Months ago, some analysts talked about the Cleveland Browns as a dark horse to win the AFC North.
They had everything they needed, at least on paper.
They boasted a championship-caliber defense, the defending Coach of the Year, and an up-and-coming and talented roster.
That’s why starting the season 2-6 was as surprising as it was discouraging.
Now, with Jameis Winston at the helm and after securing a huge win, the team doesn’t want to waive the white flag.
Even so, the playoffs still seem like a long shot at this moment.
With that in mind, Browns analyst Daryl Ruiter argued that the only way the Browns could even talk about the playoffs was by winning out the next month.
Latest @GamedayCLE pod is out – Playoffs? #Browns need to win some games firsthttps://t.co/ysjCDRFZPv pic.twitter.com/UIoSVXaqQA
— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) October 31, 2024
He believes that they must beat the Los Angeles Chargers, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Denver Broncos to get back to .500 and then start thinking about the postseason.
Truth be told, that will be way easier said than done.
All four teams are in the playoff race, not to mention one of them happens to be a divisional rival.
Then again, it’s not far-fetched to think the Browns could pull it off or, at the very least, win three out of four.
In the past, Winston has turned the ball over and made mistakes, but he’s also capable of putting up a lot of points, and the defense could pick up in the second half of the season.
It won’t be easy, but it’s definitely not all over yet.
NEXT: Analyst Reveals Reason To Be Encouraged By Jameis Winston