The Cleveland Browns are back. And they go could farther than anyone ever would have imagined.
Sure, they’re laying the foundation for a special 2019. But 2018 still has a chance to be special, because the Browns can still win the AFC North.
Seriously. They can. If Cleveland beats the Bengals next week, if the Steelers lose to the Patriots and Saints, and if the Ravens lose to either the Buccaneers tomorrow or the Chargers next Saturday night, the division will be divided on the final Sunday of the season.
And here’s how it would go: If the Steelers beat the Bengals, the Steelers win the division. If the Steelers lose to the Bengals, the winner of Browns at Ravens wins the AFC North.
The odds remain against the Browns. But for the Browns to even have a semi-plausible chance to get to the playoffs at this point is nothing short of amazing.
If they fail to make it, there will be plenty of regret over some close calls and near misses in the first few weeks of the season. The tie against Pittsburgh. The missed-kick-induced loss to the Saints. The overtime loss to the Raiders. But save the regret for now; the Browns still have a chance to go from winless to winning a division.