DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Pure Football Forum 9 game winning streak will start now!

I know, I know, one game at a time....

But imagine for a second we win the next 3, and the ravens lose tonight to the rams and next week to the 49ers. Even if they beat the Jets, we would be 8-6 and they would be 9-5. That week 16 game at home is essentially for the division.

Ravens most likely win tonight, so the odds of this scenario are slim.

Next thought, imagine if we finish the season tied at 10-6 or 9-7 with the Bills, Steelers, Titans, Raiders, and Colts... I'm not sure that it's mathematically possible, i haven't checked, but if it can and does, we would be one of the teams in the playoffs because of our conference record.


Edit: nevermind about the division. The ravens also have the bills in that stretch.

...or- mount an exciting and promising comeback, only to fall just short of the tournament. Nothing quite like getting right up to the door, only to find it locked. That would light a fire and sharpen the focus.

The scenario I like ravens play browns with 2game lead ravensLamar gets knocked out and cannot play next week Baltimore loses both games and wind up with a tie browns we win division.Also Wilks defense on young qb this maybe easier then it sounds.

Update ... we are 5-6

At Pittsburgh
Cincinnati
At Arizona
Baltimore
At Cincinnati


Let’s ASSume two wins against Cincy ... that means we’re 7-6
That means we have to AT LEAST win 2 of 3 of the games that we’ll be 50/50

Freddie is almost Reddie to go 5-0....

Considering what happened last week the Steelers game is hard to predict.. as depleted as they are and starting Hodges at QB, we are on the +50% side of winning that.. we should also be a little on the +50% side of beating the Cardinals but on the -50% side of beating the Ravens again, even though it is in Cleveland.. they look awful good.

If it plays out that way, we are 9-7, 5-1 in the division and probably 1 game away from playoff consideration... not too bad when fans wanted the coach fired and the roster gutted for most of the first half of the season.

Add one more my brother ...

Bro ... take a sec and smell the roses ... we won and didn’t have to sweat it ... enjoy it for a week ... it could be a different story next or any other sunday ... and we have a whole off season of coulda, woulda, shoulda ...

So take sometime to smell the roses ans savor the victory ...

I agree. After the season, I believe we are going to have a LOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNG time to replay in our minds the game or two we SHOULDA won that kept us out of the playoffs.. right now I'm looking at Denver but still hoping for that 10-6 that gets us in.

j/c...

As good a place as any to put this until the Pittsburgh thread goes up....

FYI for the board ...

I’m gonna be EVEN MORE OPTIMISTIC this off season ...

LETS GOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo

Is that even possible!? :-p

Negative.

I think the game next week every week is the biggest game of the season at this point. If we don't win out, we are not going to make the wildcard, and even if we win out, we still will need some help probably.

Looking at how convincingly Baltimore are beating up their opponents in the 2nd half of their more difficult schedule....that will be a huge game, but I am not sure we can attack them the same way we did in game 1. The Ravens just seem to look better and better with every week. Their game against the Niners will be interesting as the Niners also look totally legit after annihilating the Pack in worse fashion than they beat us.

I am now thinking we finish 9-7 and may just squeeze in thanks to our division wins. But, won't be surprised if we get edged out. To truly have a chance we need to win out. Given the inconsistent nature of this team and this season....I am not sure I am ready to lay the money on that happening.

For me, its Sea and the Rams.

Niners D line is just a beast. If they can contain the edges Lamar will be neutralized in the run game. Lamar is average to below average IMHO when he is under pressure and has to pass to beat you. His legs make him better in both the passing and running game. This is how we beat them and how we will beat them again and again.

Big game. Should be a good one.

Mobile QBs have hurt the Niners this year. See Murray, Kyler and Wilson, Russell.

Didn't want to start a new thread for it, but I am looking at the playoff predictor on espn.com. There are some CRUCIAL games for actual playoff hopes of the Browns in these next two weeks...

Obviously we have to keep winning, that goes without saying.

Tennessee is playing Indy which is obviously a wash. Both teams stand in our way, one will lose one will win. Tennessee does hold a head to head tiebreaker over us and the rest of their schedule is brutal with two games remaining against Houston, one against the Saints, and one against a Raiders team that was better than we thought. Not easy. The Colts have an easier path although they still have a few tough ones. Gut feeling says the Colts are the one team that could keep us out.

Raiders at Chiefs. Hopefully Mahomes and co can take care of the Raiders for us.

Buffalo at Dallas. I think Buffalo is probably a little too far ahead of us at 8-3, but it could get a game closer as they have to go into Jerry's world against a team looking to rebound off a close loss to the Pats.

Houston at 7-4 faces the Pats this weekend which could bring them back into the wild card mix if things fall certain ways.

Next week:

Ravens at Bils. We could end up having to root for the Ravens here, gross

Denver at Houston. Like I said, Houston could fall back into the wild card mix, but this will be a game to keep an eye on.

Colts at Tampa. This is a big one for us. The Bucs have been a jeckyll and hyde team all year and I hope the team that stacks points shows up in this one. Other than us winning our own games, this is the one I have circled as a crucial point in this run.

Steelers at Cardinals. Hope Kyler lights up that defense. Another crucial game

Raiders at Titans. Another wash,.

There are even more big ones after that. This is just the next two weeks.

Someone will have a problem with me "looking ahead" as if I have any effect on the outcome of any of these games. This is what fans are supposed to do. It's better than talking about firing coaches or what QB we're going to draft. this is fun. The next weekend slate of games is going to be awesome to watch if you're a Browns fan.

You need to jump out to a lead on Baltimore, you can't let them take the lead. You need to force Lamar to focus on passing more to conserve clock and pick up chunks.

If they get the lead, then Lamar will run all over you.

With what I've seen from his arm and their rushing game, to me you can't just get a lead. You would have to get a huge lead. I guess what I'm saying is a 14-3 lead in the second quarter isn't enough for them to change their game plan. What they've been doing has worked so well and there's a lot of game left at that point.

ASSuming we win out:

Buffalo follows the Ravens with @Steelers and @Patriots. They've got a tough schedule but they would have to lose 3 of 4 because their last game is the Jets at home. I think Buffalo will get the 5 seed.

Winning out means eliminating the Steelers, the best they could finish with is a 10-6 and an 0-2 head-to-head.

Titans are a big worry because they beat us. They probably have the toughest schedule Colts/ Raiders/ Texans/ Saints/ Texans. I think they'll lose two, so sayonara Titans.

Colts would have to win out and finish 11-5 because their Conference record sucks and we would beat them in a tie-breaker, ours would be 9-3, the best theirs could be is 7-5.

We need the Texans to beat the Titans (at least once) and hopefully win the division. If they're knocked down to wildcard status, things could get interesting. They have a solid conference record and could conceivably tie with us. Next is common opponents, we're already 1-4, they still have to play the Pats, Broncos and Titans.

Raiders would also have to win out and finish 11-5 to beat us. All their remaining games are vs AFC, any loss gives them a worse conference record.

Go Texans!

That Titan loss will come back and bite us in the end UNLESS we can win out which is highly unlikely.

I don't think there are many options at 9-7 anyway...

your gonna think I was docile last off season ...

I said before the year I was gonna enjoy the off season and have as much fun as i could ... i did that last year ..... same tude this off season ..... cause once the season starts u have no clue whats gonna happen ........ difference being ... this time ....

FREDDIE WILL BE READY ... .... *L* ....

[quote=Spergon FTWynn]Next week:

Ravens at Bils. We could end up having to root for the Ravens here, gross[quote]

Never, ever...even with playoff implications! Bite your tongue...

I would never root for the Ravens, but I don't care if the win every game except ours. They have the division sowed up, let them knock off teams like the Bills to help us out.

I did find one situation where we lost 1 game the rest of the way and still made the playoffs, but that becomes really really specific on the rest of the games. If the Browns win out, I don't think they will need any magic from the rest of the league, they would be in, but that is a tough task even with the soft schedule we have left. On the road at Arizona will be no cake walk. We still have Baltimore at home. The Bengals, while terrible, will probably be doing everything to keep the stink of a 16-loss season on them.

But it's as easy as it's ever going to get. I don't want to say it's now or never, but with the Browns it kind of is. They have a chance to do something this year. As an organization, team, players, at some point they need to succeed at something. They muffed the first half of the season and put themselves in this situation. But it's salvageable. It would be a big turning point in the culture and psyche of the team to finish 10-6 and get in the playoffs.

It's never going to be easier than this stretch. Go out and do it.

We can still get in the playoffs if we finish with the same record as the titans. We just need another team to finish with the same record that didn't lose to the titans.

The colts and bills have beat the titans. The raiders still have to play the titans.

If the Browns win every division game and finish 9-7 tied for the final playoff spot, we will be the team that gets in.

However, I agree, win out and we're in. Of the titans, raiders, colts, and Steelers, none of them are going to win out. And yes if titans finish strong at 4-1 and we are the only team tied with them we are out. However I think the bills will struggle down the stretch and won't finish better than 10-6.

Titans, Bills, Browns all finish 10-6, Browns will be the top wild card team.

However, the team I'm most concerned about getting in our way to 10-6 is the Browns.

And we would need that team to be in a different division than the Titans to be a done deal... If the Titans beat the Colts this Sunday, they split on the season. If they are tied at the end with the Browns, a division tiebreaker would apply to the Titans and Colts first. If the Titans win that tiebreaker, they would then win ours as well.


Division record is irrelevant in breaking ties outside the division. We would probably get in, actually very likely in a three way tie, but it would be based on our conference record. If it's a two way tie with the Titans - we're out, if it's a two way tie with the Bills - we're in.


Yes we would. We really need the Titans to lose two to eliminate the poison pill though. Although that would be very "Browns" - in a sense, knocked out of the playoffs in week 1 because of our arrogance lol.

Since we're writing this plan anyway... If the Ravens are the Top seed - I want the 5. If the Ravens are the 2 - I want the 6. I would want to face them in the semis, not the AFC Championship - the most heart-breaking scenario possible would be losing to them with a chance to go to the Superbowl.


Definitely, but it sure is nice to have these conversations in December.

I believe division tiebreaker is only a thing for the division. If the titans colts and browns tie, conference record is the tiebreaker and we will have the best conference record.

And yes, I meant our conference record when I referenced if we go 6-0 in the division. If we are tied at 9-7 we will have a better conference record than anyone.

The scenario where we get pushed out is if we tie the titans by ourselves. We can't get in at that point.

Three or More Clubs

(Note: If two clubs remain tied after third or other clubs are eliminated, tie breaker reverts to step 1 of applicable two-club format.)

Apply division tie breaker to eliminate all but the highest ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. The original seeding within a division upon application of the division tie breaker remains the same for all subsequent applications of the procedure that are necessary to identify the two Wild-Card participants.
Head-to-head sweep. (Applicable only if one club has defeated each of the others or if one club has lost to each of the others.)
Best won-lost-tied percentage in games played within the conference.
Best won-lost-tied percentage in common games, minimum of four.
Strength of victory.
Strength of schedule.
Best combined ranking among conference teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best combined ranking among all teams in points scored and points allowed.
Best net points in conference games.
Best net points in all games.
Best net touchdowns in all games.
Coin toss

When the first Wild-Card team has been identified, the procedure is repeated to name the second Wild-Card, i.e., eliminate all but the highest-ranked club in each division prior to proceeding to step 2. In situations where three or more teams from the same division are involved in the procedure, the original seeding of the teams remains the same for subsequent applications of the tie breaker if the top-ranked team in that division qualifies for a Wild-Card berth.

https://www.nfl.com/standings/tiebreakingprocedures

Ah! Very nice. I stand corrected. Thanks.

Oh, I agree, if there ever was a remaining set of games to run the table, it would be this set. Just finishing off the Dolphins, a game against a 3rd string qb in pittsburgh, 2 date with the bengals, a rookie HC/QB in AZ, and one tough game, in your own barn, with a now 3rd look at Lamar Jackson. I know the league is gushing over him right now, but I believe there are numbers out there that back up that he's not quite as good when you see him a second time around. I believe that played a role in the Browns having some success in the game earlier this year. They learned quite a bit in the season finale last year.

I'm not saying Lamar Jackson isn't good, because he has proven me wrong, but he is beatable, and so is that Ravens defense, and we have the running backs to do it. I expect one hell of a game in Cleveland in a few weeks.

This year it's Lamar Jackson. Next year it will be someone else.

The Ravens are acting like clowns...in games, on the sidelines, off the field, toward the other team, coaches on down. These things have a way of evening out.

You know, this has been my mind set all week since the MIA game. We finally won a game we were supposed to without much of a sweat or last-minute drama. All 3 squads played to win their matchups. Kinda like how superior teams always played us.

Interesting that you & I came at this season from 180° of separation, and have now arrived at 'common ground'... right at about the season's halfway point.

I'm looking forward to every game we have left. I love that we're still relevant as we enter December. I love our chances v. PIT & CIN, and my brain fries every time I consider that CLE could be 5-0 in the division before we play BAL again. 5-0. In the AFCN.

I think if it's OK for our team to use the 1-0 approach week-to-week, it's OK for us to enjoy the win week-to-week, too.

Time for elves to bring brooms into Heintz Field.
One at a time.

Came into the season willing to accept every win we could manage. We were too casual and lost some.

Above .55 would be a disappointing win, but a win nevertheless.