There are now just two weeks in the regular season, and somehow the Cleveland Browns still have a realistic shot at the AFC North title and top seed in the conference after a dominant win over the Houston Texans. They will just need quite a bit of help to steal the one-seed from the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins.
After the Ravens dominated the San Francisco 49ers, this looks unlikely, but they actually play the Dolphins next week. They then end their season against Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and things always get weird in the AFC North.
For Miami, they close out their season against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18 after taking on Baltimore this week.
The Browns look to clinch a playoff spot this Thursday night at home against the New York Jets, but the fun may not stop there. Here is the pathway for the Browns to find themselves at the top of the AFC seeding by the time these next two weeks come to an end.
Browns must win out and beat NYJ, CIN
Starting with clinching a playoff spot on Thursday night against the Jets, the Browns must win out in order to have a shot at the top seed in the AFC and a North title.
BAL must lose out to MIA, PIT
In order for the Browns to win the AFC North, they would need some help from the Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. This seems unlikely as the Ravens look like the best team in the NFL right now after dismantling the San Francisco 49ers, but never say never!
MIA must lose to BUF in Week 18
After the Browns need the Dolphins to beat the Ravens this week, the Browns then need the Dolphins to lay an egg against the Buffalo Bills in the last week of the season. The Bills are playing some of the best football in the NFL right now, so it is not unrealistic.
Browns own tiebreaker scenarios over both MIA and BAL
If all of this happened, Miami, Balitmore, and the Browns would all sit with a record of 12-5.
However, if the Steelers were to remain hot and beat the Ravens in Week 18 and the Browns beat the Bengals in that same week, Cleveland would finish with a better record, giving them the tiebreaker.
If the Dolphins were to lose to the Bills in the last week of the season and the Browns win out, Cleveland would have the better AFC record over Miami. This would give them the tiebreaker advantage.
