AFC North, playoff picture: Week 5 loss doesn’t drop Browns too far

If it feels strange to have an article about the Cleveland Browns and the NFL playoffs, that feeling is probably a valid one. The Browns validated the early lack of trust in their 3-1 record, with a letdown game in Week 5 versus the New York Jets. There were a lot of reasons to blame for the loss, but for many, it proved that the winning streak was more fool’s gold than fact.

On the other hand, Cleveland is 3-2, with a showdown with the AFC North leading Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, with their rival traveling to the shores of Lake Erie. A win in Week 6 would put the Browns back at the top of the AFC North standings heading into Week 7.

For now, the division looks like this:

1. Ravens: 4-1
2. Browns: 3-2 (Owns tiebreaker due to head-to-head versus Pittsburgh and division record versus Cincinnati)
3. Steelers: 3-2 (Owns head-to-head versus Cincinnati)
4. Bengals: 3-2

The AFC playoff picture is also very muddled, with three AFC North teams just on the outside looking in, pending the results of Monday Night Football between the 3-1 Buffalo Bills and the 2-2 Los Angeles Rams:

1. Kansas City Chiefs: 4-0
2. Baltimore Ravens: 4-1
3. Jacksonville Jaguars: 4-1
4. Buffalo Bills: 3-1
5. New England Patriots: 3-2
6. Denver Broncos: 3-2
7. Las Vegas Raiders: 3-2
8. Cleveland Browns: 3-2
9. Pittsburgh Steelers: 3-2
10. Cincinnati Bengals: 3-2
11. New York Jets: 2-3
12. Indianapolis Colts: 2-3
13. Houston Texans: 1-4
14. Miami Dolphins: 0-5
15. Los Angeles Chargers: 0-5
16. Tennessee Titans: 0-5

A myriad of early-season tiebreakers keep the Browns out of a playoff spot this week.

What jumps out to you when you look at the AFC North and playoff standings above?