Would definitely put the Ravens behind KC, Tenn, and Pittsburgh right now. Buffalo has also impressed me more. I think the Pats are also in the mix even though their record doesn't show it.
The Ravens blitz all the time Gerg Williams approved gimmick defense will sure break the likes of Burrow and Daniel Jones in half but any offense w/ a pulse like KC will eat it alive.
At least for now I'm not going to overreact to Pittsburgh's big win over Cleveland. As I see it, there are basically three possible explanations for that:
- Pittsburgh is THAT good.
- Cleveland is THAT bad.
- It was just one-of-those-days and neither #1 nor #2 is correct.
Problems with #1:
- Pittsburgh's other four games aren't very impressive. They beat sub-.500 Denver by 5, they beat 1-4-1 Philly by 9, and they beat 1-5 Houston and NYG by 7 and ten. That does NOT make them look like SuperBowl material.
Problems with #2:
- Yes, the Browns have played an easy schedule with the exception of Pitt and Baltimore and those two trashed them but they DID win the other four games. 4-2 Indy is pretty good and 2-3 Dallas isn't complete trash. I didn't think last week that the Browns were as good as their 4-1 record last week but I also don't think that they are as bad as the Ravens and Steelers losses look either.
Ultimately, therefore, I think the answer to this riddle is that Pittsburgh is better than their unimpressive wins over Denver, Philly, Houston, and NYG and Cleveland isn't as good as their 4-1 record looked last week and on top of that it was just one of those days (ie, I don't necessarily think that Cleveland is 31 points worse than Pittsburgh).
We'll find out soon. Pittsburgh's next two games are on the road against the undefeated Titans then on the road against the 5-1 Ravens.
As for Cleveland:
- This week they visit Cincinnati. On the one hand, the Bengals are 1-4-1 and Cleveland already beat them once. On the other hand, the Browns beat them by a mere five points in Cleveland so winning in Cincinnati is not a given.
- Next week the Browns host the Raiders. IMHO, this is their most intriguing remaining game. The Browns have ten remaining games. Three are against teams that should obviously (and easily) beat Cleveland (Pitt 5-0, Tennessee 5-0, Baltimore 5-1). Another six are against teams 1-4-1 or worse (Cincy, Philly, Houston, Jacksonville, NYG, NYJ) that the Browns should definitely beat. That just leaves one more, the 3-2 Las Vegas Raiders in Cleveland on November 1.
IMHO, the game against the Raiders is the key game for the Browns for several reasons:
First, it is the most evenly matched remaining game so it is pretty easy to see it going either way.
Second, the game is fairly likely to come into play in determining playoff eligibility or seeding for the Browns. If the playoffs started today the Browns would be in as the #6 seed (thus getting a road game at the #3 seeded KC Chiefs). The Browns are only a game behind the Ravens but considering Cleveland's 38-6 loss to Baltimore I just don't see the Browns overtaking anyone. The Browns are tied with Indy for the 5th/6th seed and a half game ahead of Las Vegas. If the Browns beat Las Vegas they will own potentially tie-breaking wins over both the Raiders and the Colts which will really help the Browns down the stretch.
The Colts are off this week and play the Lions next week. Las Vegas hosts the Buccaneers this week than travels to Cleveland next week. Even if the Colts and Raiders win their other games and Cleveland loses their other game, here would be the likely mid-point playoff standings two weeks from now:
- #6, 5-2 Indianapolis
- #7, 5-3 Cleveland
- #8, 4-3 Las Vegas
Thus, Cleveland would be a half game down to the Colts and a half game up on the Raiders but they would have the tiebreaker over either or both so their playoff position would be reasonably secure.
