Analyst Poses Interesting Playoff Path For Browns

Could the Cleveland Browns actually make the NFL playoffs in spite of their 1-5 start?

Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) against the Philadelphia Eagles during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns are just 1-5, so fans are probably thinking more of a No. 1 draft pick than a playoff berth at this point.

But is there still a path for the Browns to make the playoffs?

Jared Mueller of Dawgs By Nature thinks so.

While Mueller didn't go as far to predict that Cleveland will crash the NFL postseason party, he did outline the fact that the Browns actually do have some hope.

Why? Because only six teams in the AFC currently have winning records, and Cleveland is actually only two games out of a Wild Card spot heading into Week 7.

"Something like two straight victories, starting this week in the AFC North, could then impact the team’s plans at the NFL trade deadline," Mueller wrote.

Oddly enough, the Browns have yet to play a divisional opponent through six games, and they will have their first AFC North matchup on Sunday when they face the Cincinnati Bengals.

So, yeah: there is still technically a chance that Cleveland can qualify for the playoffs. And four teams have made the postseason after starting 1-5, so it's not entirely unprecedented.

But is it likely? Absolutely not.

The Browns have yet to crack the 20-point mark all season long thanks to a myriad of problems offensively, the subpar play of quarterback Deshaun Watson chief among them.

Plus, Cleveland's defense—which ranked No. 1 in the league a year ago—has taken a step back in 2024.

But if the Browns are able to string together a couple of wins in a row here, it may make the front office rethink selling at the trade deadline.