Cleveland is two games behind the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC North lead which leaves the fifth spot as the highest they can achieve. Given NFL tiebreaker procedures, the Browns are locked into the fifth seed whether they win or lose against the Bears this week. Two out of the three games Saturday of Week 15 went in the direction Cleveland is rooting for. The Browns held the fifth seed and top wild card spot in the AFC playoff standings. The AFC playoff picture was overwhelming after Week 14 with six teams at 7-6. That is unlikely to change this week versus the Chicago Bears where weather could play a role. The scarcity principle is one of many reasons that the NFL is so popular.įor the Cleveland Browns, trying to just make it through the season with enough healthy players to make the playoffs, it feels like every week is a struggle.
That is the beauty of just 17 games compared to the more robust schedules in the NBA and MLB.
