Cleveland's Path to Win the AFC North
The fact that I can write this article about this 2023 Browns team is amazing. With four games left in the 2023 season, Cleveland has experienced seven season-ending injuries and has kept the roster together with paperclips and rubber bands.
This team's never-quit attitude has put them it in position to be one of the surprising teams of the NFL this year. As of Monday morning, Cleveland has a 86 percent chance to make the playoffs and an 11 percent chance to win the AFC North.
Nov 12, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) reacts after sacking Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson (8) during the second half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Though the odds of winning the division are not high, there is a path to get there AFC North and earn a home playoff game it some things fall their way. Let's see how they get that done.
Their first step is to take care of their own business. Their final four games are against Chicago, Houston, New York, and Cincinnati. Cleveland should be favored in three out of those four games, depending on the health of C.J. Stroud, who is in the concussion protocol, and the status of the Bengals come Week 18.
Cleveland would need to go 4-0 over that stretch and finish 12-and-5.
Then, over in Baltimore, the Ravens have to go two-and-two over their last four games to finish 12-and-five as well. Normally, you'd think this is wishful thinking but given that the Ravens' have yet to play Jacksonville, San Francisco, Miami and Pittsburgh it's a real possibility they could lose multiple games.
Of those four matchups, they will be on the road for te Jacksonville and San Francisco games, with the other two matchups being in the friendly confines of M&T Bank Stadium. For Baltimore to go two-and-two over that stretch is not an unrealistic outcome.
The Browns have taken a beating this year and has continued to hang in there. If they can take care of their business there's a chance the playoffs could Cleveland come January.
