Must be nice to have your games pushed back when star players are in Covid protocols.

I do agree, though. Especially the Ravens…that’s absolutely must win. It’s tough to see a scenario where we lose to Baltimore and don’t wind up with the same record as them, at best.

So, along the lines a being a must win, I decided to see if, at the 3 games back, the division is still in play for the Browns. Short version: it’s not, but it’s not as far out as I would have thought.

The Steelers still have the Bills and Colts on their schedule. They’ll be favored, but I at least consider those losable games for the Steelers. Couple that with the Browns winning out and beating them in week 17, and they’d have identical win/loss records.

It’s far fetched, but not completely in the realm of impossibility. The problem is, we lose the tiebreaker because of our division record, which includes a loss to the ravens. The only division game the Steelers have left is against the Bengals. But even if they beat the Bengals, the next tiebreaker is strength of victory, and they pummeled us in the first meeting.

Sooo, the only way we can take the division is if the Steelers lose 4 of the next 5. Which means either the Washington football team or the Bengals beat them, along with the colts, bills, and Browns. THAT, is too far fetched. Won’t happen. But it’s at least fun to think about.

In 2007, we would have made the playoffs if there were 3 wild card teams

*insert Kermit sipping coffee meme*

See I think these are must wins for the Browns for a different reason.

If the Browns can beat the titans or ravens it will put them in a weaker playoff position and maybe get the browns a playoff home game.

I’d much rather have homefield playoff game than an away game.

Also it weakens teams with strong running games to being closer to not making the play offs. Which is a good thing.

soup wrote:

In 2007 we’d have made the playoffs at 11-5. 10-6 isn’t good enough this year. Mentality needs to flow that they have to win

My mentality doesn’t impact the Browns one single iota. Do I want them to win? Absolutely. Do they realistically need to go 11-5 to make the playoffs? No. No they don’t.

I do agree with DS that the Browns really do need to win if they hope to do anything in the playoffs. Squeaking into the playoffs and going to Pittsburgh or Kansas City in the first round is a recipe for an early exit.

MUST WIN

All I read was: “EVERY GAME MUST WIN!!! BROWNS HAVE TO GO 16-0 OR THEY ARE WORST ASSEMBLED GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE HISTORY OF THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE. FIRE EVERYONE. MOVE TO ENGLAND. NEVER WATCH FOOTBALL AGAIN. CUT OFF OWN PENIS AND THROW VIOLENTLY INTO FREEWAY TRAFFIC FROM BRIDGE!!”

*Kicks dog, slams door, drinks entire bottle of whiskey, lights hair on fire, carves ‘triggered-as-fuck’ into chest with razor*

Is that what you guys read too? Or is that just me?

why are you fixated on the damn Ravens? There are 2 other wildcard spots. Even if we lose both those games, we still only need to beat 2 of the colts, Dolphins, and raiders, and they’ve all got losses left on their schedule.

If you’re talking strictly a “must win to make the playoffs” this isn’t it.

Also, Jonnu Smith is out this weekend, so that helps.

Dawg E. Dawg wrote:

DawgSoldier wrote:

Because tie breakers vs potential playoff tems is the difference between a home play off game and a road one. Road teams in the playoffs usually get whooped.

The whole “must win scenario” is about making the playoffs, not seeding in the playoffs. If the goal is to get the 5th seed, then I agree it’s a must win.
But. The reality is we’re not getting a home playoff game. Week 1 is guaranteed on the road for wildcard team, and IF there’s a week 2, the odds of getting a home are very very slim even for a fifth seed.

See thats the wrong type of thinking IMO Browns have 3 losses. If they win out they’d be 13-3. The steerlers play Buff who has a good D and the Colts who have a good and washington who has anasty pass rush plus the Browns.

The Browns are still mathmatically in the case for the division crown. Simply making the playoffs shouldn’t be the goal right now. Being in the chase for the AFC North while it is tsill mathmatically possible should be the goal. Therefore all remaining games are must wins!

Again, my type of thinking does not impact the Browns. I was have to be a complete narcissist to think otherwise.

And a I pointed out above, the Steelers own the tiebreakers against the Browns. They would have to lose either to either the Washington Football Team or the Bengals, AND the Bills, AND the Colts, AND the Browns.

I can get on board with being optimistic, but thinking an 11-0 team will finish 1-4 is simply delusional.

Is this a “must win” game? Not necessarily, but a win against a playoff contending team would add some legitimacy to the Browns overall record.

Here’s what concerns me about this game:
*Derrick Henry is a BEAST. You cannot arm tackle this guy. You have to get to him before he has the opportunity to get any forward momentum going.
*AJ Brown is a physical freak. He’s so big, fast and physical that he’s a matchup nightmare defensively.
*Ryan Tannehill is not just running the offense, he’s making plays. The Browns have to find a way to get to him. Getting Myles Garrett is a huge positive.
*Although the Browns get Myles Garrett back from the COVID list, the back seven still needs help with none coming in the near future. If the Browns can’t at least slow down Henry or get to Tannehill, then it’s going to be a long day.
*Khadarel Hodge wrote a BIG check that his team mates need to cash when he gave the Titans bulletin board material. Doesn’t he remember that this is the team that handed out an ass whipping on opening day last year? And to top it off, Hodge is out for this game. Quite frankly, I hope that Hodge gets fined for comments detrimental to the team. Titans head coach Mike Vrabel will use this to motivate his team and he’ll do it well. You don’t wake a sleeping Giant, you let him sleep.

Here’s what I like about this game:
* Browns O-line against the Titans D-line. Our line is healthy and has protected Mayfield fairly well.
*The one-two punch of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chub doesn’t need to outrush Derrick Henry, but it would be nice if he did. The combination of Chubb and Hunt needs to be more effective than Henry and the Titans #2 back, which I think can be done.
*Myles Garrett will be going up against the Titans #3 left tackle. That should make Garrett start foaming at the mouth for excitement. Granted, he’ll be double teamed a lot, but that means Olivier Vernon should be one on one all day.
*Jarvis Landry, Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant should have big days against the Titans secondary.

Soup, quit being so damn negative. If, if, if, if, if… I am tired of the ifs. Just like if any of the teams fighting for a wildcard lose their next 2 it puts them in trouble.
When you will actually start to enjoy each game and not worry about 5 weeks from now?
I like the “one game at a time” mentality. You don’t need to worry about next week. Worry about this week.
I don’t see any must win games on the schedule. What I see are games that would be nice to win and games we should win.
..
Rest assured. Soup will give Peoples-Jones a goat for his drop early in the game.

Next week isn’t a must win. I don’t think you understand what must win means.

soup wrote:

FYI to everyone ripping on me. I say 2007 vs Cincy was a must win for the Browns. No one calling me out on Jags/Titans/Ravens is allowed to agree about 2007. It wasn’t must win. If we lost Indy needed to win and we’d have been in. Therefore, by your own logic, Cincy in 2007 wasn’t a must win scenario.
Ravens Monday night is a must win for us.

We literally cannot fall further than 5th place in the conference with a loss. Do you understand that? With a loss, we wouldn’t move down a single spot in rankings. I don’t care what kind of bull sit reasoning you have, there’s no possible way to define this as a “must win”.

2007 was completely different. I think everybody agreed Cincy was a must win game back then, because we didn’t control our own destiny with that loss. If we lose to the Ravens, we still control it. Very Strongly.

soup wrote:

We control our own destiny NOW. Win Monday night vs Ravens we’re in the playoffs. Doesn’t get much more clear than that.

Also if they win on monday night they still have a mathematical shot at catching Pittsburgh for the afc north crown.

I am rooting heavily the front 4 for washington plays penyata with big jen.

We control our own destiny but it isn’t a must win and it doesn’t clinch the playoffs even if we win.