the Bills absolutely have to win this game. Buffalo is 9-3 and the current No. 3 seed as the AFC East champ. The Bills winning would keep them atop the East and at least one game up on the Dolphins.
If Pittsburgh wins, it raises the potential that the Browns as the No. 5 seed would play in Buffalo in the Wild Card round. Your rooting interest there depends on if you’d rather the Browns face Buffalo or the South champ (Tennessee or Indianapolis) in the playoff opener. Considering the Browns beat both the South teams, avoiding the Bills might be a good idea.