The Cleveland Browns path back to the playoffs is simplest as the division winner. While this is always true, with the loaded AFC going into 2022, it is more important. As noted in the power rankings Thursday, where 10 of the top 13 teams were from the AFC, the fight for the seven playoff spots in the conference will be difficult.
At this point in the offseason, given all the moves with players coming from the NFC to the AFC, only three AFC teams are not expected to compete for playoff spots: Houston, Jacksonville and the New York Jets. The Pittsburgh Steelers could join that list but their ability to compete no matter their roster has been impressive.
Given the state of the NFL at this time, with most big moves outside of the NFL draft completed, the Browns are expected to have the ninth easiest schedule in the NFL. In the AFC North, Baltimore is ranked 14th easiest while Pittsburgh and Cincinnati have the sixth and seventh hardest schedules in the league.
Here is the visual from the article:
Last year, the model did well in predicting how difficult a schedule would be:
- Warren Sharp’s 2021 NFL Strength of Schedule methodology correctly forecasted all of them would have Top 8 toughest schedules except the Chiefs (#20).
- Warren Sharp’s 2021 NFL Strength of Schedule methodology correctly forecasted that 6 of these Top 7 teams would rank inside the Top 10 easiest schedules (only the Bengals did not).
Strength of schedule is just one piece of information. Teams still need to play well even if they have an easier schedule and teams still need to overcome a more difficult schedule if they have one.
For Cleveland, a nice piece of information to know they are likely to have the easiest path to the playoffs, possibly through the AFC North crown, of the teams in their division.