The Cleveland Browns are all but done if they lose to the Baltimore Ravens

The Cleveland Browns have got to win against the Baltimore Ravens to salvage their season.

The Cleveland Browns are sitting at 2-4 and are a poorly built team. The team has stayed in games simply because they have Nick Chubb and he can break a play at any time. That one fact alone has kept them in or got them wins in games they normally wouldn’t have. With better play calling, who knows? The Browns are not a team that can win without Chubb playing well and asking the defense to step up is a non-starter, as so many of Andrew Berry’s draft picks are busts, and this defense is propped up by those same iffy players.

This has all led to a highly predictable losing record, and while some may think the debut of the disgraced Deshaun Watson will save the season, he doesn’t play defense, and the Browns’ offense is already running at near-max capacity. So it’s not like his return will affect too much how much they score. So simply relying on him to arrive and lead the Browns to the playoffs by winning the last six games of the year is just not realistic.

If the Browns drop to 2-5, the team will be all but out of the playoff race. Over the rest of the year, you have the Ravens and Bengals twice, you have Buffalo, Miami, and Tampa Bay over the next five games. While New Orleans, Washington, and Pittsburgh aren’t world beaters, the Browns have lost to the New York Jets and the Atlanta Falcons already. The Browns can’t take anyone lightly.

Losing to the Baltimore Ravens will sink this team

Let’s say that the Dolphins with their quarterback are as good as they were before the concussion issue popped up. That’s four, maybe five assumed losses depending on where Tom Brady’s mind is come Week 12. That puts you at 2-9. Even if you win out, the Browns, at best, would be 8-9.

The Browns need to win at least two games over the next five to realistically keep pace in the playoff race. If the Browns are 4-7 when Watson comes back, and the team wins out, you’ll be at 10-7, and with a realistic shot to make the playoffs.

The Ravens, Dolphins, and Buccaneers are your three most beatable teams and I think it’s likely that they beat at least one, if not two of them, depending on unknown variables. Like the play of their respective quarterbacks. If they can hold off at least two of the next five teams, they’ll be fine.

Why the Raves are important is all about the mental aspects of the game. If the Ravens drub the Browns out of Maryland, knowing they have to face them again, it will likely leave a lasting imprint on this team, a team that’s already spiraling.