Given all the injuries, it is astonishing that the Cleveland Browns, with one of the greatest records in the NFL, are the fifth seed in the AFC playoff picture and are being discussed as potential candidates for the AFC Championship game. Conversely, the NFL has been shocked by the Browns the whole season.
Week 1 saw a tremendous victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, and Week 3 saw a convincing victory over the Tennessee Titans. However, Week 5 against the San Francisco 49ers cemented the team’s status as a contender. The impressive victories continued, but defeating the Niners cemented Cleveland’s season’s significance.
Now that the Super Bowl is still a long way off, the Browns are being discussed as the AFC’s “biggest threats” to the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens, with a genuine chance to win the championship. DT Arik Armstead of San Francisco is thinking about Cleveland as the NFL playoffs begin the following week.
It’s evident from Armstead’s memory of their Week 5 encounter that he knows exactly how the Browns prevailed. Only 17 points were scored by the Niners; QB Brock Purdy completed passes for only 125 yards, while Cleveland’s ground game amassed 160 yards.
Christian McCaffrey would probably be healthy for the rematch in the Super Bowl, with Joe Flacco starting for the Browns, if the two teams have the kind of postseasons they aspire to have. Earlier in the season, neither was true.
Even though there is still a long way to go before Cleveland and San Francisco play again, it’s interesting to hear Armstead flag the Browns as a potential threat.
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