The Cleveland Browns are reeling after two straight losses, including a tough Week 9 defeat to the New Orleans Saints, but get this: their spot in both the AFC and AFC North standings hasn’t budged an inch. Yeah, you heard right. Even after dropping two straight, they are still holding onto third place in the division and the eighth seed in the AFC.
What Went Wrong in Week 9?
That Saints game was a nail-biter, decided by just one point. The talk around town is all about Head Coach Todd Monken’s call to *not* “take the points,” a decision that’s gonna get dissected for days. And then there’s the quarterback situation. Shedeur Sanders has got everyone buzzing with his popularity, so whether Deshaun Watson steps back in as the starter is going to be a huge question. Browns fans are probably stewing over those losses, and for good reason, but they might not even realize how wild it is that their playoff picture position stayed the same. It makes the chase for a playoff spot way harder, no doubt, but the fact their spot held is kinda mind-bending.
The AFC North and Beyond
So, how did this even happen? Let’s break down the numbers. In the AFC North, the Pittsburgh Steelers are leading with a 6-2 record, holding the tiebreaker over the Cincinnati Bengals, who are also 6-2 and just lost to the Steelers, by the way. Our Browns are right behind them at 5-4. The Baltimore Ravens round out the division at 4-5.
Now, looking at the wider AFC playoff picture, it gets even crazier. The Denver Broncos are flying high at 7-2. Then you’ve got a pack of 6-2 teams: the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Kansas City Chiefs, and the Cincinnati Bengals. The Buffalo Bills are sitting pretty at 6-1, with a Monday Night Football game still to play. Right there, tied with the Browns at 5-4, are the New England Patriots, who hold the tiebreaker with a 5-1 conference record compared to Cleveland’s 3-3 in the AFC.
So while Cleveland is technically in the eighth seed, they are tied for a playoff spot, just missing out on the official top seven because of that tiebreaker. The Las Vegas Raiders are close behind at 4-4, with the Ravens also at 4-5. The Houston Texans, New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Tennessee Titans, and Los Angeles Chargers are all falling off significantly.
It’s wild to think that two straight losses didn’t move the needle for Cleveland’s playoff seeding. They’re still right there, battling for a spot, even if the road just got tougher. The question now is whether they can hold on or if this losing streak is the start of a slide. This team’s got a fight on their hands to stay in the AFC playoff race, and every game from here on out is gonna be massive.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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