Browns won’t make the playoffs with a tough schedule ahead

After the blowout loss to the Patriots, the Browns seem unlikely to make the playoffs, especially with their remaining schedule.

After getting stomped on by the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns dropped to 5-5 in a season where many believed they could make a playoff push. Nothing has gone right this season and it seems unlikely that things will turn around as the season progresses.

The Browns are already dealing with a plethora of unfortunate injuries, and after a Week 10 injury to Baker Mayfield, that is likely going to progress. The other teams in their division are having decent seasons and overperforming, leaving the underperforming Browns in fourth place. The wild card race in the AFC is wide open, but Cleveland has unfortunately dropped games to almost every single team in that race.

Cleveland could turn this season around still, squeaking out enough wins this season to make it into January. However, looking at their schedule, that seems unlikely.

Browns remaining schedule: Six playoff-bound teams lie ahead

The Browns are really only guaranteed one easy game this season when they play the Detroit Lions in Week 11. After that, things get much more difficult.

Cleveland’s two matchups with the AFC North-leading Ravens lie in Weeks 12 and 14 with the bye week in-between. The club also finishes the season with their final two games against the Steelers and Bengals, another pair of divisional foes.

It gets worse outside of the division, too. The other two opponents remaining on the schedule are the Raiders (Week 15) and Packers (Week 16). That leaves the Browns in a spot where they won’t have a game in which they can let up after next week’s contest against Detroit.

Could the Browns win some of their remaining divisional games and potentially make their way into the weak AFC playoff picture? Sure, but the way this team is playing now makes that seem unlikely.