For all intents and purposes, the Cleveland Browns‘ season is over.
They lost to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, 23-10, as Deshaun Watson again didn’t look too good in his second regular season start at quarterback.
With a 5-8 record, the Browns have virtually no chance of making the playoffs, a point a team insider reiterated on social media.
The #Browns now have a 0.4% chance to make the playoffs, per ESPN FPI
— Jake Trotter (@Jake_Trotter) December 12, 2022
Cleveland is currently two games behind the New England Patriots for the final wild card spot in the AFC.
The Browns’ Final Four Games Could Serve A Different Purpose
Given that Watson had to serve an 11-game suspension when the season started, the team never had that great a chance of making the playoffs, to begin with.
Some have thought that this season would ultimately serve as a bridge toward the future for the Browns and an opportunity for Watson to get his feet wet and get used to his new teammates.
Watson is clearly a dynamic quarterback, and with weapons such as wide receivers Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, plus running back Nick Chubb around him, Cleveland could become a dangerous team in time.
But developing that chemistry will take time, and it was certainly going to take more than the two regular season games Watson has played so far.
The final four games of this season will hopefully be a glimpse of what lies ahead for the Browns next season and beyond, especially if they can figure out the issues that have afflicted them on the defensive side of the ball for much of this year.
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