-3The Pittsburgh Steelers just lost to the WFT. While that is just their first loss on the season, it leaves the Browns a mere 2 games behind. That, plus the fact they have looked bad the last 2 games and the Browns have seemingly hit their stride...and yes, the AFCN Championship is still a possibility for the Browns.
Week 14: Browns host the Ravens (with a win, 10-3; 3-2 in division)/Steelers visit the Bills. The Bills have a legit shot of beating them (11-2; 4-0 in division).
Week 15: Browns visit the Giants (11-3; 3-2)/Steelers visit the Bengals...no chance there (12-2/5-0)
Week 16: Browns visit the Jets (12-3; 3-2)/Steelers host the Colts fighting for their playoff lives (12-3; 5-0)
Week 17: Browns host the Steelers - WIN AND CHAMPIONS!!!
Not saying it is likely...(currently 5%)...but it IS POSSIBLE!!!
It can flip really fast. If we beat a reeling Ravens team and the Steelers (right now, the way they're playing) seem really unlikely to beat the Bills? We're 1 game back with 3 remaining including a head-to-head in the finale.
That's a very close race. I have to think we're favored to beat both NY teams and the Steelers could be underdogs to the Colts. The "scratch" would be a marquee matchup between two 12-3 teams.
The only "upset" in the whole scenario is the Browns must beat the Ravens. But I have to run over to the preview to see what version of the Ravens we'll play. They were descending BEFORE they got Covid bit.
I'm keeping it semi on the down low (but the players aren't!) until after this weekend. Then it's 100% legit.
Yeah, this weekend changes everything, if only for discussion.
Browns 9-3 with PIT left means nothing is over...yet.
If I'm betting, the Steelers will play angry and destroy the Bills.
But, over here in Brownsland, it's a real possibility that the Steelers can't overcome the loss of Dupree, the cold weather, the lack of a running game...and Josh Allen doing Josh Allen things. That will be a damn playoff game for the Steelers, and I'm not sure the Bills will be ready.
I'll certainly be watching and cheering hard for the Bills though. Will be amazing game, regardless.
Browns have a LOT of business to take care of. I'm sucking the marrow out of each week because I know the January/February hangover is real.
Happy damn Holidays this year, indeed!
Bills will be favored. They seem built to compete in every game, very complete, I do not see them getting caught half-engaged. They're like us, establishing a sustainable winning culture.
I like our chances to get what we need this weekend. Beating the Ravens is just way bigger than beating the Titans... and that felt big.
There are scenarios where the Browns win their next three but the Steelers don't cooperate and they have the tiebreakers... where WE rest starters. Like if we're locked into the 5 at 12-3 and the win or loss doesn't matter.
Cowherd (sic Cowterd) hates Mayfield...he can deny all he wants, but his constant attacks belie his denials. With that said...check this out: HE HAS THE BROWNS AND BAKER AHEAD OF THE STEELERS!!!
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1) (2)
7. Cleveland Browns (9-3) (10)
After watching the Steelers last two games (some), I would absolutely favor the Browns in a matchup. If you tell me we'll be healthy, and perhaps even Ronnie Harrison is back? I'd feel even more confident.
Our LB play has been improving steadily all year. Takitaki is now SECOND among all LBs against the run. Mack Wilson looks like a different guy now that he's all healed up. BJ is playing very solid ball. Phillips has the highest upside of the whole gang, biggest AND fastest. Malcolm Smith is seeing fewer snaps but still playing great ball, had like a 91 PFF last game.
I can't really point to any one of them and get eager to be done with him. I was hoping it would trend that way as the season went on. Starting to feel like if we could field a healthy defense, where Myles and Denzel and Ronnie all play, we're ready to be pretty damn good on that side of the ball.
Some dudes (Vernon, Mack) have really stepped it up.
Bottom line.......
Fuck Pittsburgh
Fuck Baltimore
It's on like
Now.....
Five Goldilocks teams that COULD shake up NFL playoffs; maximizing Taysom Hill, Jalen Hurts
Spoiler: Browns ranked #1.
All of this goes from dreamland to reality in a single weekend, this one. If the Browns win and the Steelers lose, it's a one game gap with three left and a head-to-head finale.
That's real any way you cut it, especially when they have the Colts and we have the Giants and Jets. Although the Giants are getting to be less of an easy out. Hence the Prime Time.
Rapistberger is throwing the ball about as well as he understands consent...
It's all real now...a win over the ratbirds puts us a game behind and the stoolers face a hot Colts team the week before facing us in Cleveland.
Replying to this so I don't derail the thread; but as people have pointed out, they're 11-2 and their quarterback is fading rapidly. What is he going to look like next year? They may find themselves in quarterback hell - too good to get a top prospect, but not good enough to turn water in to wine.
A lot of people think they should swing a deal for unwanted youth like Darnold, but their best players are getting old too. Haden, Hayward, Pouncy, Villaneuva and Alualu are all at least about to be 32 - parting with draft capital is only going to burden the surrounding talent which risks the quarterback they're investing in to begin with.
Their winning is going to be such a curse moving forward.
@BDU Wonder if they go after Wentz?
Pittsburgh's loss today, and more importantly the nature of just not looking very good, makes tomorrow's game all the more important. I'm devastated I won't get to watch - I'm at work by the time night games start, and tomorrow is my final deadline for the year so I won't even get to pay much attention.
We've been waiting since the return for a game this important. We can run down Pittsburgh, and two straight games isn't an aberration. Beating Tennessee and Baltimore back-to-back would be the same but reversed. It'll be impossible to deny the Browns as a threat at 10-3 with back-to-back big wins. Then we've got two very winnable games against bad teams before taking on Pittsburgh - who, by then, I don't know what to expect.
Something special could be happening here. We need this W.
Blow off work and come drinking with the rest of us.
@Barrels A car just caught fire about 200m from my house tonight, so that front page booked for Wednesday morning is far less pressing now because I've already got my front page. It's super frustrating. Any other day at work and I could blow it off, but not deadline when we put the pages together. And for such a monumental game to occur just two days before I'm on holidays is really, really annoying. I told my girlfriend about the get together in Melbourne and told her we'll get to the next one. She was like, "It would be awkward for me because I don't know enough. All I could do is sit there and say words. Baker Mayfield. Myles Garrett. Touchdown." I was like, "Those are literally the only words we're interest in."
And “another pint, thanks”.
Oh, man, I wanna go to Australia and party with you guys. That sounds amazing.
It's no shame or horror if we lose. We're 9-4, still the 5th seed, with an 84% chance of making the playoffs.
But it doesn't feel that way. It'd take a couple sweet wins in NY and then a beatdown on the Steelers to get over a bad or even meh performance tonight. It feels like a giant spotlight is on us.
Scads of media types are ready to get all the way on the bandwagon... or jump right back off. A tight loss might be the middle ground, I suppose. Like, look how much more competitive they are now and all that.
But man, a win would be so damn glorious.
In the real world, you are right, Shep. But........
Shutting up the Rats and the national Baltimore kiss ass media in one game - then putting the arrogant Stoolers in their place three weeks later..........
If any of you guys wake me from this dream..........
(you guys remember the line before this)
Like I said in the other thread...THIS GAME is more important to the Browns than it is to the Ravens. Sure, the Ravens are in a win or pretty much out of the playoffs.
BUT
The Browns not only have a shot at the AFCN championship...but almost as importantly they have a chance to flip the script on their history. They can finally be the tough guys, the winners, the contender.
Baker and the guys KNOW this. They not only WANT it, they NEED IT!!!
So close but all good. This season is the beginning, not the end.
We have our coach. We have our QB. We have TWO RBs. We have a studly line.
This was the "bring it on, bitches" game we've been waiting for.
Let's bounce back now and keep the fun rolling to the playoffs!
Great post, dama!
Ended up in that in-between: It stings but it's also proof of just how far we've come in this first season in our contention window (with no preseason). Baker has developed in the system so well in S1, really exciting to imagine him after a full camp, actually accumulating knowledge in that same scheme, not starting over for a fourth time.
He's really good right now. I fully expect him to be great next year. Return or add the dynamic outside WR presence (OBJ or high-ish pick or shrewd f/a add)... but the rest is all about seriously upgrading the defense.
We're already returning a lot of guys -- basically, Delpit, Harrison, Billings, Greedy, and Weaver before we draft or add -- and then I expect 3 of our first 4 picks and a couple key free agents will be in the mix.
All of those plus Denzel were missing from the lineup and all five could be starters in 2021. That's half a defense before we add anybody. My gut says Jacob, Mack, and Sione all return but none of the vets, even BJ. Draft one pretty high and add another in free agency.
I think Larry O. might be toast.
On the eve of our week 15 games, the Stoolers sit at 11-2, and we are at 9-4. Stoolers clinch the AFCN title with a likely win Monday night in Paul Brown Stadium. But..........
Until the losses are in the loss column, it is mathematically possible. I don't know how tiebreakers play out, but the Browns and Pittspuke could finish both at 12-4.
TWELVE freaking wins for us? You could have made a shit ton of money betting that in Vegas back in August.
Due to the Steelers already being 5-0 in the AFCN...and the Browns are 2-3....they own the tie-breaker. The Browns now need to win out, and the Steelers to lose out, in order to win the AFCN.
The big game is the Bengals. If the Bengals can find a way to win, then the Colts and Browns beating the Steelers looks pretty realistic.
I wouldn't say a win over Pittsburgh is likely. We're 1-4 in what you could consider big games against Baltimore (x2), Pittsburgh, Las Vegas and Tennessee.
Especially when the win over Tennessee required a historic first half performance and they still almost ran us down.
Until our defense actually does something, It's hard to say we're likely to win any game.
Don't forget the win over the Colts