The Playoffs are still Possible for the Browns

Overtime Heroics Editorial

2138 days ago

As the trading deadline passed today at 4 pm, the Browns ended up making no moves when all was said and done. The asking price for Trent Williams was way too high as reports came out earlier in the afternoon. Word had it that the Redskins were asking for a 2020 #1 pick and a player. The player they targeted was Denzel Ward. That is a steep price tag for a 31-year-old LT who has had injury issues the past couple of seasons. Others that were linked to the Browns were Lane Johnson of the Eagles. This gained momentum as the Browns and Eagles made a trade the day before with Genard Avery. There was also talk of the Eagles young LT, Vaitai. All of this came and went with the 4 pm deadline. How can the Browns make the playoffs?

The team is almost set

Who is coming back from the IR

As most of you know, you are only allowed to bring back two players who are on the IR during the season. The Browns basically designated one of those players last week when Drew Forbes started practicing. The Browns have to decide by the Buffalo game if they will activate him. This will mean a roster move is coming. The second player will probably be David Njoku as he can be activated for practice this week. Njoku is coming off of a broken arm and a concussion that he sustained during the Monday night game against the Jets. This will be the middle of the field weapon that Baker has been missing since he was injured.

Ricky Seals-Jones has shown promise in this role. I think when a roster move comes for this activation, you will see Pharoah Brown put on waivers. Seals-Jones has been a good player, and if Freddie can find a role for him, the Browns could have two legit vertical weapons out of the TE position. They did not have this during training camp. If Demetrius Harris can sure up his blocking, the Browns could have a lethal group of players.

How do the Playoffs come to be

The Browns are going to have the second easiest schedule as it stands going into this week against Denver. The Browns have received good news on Monday with the injury to Joe Flacco. Brandon Allen will be making his first NFL start this Sunday. Denver has struggled even with Flacco, so having a first-time starter could bring back good memories when the Browns played the Jets.

The Bills will be a tough game, but it gets to be played at First Energy Field. Josh Allen has been inconsistent this year, but the Bills have a good defense and a stout running game. In the end, the Browns have the better talent on paper, and this is the game that Kareem Hunt will play. More weapons and more options for Baker. The offense should have confidence going into this game with how they play against Denver.

They next get the Steelers at home for a Thursday night matchup on NFL/Fox Network. Mason Rudolph just came back from a concussion against the Dolphins and didn"t look that good. It wasn"t until Miami ran a zero blitz on 3rd and 20 with less than forty seconds in the half to give up a TD. This changed the game for the Steelers. Steve Wilks needs to get this defense up to a playoff quality to make this run happen.

The last five-game push for Playoffs

Out of the last five games, the only one that could be an issue for this team is against Pittsburgh on the road. What gives me confidence with this team is that they enjoy playing on the road. After that game, they play the Bengals twice, the Cardinals in Phoenix, and the Ravens at home. The Bengals just benched Dalton on Tuesday. If they handle the Ravens as they did in week four, that will be another win. If the Browns happen to go 7-1 through this stretch, they will end up 10-6. This should put them in the playoffs.

The Browns have the chance to either finish 6-0 or 5-1 in the division for the first time since 1987. That was when the Oilers were in the AFC Central, and the Browns lost their division game to the Oilers at home. The only way the Browns will be able to make this happen is by not turning the ball over and fewer penalties. The key and goal from day one for this team was to win the division. This is the road that needs to happen for a playoff berth to be had.

What do we need to see from the Browns

Baker and the offense need to first and foremost, not turn over the football. Second, they need to stop the stupid pre-snap penalties and become smarter football players. The defense needs to step up and start getting some more turnovers and giving the offense a short field. The defense also needs to stop the silly penalties like hands to the face and illegal contact downfield. If the Browns can minimize the penalties and limit careless turnovers, this team will just bury teams. Keep feeding Chubb the ball as he has proven to be our workhorse and is a top-five rusher in this league. He is also in the top five for all-purpose yards.

The Browns ultimately need to get out of their own way. Their five losses have been all self-inflicted. This team has a real chance for the playoffs. The fan base needs to stay behind them and understand we are the second-youngest team in the league. This has been one of the best teams we have ever had assembled since the team came back. Our expectations have been really high for this group. They did just go through the second-toughest schedule in the league. The playoff push starts now, and first up is Denver! Go Browns!!

Follow @EdStange and @OTHeroics for more great content! Also, join us for more debate in our sports forum.

Discuss this article and more in the Overtime Heroics Forums!