The Browns have put themselves in a strong early position, but the real test is still ahead. At 4-2, Cleveland has already banked wins over the 4-2 Steelers and the 4-2 Ravens, which has them sitting atop the AFC North for the moment.
Now comes the part of the schedule that could make this start count.
Cleveland still has four division games left - a rematch with Pittsburgh, a rematch with Baltimore, and two games against the 3-2 Bengals - but the rest of the slate is lined up in a way the Browns need to exploit. Only one of the non-division opponents remaining, the 3-2-1 New York Giants, currently owns a winning record.
The Las Vegas Raiders, at 3-3, are the only other remaining opponent not sitting below .500. Every other team left on the Browns’ schedule - the Titans, Saints, Texans, Falcons and Colts - has a losing record right now.
That matters because Cleveland still has a few paths to build a season that lasts into January. The Browns would need at least two more wins to get above their preseason win total line of 5.5, but taking care of business against the teams with losing records could go much further than that. If they win all five of those games, they’d lock up a winning season for the first time since 2023 - even if that still doesn’t guarantee a playoff berth.
That’s the kind of margin the Browns can’t afford to waste in a division where nothing comes easy. The AFC North has long been brutal to navigate, and the numbers back that up.
Since 2002, the league-wide chance of sweeping a divisional opponent has been 42 percent, but in the AFC North it drops to about 34 percent. Sweeping all three division rivals is rare anywhere in the NFL - 3.8 percent league-wide since 2002 - but in this division it falls to 1.04 percent.
It has happened only five times in AFC North history: three by the Steelers, once by the Bengals and once by the Ravens. Cleveland has never done it.
The Browns have had some limited success against division foes in that span, but not enough to suggest easy repeatable dominance. Since 2002, they’ve swept one divisional rival in a season only three times, and all three came against Cincinnati in 2002, 2018 and 2020.
They have never swept the Steelers during their AFC North years, and the last time they did it at all was 1988. They also have never swept the Ravens.
Still, with wins already in hand over Pittsburgh and Baltimore, the door is open for Cleveland to do something it hasn’t done before. Whether that turns into a division sweep, or just enough steady work against the softer part of the schedule, the Browns’ path forward is clear: keep stacking wins against the teams they’re supposed to beat.
That becomes even more important given what’s happening around those victories. Cleveland is 4-2 despite Deshaun Watson’s poor performances and without any real spark from the running game. That leaves no room to squander the games in front of them.
The Browns have made a fast start. If they want that start to mean a playoff return, they have to cash in on the schedule break sitting right in front of them.
In Other News...
Browns Suddenly Have Two Young Players Forcing A Tough Rotation Call
With the Browns sitting at 4-2 and alone atop the AFC North after six weeks, the attention in Cleveland has started to shift from the standings to how the rotation holds up as the season wears on. One of the more interesting questions inside the building now centers on how much more work running back J. K. McLaughlin might earn after making the most of limited carries, especially with head coach Todd Monken weighing the eventual return of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson.
The same kind of squeeze could be coming in the secondary, where McNeil-Warren has also played his way into the conversation for a larger role. Injuries have opened the door for both players, and their recent performances have made it harder to simply hand those snaps back once the roster gets healthier. Monken has said he is hopeful Judkins and Sampson will return, but Cleveland now has a pair of young players making a strong case that the answer to the rotation question is not as simple as it looked a week ago. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Own The AFC North And The Pressure Is On
The AFC North looks upside down through six weeks, with Cleveland sitting atop the division even while carrying the worst point differential among the four clubs. It is the kind of early-season twist that keeps the standings interesting and the rest of the division close enough to make every snap matter, especially with Baltimore still hanging around the playoff picture and Pittsburgh trying to build on an overtime win despite some uneven play.
Cincinnati, coming out of its bye week, now finds itself in a more difficult spot as it tries to close the gap and steady an offense that has not found an easy rhythm. For Cleveland, the bigger issue is not just holding first place, but proving it can keep it while the pressure ramps up from rivals that have already shown they can stay in the race. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Deadline Debate Just Got Real For A First Place Team
With the Browns sitting in a far better spot than most teams this time of year, the trade deadline has started to feel less like a luxury and more like a real roster-building moment for Andrew Berry. Cleveland has enough strength to stay picky, but there are still clear places where a modest addition could help, especially if the front office wants to turn a good roster into a more complete one before Nov. 10.
That is where the conversation gets interesting, because the names being floated are not the kind that would force Cleveland into a splashy move. James Conner, Adam Trautman, Kenyon Green, Tony Pollard and Melvin Ingram all fit the idea of low-cost help, the sort of swing a contender can make without burning through future flexibility. The Browns also have draft assets to work with, which gives Berry options, but the challenge is knowing how much to push now and how much to save for later. [Read more 🡒]