The Browns Path to the Playoffs

[mjp28]

38 minutes ago, hish747 said:

That would be amazing since they're playing each other!

A tie keeps a potential W out of one of them C 5-4-1 B 4-5-1, best option? It can happen.

[Dutch Oven]

2 hours ago, hish747 said:

That would be amazing since they're playing each other!

I kind of figured that would be the 1pm game here, but instead we get the Steelers vs Jaguars or BLEH! Cowboys vs Falcons. (For a team firmly settled into mediocrity for so long, goddamn do we have to have the Cowboys shoved down our throats on the regular). 

[hoorta]

3 hours ago, PoeticG said:

We are just behind Baltimore and Cincy. Baltimore is sending out Jackson and he won't last long as a full time QB. 

Cincy is still missing AJ Green if I believe and maybe both Baltimore and Cincy lose this week. Then next week we beat Cincy that knocks them down two spots. That would put us 1/2 a game behind the Bengals and closer to having the edge if beat them. I believe we would also pass the Ravens since we beat them as well. 

One step at a time. This team seems to be coming together at the right time despite the slew of injuries and have embraced the next man up mentality. 

 

The reality is- we have to hope the Ratbirds either beat or tie the Bungles...  Leaves them both 5-5. 

[hish747]

12 hours ago, Dutch Oven said:

I kind of figured that would be the 1pm game here, but instead we get the Steelers vs Jaguars or BLEH! Cowboys vs Falcons. (For a team firmly settled into mediocrity for so long, goddamn do we have to have the Cowboys shoved down our throats on the regular). 

Steeler/Jags wouldn't be too bad. It would be weird to hope the squeelers win right? As we're competing with Jags for a wildcard.

[The Gipper]

8 minutes ago, hish747 said:

Steeler/Jags wouldn't be too bad. It would be weird to hope the squeelers win right? As we're competing with Jags for a wildcard.

Shmuck the Steelers forever I don’t care who they play nobodies rooting for them

[BobPOUND!]

Everyone keeps saying we need to go all 6 to even have a chance. I don't see it necessarily that way. We have 3 more intra conference games. 2 against Cinci and 1 against the Ratbirds.. Ratbirds are playing Cinci today... So.. Cinci loses to the Ravens.. both are sitting at 5-5-0.. Pittsburgh is playing Jax today. Should be a Steeler win, but Jax has it in them to win.. Then Pitts has NO, Pats, Charges, Cincinnati and Raider.  Give them the Raiders game.. The rest are all hard wins any way you look at it.. Give them Cinci and they lose the rest..

We win 5 of last 6 which is probably asking way to much, but is possible for us... We play Cinci 2 times and Ratbirds once.. That should be enough to get us above them both. We win the AFC north ...   ..

As improbable as it is, it is beyond great to still be interested in Browns football at Thanksgiving.. I will be watching even after we go out of all realistic contention.. To the bitter end.. Or sweet end if you ask me. Most positive I've been about this team going out of a season since back in the 90's.. 

 

BobPound!

[Comeonman]

Definitely. Watching the Browns play like an NFL team is something I’ve waited for since 2007. Not being eliminated from playoffs in October is a step in the right direction. 

[hish747]

3 hours ago, The Gipper said:

Shmuck the Steelers forever I don’t care who they play nobodies rooting for them

Right, unless you want the Browns to have a shot at making the playoffs, but I mean who wants that??

[hoorta]

After the dust has settled, we're not eliminated, but too many teams at 5-5 (two games up in the win column) to get ahead of.   

[gumby73]

We may prefer the Colts or Titans remaining schedule? But the Browns maynot move out of playoff slot #11? but get help on a few games. Texans move to #5 wildcard slot..Ravens 5-5 ,now take over #6 wildcard slot. But bring 4 more teams with a 5-5 record.>> #7-Bengals,#8-Miami,#9-Colts,#10-Titans..Browns sit #11 at 3-6-1..But come on Chargers!!..Knock #12 Denver off..Denver just went up 20-19 with 12:17 remaining in 4th.. Edit--Denver goes to 4-6, winning 23-22 on fg with clock expiring..👎 

[ATOM]

41 minutes ago, gumby73 said:

We may prefer the Colts or Titans remaining schedule? But the Browns maynot move out of playoff slot #11? but get help on a few games. Texans move to #5 wildcard slot..Ravens 5-5 ,now take over #6 wildcard slot. But bring 4 more teams with a 5-5 record.>> #7-Bengals,#8-Miami,#9-Colts,#10-Titans..Browns sit #11 at 3-6-1..But come on Chargers!!..Knock #12 Denver off..Denver just went up 20-19 with 12:17 remaining in 4th.. Edit--Denver goes to 4-6, winning 23-22 on fg with clock expiring..👎 

shouldnt there have been a 10 second run off against denver at the ending of the game

[gumby73]

45 minutes ago, ATOM said:

shouldnt there have been a 10 second run off against denver at the ending of the game

sorry syd, never saw the ending plays..my 2 dogs decided they wanted to chase some deers from empty field into woods..The deers won again..🦌 

[BobPOUND!]

I love that we are still in the theoretic thick of the playoff hunt.. The AFC in general looks very week this year outside of the division leaders.  Lots of potential for some upsets and a clear path for the Browns. But the Browns have to win period.. 

[Zombo]

We slipped back to the #12 hole during our bye week thanks to Denver winning, but they are not a problem because they are on our schedule.

We need Baltimore to lose one other game outside of ours,  and Miami, Indy and Tennessee to lose two more games each, otherwise we control our own destiny.

Zombo

[hoorta]

1 hour ago, Zombo said:

We slipped back to the #12 hole during our bye week thanks to Denver winning, but they are not a problem because they are on our schedule.

 

We need Baltimore to lose one other game outside of ours,  and Miami, Indy and Tennessee to lose two more games each, otherwise we control our own destiny.

Zombo

And I suppose you believe in the tooth fairy...   What are the odds? Get to 6-6-1, and I'll start believing we have a ghost of a chance.... 

[hoorta]

14 hours ago, BobPOUND! said:

Everyone keeps saying we need to go all 6 to even have a chance. I don't see it necessarily that way. We have 3 more intra conference games. 2 against Cinci and 1 against the Ratbirds.. Ratbirds are playing Cinci today... So.. Cinci loses to the Ravens.. both are sitting at 5-5-0.. Pittsburgh is playing Jax today. Should be a Steeler win, but Jax has it in them to win.. Then Pitts has NO, Pats, Charges, Cincinnati and Raider.  Give them the Raiders game.. The rest are all hard wins any way you look at it.. Give them Cinci and they lose the rest..

We win 5 of last 6 which is probably asking way to much, but is possible for us... We play Cinci 2 times and Ratbirds once.. That should be enough to get us above them both. We win the AFC north ...   ..

As improbable as it is, it is beyond great to still be interested in Browns football at Thanksgiving.. I will be watching even after we go out of all realistic contention.. To the bitter end.. Or sweet end if you ask me. Most positive I've been about this team going out of a season since back in the 90's.. 

 

BobPound!

Even if we manage to sweep the Bengals and Ravens- there's far too many permutations of the other 5-5 teams to even start doing what-if scenarios. And face it, one more loss, and it's wait till next year for the playoffs. Even winning out might not do it. 

[Orion]

Reality Check:    We have 3 wins in 10 games.  Barring divine intercession, we are not making the playoffs.

[jiggins7919]

19 hours ago, BobPOUND! said:

Everyone keeps saying we need to go all 6 to even have a chance. I don't see it necessarily that way. We have 3 more intra conference games. 2 against Cinci and 1 against the Ratbirds.. Ratbirds are playing Cinci today... So.. Cinci loses to the Ravens.. both are sitting at 5-5-0.. Pittsburgh is playing Jax today. Should be a Steeler win, but Jax has it in them to win.. Then Pitts has NO, Pats, Charges, Cincinnati and Raider.  Give them the Raiders game.. The rest are all hard wins any way you look at it.. Give them Cinci and they lose the rest..

We win 5 of last 6 which is probably asking way to much, but is possible for us... We play Cinci 2 times and Ratbirds once.. That should be enough to get us above them both. We win the AFC north ...   ..

As improbable as it is, it is beyond great to still be interested in Browns football at Thanksgiving.. I will be watching even after we go out of all realistic contention.. To the bitter end.. Or sweet end if you ask me. Most positive I've been about this team going out of a season since back in the 90's.. 

 

BobPound!

If a team is mathematically able to make the playoffs, then that has to be the goal...regardless of how impossible it may seem.  That being said, I am going to list a few goals that would be good for the team, and might be a bit more realistic.  

1.  Sweep a division rival.  Whether it's the Ravens or the Bengals, I don't care, but we need to sweep a division opponent.  It's time to start piling up wins within the division, and I'd LOVE to blank one of these two teams.  

2.  Nick Chubb gets 1000 yards rushing.  Believe it or not, this is somewhat possible, and it's crazy to think that Chubb has a chance to get over 1000 yards without even starting the season as our featured back.  I believe Chubb has 579 rushing yards, and we've got 6 games to go.  I know 1000 yards is just a number, but I still think it would be significant, and it's entirely possible.  He only needs about 70 yards a game, and we already know that we're going to try and run it as long as we're not too far behind.  

3.  Split the last 6 games.  I know, I know, why should we think .500 ball is a goal?  Well, it's a decent goal for our young team when you consider we still have't won a road game yet, AND 4 of our next 6 are on the road.  Additionally, we only play one team with a losing record (Broncos, 4-6), and it's not exactly like they're a pushover.  Every single team we play this year is firmly entrenched in the playoff hunt, and we're going to be getting EVERYONE'S best shot.  I don't foresee a game like the last two years when we play a team the last week that is resting their starting QB.  We're going to play everyone at their full might, and we're going to have to bring it.  Finishing the season 3-3 puts us at 6-9-1, AND gives us incredible momentum heading into a pivotal offseason.  What's the only problem with 3-3?  Well, besides the obvious of LOSING 3 games (LOL), that record makes it rather hard to decide what to do with Gregg and Co.  Is that enough to keep everyone?  Ehhh....it's close.  I'd say yes, it's enough, but it'll be a tough decision!

4.  Baker finish the season with a 2-1 TD to INT ratio, and have a QBR of 85.  I believe Baker is at 13 TDs against 7 picks, so he's close, and his rating is around 87.5  Baker has also been playing much better during the past 3 games, so at least he's trending in the right direction.  The bad news?  We're not going to be playing cupcake defenses from here on out.  We're playing difficult, physical, tough defenses that can get to the QB and make life difficult.  

5.  Myles Garrett to lead the league in sacks.  I'm not sure he'll be able to do it, as he's gotten a bit cold of late, but he's close enough to make a run and seal the deal.  I want to say Bradley Chubb is leading the league with 9 or 10?  What a year THAT kid is having, huh?  Especially when you consider he didn't start the year off with a sack until game 3 or 4, right?  Anyway, we drafted Denzel Ward, and I absolutely LOVE that kid.  We need Myles to have a monster 3 sack game, at least once.  Assert his will, dominate the OL, and kick azz.  

I could think of several other goals for our team, but these are just a few that would make me happy for our team, and the individuals.  

[CLEVELANDwantsPLAYOFFS]

If all of those teams lose next week, I will spend the smallest fraction of energy contemplating the <1% chance of playoffs

Indy and Luck are playing some good ball though. I think they’re playoff bound, and that’s not too long after I was thinking “wow they are a lock for a top 5 pick.

[The Gipper]

3 hours ago, jiggins7919 said:

If a team is mathematically able to make the playoffs, then that has to be the goal...regardless of how impossible it may seem.  That being said, I am going to list a few goals that would be good for the team, and might be a bit more realistic.  

1.  Sweep a division rival.  Whether it's the Ravens or the Bengals, I don't care, but we need to sweep a division opponent.  It's time to start piling up wins within the division, and I'd LOVE to blank one of these two teams.  

2.  Nick Chubb gets 1000 yards rushing.  Believe it or not, this is somewhat possible, and it's crazy to think that Chubb has a chance to get over 1000 yards without even starting the season as our featured back.  I believe Chubb has 579 rushing yards, and we've got 6 games to go.  I know 1000 yards is just a number, but I still think it would be significant, and it's entirely possible.  He only needs about 70 yards a game, and we already know that we're going to try and run it as long as we're not too far behind.  

3.  Split the last 6 games.  I know, I know, why should we think .500 ball is a goal?  Well, it's a decent goal for our young team when you consider we still have't won a road game yet, AND 4 of our next 6 are on the road.  Additionally, we only play one team with a losing record (Broncos, 4-6), and it's not exactly like they're a pushover.  Every single team we play this year is firmly entrenched in the playoff hunt, and we're going to be getting EVERYONE'S best shot.  I don't foresee a game like the last two years when we play a team the last week that is resting their starting QB.  We're going to play everyone at their full might, and we're going to have to bring it.  Finishing the season 3-3 puts us at 6-9-1, AND gives us incredible momentum heading into a pivotal offseason.  What's the only problem with 3-3?  Well, besides the obvious of LOSING 3 games (LOL), that record makes it rather hard to decide what to do with Gregg and Co.  Is that enough to keep everyone?  Ehhh....it's close.  I'd say yes, it's enough, but it'll be a tough decision!

4.  Baker finish the season with a 2-1 TD to INT ratio, and have a QBR of 85.  I believe Baker is at 13 TDs against 7 picks, so he's close, and his rating is around 87.5  Baker has also been playing much better during the past 3 games, so at least he's trending in the right direction.  The bad news?  We're not going to be playing cupcake defenses from here on out.  We're playing difficult, physical, tough defenses that can get to the QB and make life difficult.  

5.  Myles Garrett to lead the league in sacks.  I'm not sure he'll be able to do it, as he's gotten a bit cold of late, but he's close enough to make a run and seal the deal.  I want to say Bradley Chubb is leading the league with 9 or 10?  What a year THAT kid is having, huh?  Especially when you consider he didn't start the year off with a sack until game 3 or 4, right?  Anyway, we drafted Denzel Ward, and I absolutely LOVE that kid.  We need Myles to have a monster 3 sack game, at least once.  Assert his will, dominate the OL, and kick azz.  

I could think of several other goals for our team, but these are just a few that would make me happy for our team, and the individuals.  

Every team we play the rest of the year is in the playoff hunt?  OK.....so what I see is the Browns playing at least a major spoiler role.  They particularly have the chance to  screw over the Bengals and Ravens.  They could also help dim the chances of the  Panthers and the Texans by beating them.

[mjp28]

4 hours ago, Orion said:

Reality Check:    We have 3 wins in 10 games.  Barring divine intercession, we are not making the playoffs.

And how many OT games? 1-2-1 there was the chance for a better record. If that were 3-1 or even 2-2 the outside playoff shot would have some more promise to it in 2018.

Still this young team has been exciting and shows great potential for 2019. Sure beats 1-31 as we all know.

GO BROWNS, rock on!

[hoorta]

2 hours ago, The Gipper said:

Every team we play the rest of the year is in the playoff hunt?  OK.....so what I see is the Browns playing at least a major spoiler role.  They particularly have the chance to  screw over the Bengals and Ravens.  They could also help dim the chances of the  Panthers and the Texans by beating them.

Something to keep in mind when we play the Bengals- that jiggins overlooked. The Cinci defense is terrible. Reason why Marvin fired the DC. Dead last in yards (gave up 403 to the Ravens), and #31 in points allowed.

 

[Orion]

6 hours ago, mjp28 said:

And how many OT games? 1-2-1 there was the chance for a better record. If that were 3-1 or even 2-2

...but it's not.  We, in fact, lost to the Raiders.  'Cuz we didn't have the guts to run a QB sneak and win the game.  But, at least, that coach is gone.

Do I agree with you?  Sure.  If we had a FG kicker and some football smarts back then we'd be in the playoff hunt.  But we didn't...and we aren't.  Realistically speaking.  

In 10 games, we haven't won two games in a row...or a game on the road.  (I'm not gonna go back to previous years)

Are we a better team than our record indicates?  Quite possibly.  I hope so.  That way there's less pieces to the puzzle required to acquire.

Playoffs have left my train of thinking since we lost to Tampa Bay.   I'm just looking to see growth.  Growth from our young players and their subsequent improved play.

--------  wouldn't it be great though, if a team with an interim coach made the playoffs?   lol

[mjp28]

8 hours ago, Orion said:

 

--------  wouldn't it be great though, if a team with an interim coach made the playoffs?   lol

I think there have been NCAA and/or NFL teams that have made the playoffs and/or championship runs with fill-in coaches but at 2 am I'm too lazy and/or tired to check now.

But 0-16 to playoffs has a real "worst to first" feel to it.....but a real longshot possibility right now. Even the last wild card spot would be near impossible, if they lose even two more games they'd have a sub .500 record (but that game 1 tie might loom large, who knows). 

GO BROWNS, eternal optimists!

[BobPOUND!]

Updated list?

Denver won. RatBirds won.. Bad for us... But we play them both yet.. They both have a difficult path going forward just like we do.

Miami needs to lose more than a few..Buffalo needs to lose at some point. Preferably 2 games..

Chargers seem to be locked in at this point as are the Steelers. So am I wrong in saying we are likely out as are most of the other 5-5 teams? I know Steelers could go on a losing streak, but it is unlikely.....

 

 

[Zombo]

19 minutes ago, BobPOUND! said:

Updated list?

Denver won. RatBirds won.. Bad for us... But we play them both yet.. They both have a difficult path going forward just like we do.

Miami needs to lose more than a few..Buffalo needs to lose at some point. Preferably 2 games..

Chargers seem to be locked in at this point as are the Steelers. So am I wrong in saying we are likely out as are most of the other 5-5 teams? I know Steelers could go on a losing streak, but it is unlikely.....

 

 

We came into the week needing Baltimore to lose one other game outside of ours,  and Miami, Indy and Tennessee to lose two more games each, otherwise we control our own destiny.

Baltimore won, Miami lost, Indy won, Tennessee plays tomorrow night, so we gained on Miami and may gain on Tennessee.

Zombo

[Bob806]

21 minutes ago, BobPOUND! said:

Updated list?

Denver won. RatBirds won.. Bad for us... But we play them both yet.. They both have a difficult path going forward just like we do.

Miami needs to lose more than a few..Buffalo needs to lose at some point. Preferably 2 games..

Chargers seem to be locked in at this point as are the Steelers. So am I wrong in saying we are likely out as are most of the other 5-5 teams? I know Steelers could go on a losing streak, but it is unlikely.....

 

 

IF they upset the Texans on the road, then we can do some serious speculation. Houston looks dangerous.

Here's my "negative Nancy" take, which I hate....the Browns travel to a house of horrors (Denver) where they have sadly been destroyed virtually every game. Denver is 20-5 all time vs Cleveland, and funny things happen there, like bad breaks and stupid ref calls...I absolutely hate the Broncos almost as much as Pitt and Balt.

[Bob806]

On 11/17/2018 at 10:56 PM, Dutch Oven said:

I kind of figured that would be the 1pm game here, but instead we get the Steelers vs Jaguars or BLEH! Cowboys vs Falcons. (For a team firmly settled into mediocrity for so long, goddamn do we have to have the Cowboys shoved down our throats on the regular). 

I swear there's a law somewhere that an NFC East team must be shown nationally at 4pm. It's been that way for 45 years.

[OldBrownsFan]

I shouldn't look back but I will do it anyway. if only we had won some of those games early in the season we should have won we would be in a good position right now for a play off spot. Still it is great to see this team finally turn the corner and I don't think there is any doubt the Browns are a team on the way up. I saw yesterday the Browns are still listed as one of the teams with a chance at the play offs (although it seems remote) and that in itself is pretty welcome news as it has been a while since the Browns were even in this position this late in the year.

[mjp28]

The Browns Path to the Playoffs...... from 4-6-1 to.......