The Cleveland Browns are sitting at 2-6-0. That is the bad news.
The Cleveland Browns are only three games out of first place in the division. That is the good news.
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ANOTHER REBUILD
Say what you want about the season. Be negative and point out all the blunders. State how bad the offense has been. Tell us about the roller coaster season with the kicker. Point to bad play calling and all of the injuries.
Yes, all of this has happened. The offensive line has regressed. Key players are now missing from the lineup going forward.
But do not say that the season is already lost. Do not. It isn’t. Nine games remain on the schedule, and there are numerous winnable matches left.
To qualify for a Wild Card seed in the postseason, it will take 10 wins. However, a division title can be much less of a requirement in the win column.
New York Jets (1-7-0), Baltimore Ravens (3-5-0). Las Vegas Raiders (2-5-0), Tennessee Titans (1-7-0), Chicago Bears (4-3-0), Pittsburgh Steelers (4-3-0), and Cincinnati Bengals (3-5-0). Plus, the San Francisco 49ers (5-3-0) have shown several kinks in their armor lately, including ranking #27 in rushing.
The only opponent that is probably a confirmed loss is the Buffalo Bills.
Last year, the Browns won three games, but two of those victories were against the Steelers and Ravens. Both teams went to the playoffs, so it can be done.
Here are the current division standings:
Steelers 5-3-0, division: 1-1
Ravens 3-5-0, division: 1-0
Bengals 3-6-0, division: 2-0
Browns 2-6-0, division: 0-3
As you can see, Cleveland is just three games out of first place. Those three division losses are a huge negative, but the only way to the playoffs is to win the division crown, something this franchise has never done since the division was renamed the AFC North.
Rankings for every team in the division:
Passing offense:
- Bengals #15
- Ravens #21
- Browns #29
- Steelers #30
Rushing offense:
- Ravens #6
- Browns #26
- Bengals #28
- Steelers #29
Passing defense:
- Browns #9
- Steelers #27
- Ravens #28
- Bengals #30
Rushing defense:
- Browns #12
- Steelers #14
- Ravens #22
- Bengals #31
This Cleveland team has had to overcome so many problems this season. LT Dawand Jones was lost for the season. So was CB M.J. Emerson and KR DeAndre Carter. Leading tackler LB Carson Schwesinger is out for a while. The offense traded away its starting quarterback, Joe Flacco, and inserted a rookie instead. The run game is finally getting some traction with the addition of rookie Quinshon Judkins.
Three linebackers are all on IR, including JOK, Winston Reid, and Bookie Watson. QB Deshaun Watson still isn’t ready to play. Starting RCB Greg Newsome was traded.
But one thing for certain, the offense has been the Achilles heel for this squad. The left tackle position has been a revolving door since Jones became injured and landed on IR. TE David Njoku has missed some time with minor injuries. RT Jack Conklin was hurt, but is now back in the lineup.
And the receiver room has been a major disappointment.
But the defense is clearly one of the best in the NFL this year. That has been the saving grace for this ballclub all season.
The entire division is in shambles. That is where the Browns can buckle down and defeat the majority of these winnable games and attempt to get into the playoffs through the back door.
Despite leading the division, Pittsburgh is at the bottom of most statistical categories. It is a complete mystery, besides Lamar Jackson’s injury, why Baltimore is so bad this year, but they are.
Here is an interesting stat: Not a single team in the AFC North has scored more points on offense than their defense has allowed.
Yes, yes, yes, this offense can’t get moving and does not finish drives. At this point, punter Corey Bojorquez is this group’s offensive MVP. He leads the league in punts. Only the bad offensive units use their punter that much. All good NFL teams use their punters the least. They finish drives and score points instead of trotting out their punter.
The Browns scored 31 points against the Miami Dolphins in Week 7, yet have failed to score more than 20 points in every other contest. They have been blown out four times, and it’s just the beginning of the second half.
It would seem contradictory to say that Cleveland has a chance of making the postseason this year, given their current record and lack of offense. It may come across as being a homer. That statement may be just cause to assume that DBN writers drink heavily while piecing together articles. Or maybe we have quotas.
But the facts are, the Browns should have beaten the Bengals on opening weekend, they defeated one of the best teams in the league 13-10 over the Green Bay Packers, and were leading the Minnesota Vikings 17-14 with 25 seconds remaining in the game.
It is a complete fact that the remaining portion of the Browns’ schedule has plenty of winnable games. It is another fact that the division is full of clubs that are struggling just like Cleveland. This team has a great defense. And the offensive line is about as healthy as it has been all year.
What is the key going forward? The same as it has been every week so far: win games.
Now, back to that Woodford Reserve……
