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Landscape of the AFC North

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Will we see the power of balance shift in the AFC North?

  • No - Pitt has done enough to replace all they lost

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No - Balt has lost big names but have done enough to remain on top

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • Yes - Off-season was nothing flashy but Cincy will overtake Pitt & Balt

    Votes: 5 20.0%

  • Yes - Cleve has had an impressive off-season & will finally jump into the top 2

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • Somewhat - Cincy is ready, Cleve is on upswing. It will be a tight race w/ all 4 teams

    Votes: 14 56.0%

  • No - Balt & Pitt are too good of organizations and Cincy & Cleve haven't proven anything yet

    Votes: 2 8.0%

  • Yes - Complete reversal w/ Balt & Pitt in 3rd & 4th due to revamping & aging

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Other - Name it.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Total voters
    25
@Los216 head-to-head record isn't the most important thing. It's possible for good teams to lose to worse teams. The Chiefs lost to the Colts this year. The Browns were undefeated in the preseason before going 0-16. Shit happens. The Bengals are a better team than the Browns right now, and they're going to be favored in the head-to-head matchups until things change.

And to the people thinking the Bengals are unbeatable, they're very beatable--but one part of beating them is going to be getting pass rush from the front four. Let's see what our organization can put together to help achieve that goal.
 
browniebob said:
Made it to two straight AFC Championships while we've missed the playoffs each year.
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I’ve made this point in 3 separate posts but someone doesn’t understand it.

Imagine telling Bengals fans or their players/coaches/FO. “Hey we’re not afraid of you, we’re 1-4 against your superstar QB”

“Ok… you haven’t made the AFC Championship Game since 89’. We’re going for second straight year and went to the Super Bowl last year, what’s your point..?”

Bengals are top of the division right now

Ravens are consistent year after year, won a SB in 12’

Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 03’. Won a SB in 08’.

We haven’t won the AFC North since it was created. We’ve won 1 playoff game since 99’. And finished last 14 times in AFCN.

But 1-4 vs Burrow, which I’m sure plays a factor against his game vs Chiefs this coming Sunday
 
It may be unreasonable, but until the Bengals beat us twice in a season, I'm not worried about the "Bengals getting in our way". Since the expansion to 7 playoff teams, our division had three playoff teams in 20-21, and two last year and this year.

He just doesn't strike fear in me the same way as a Lamar and Justin Tucker match-up does.

The Bengals may very well be a the top AFC team the next few years, but if it wasn't them it would be Buffalo or KC or whomever. The switch from 6 to 7 playoff teams means there is a much smaller importance of winning the division, and until the Bengals prove it against us (twice in one season) it doesn't feel like I'll schedule two losses when looking at the season next year. I expect a home and home split against them.
 
Juice is Loose said:
I’ve made this point in 3 separate posts but someone doesn’t understand it.

Imagine telling Bengals fans or their players/coaches/FO. “Hey we’re not afraid of you, we’re 1-4 against your superstar QB”

“Ok… you haven’t made the AFC Championship Game since 89’. We’re going for second straight year and went to the Super Bowl last year, what’s your point..?”

Bengals are top of the division right now

Ravens are consistent year after year, won a SB in 12’

Steelers haven’t had a losing season since 03’. Won a SB in 08’.

We haven’t won the AFC North since it was created. We’ve won 1 playoff game since 99’. And finished last 14 times in AFCN.

But 1-4 vs Burrow, which I’m sure plays a factor against his game vs Chiefs this coming Sunday
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I agree with everything you're saying, but that's not the prompt of this specific conversation. Unless you're saying we will lose to the Bengals in the playoffs. If you're saying that, great, I just think it's way to early for that.

This isn't "the Browns are as good as the Bengals" or "Who cares if the Bengals are in the AFC Championship, the Browns beat them".

The root of this conversation is this, "We have to Deal with Joe Burrow forever". We have done this so far, it's not some monkey on our back like the Steelers and Ravens have been. What changes now that makes Joe Burrow more difficult to deal with than he has been. Our coaches have done an excellent job against the Bengals during their tenure.
 
I was deciding where to put this post, but see it fits here.

I'm also not worried about Joe Burrow, or the Bengals, either. The Browns havent been successful, for many reasons, in a very long time. However, its largely from their own ineptitude and bad luck. Sounds stupid to be confident with ineptitude and bad luck lasting for 30yrs, huh? While I fully agree, beating yourself can be easier to solve than consistently being beaten by others. I think the Browns have the right front office, QB, RB, OLine (and oline coach), DE, CBs, etc. If Schwartz is legit, I think the ship can be righted. If the Browns can do well against the Bengals amongst a clusterfuck, I think we become the problem once things are right. Is that next year, the year after, or into the future? Who knows? But I do think the ingredients are there.
 
There are three other teams in the AFC North. The Ravens and Steelers are trending downwards. To think that all three of our opponents would be trending downwards in a professional sport would be silly or just make us an NFC team. To be the best you have to beat the best.
 
Triplethreat said:
They fucked our shit last time out dude
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Considering it was Watson's second game back, I thought the Browns played well. They had their opportunities. Burrow took what Woods' soft ass defense gave him underneath and it won them the game.

On offense, Watson was heating up and bringing us back. Just couldn't finish it.
 
Huber. said:
Browns needs to worry about the Browns the most
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Until proven otherwise over the course of several seasons, this will be true. The greatest threat to the Browns has been themselves since the return. Whether it was poor ownership, terrible GMs and coaches or historically bad things happening on the field.
 
Los216 said:
Ok. He's 1-4 vs The Browns. So what has he done to the Browns that makes you think he's such a roadblock?
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I'd argue you're the one moving the goalposts a bit. The statement was along the lines of "We have to deal with Joe Burrow forever. This sucks." I think its a pretty fair statement, regardless of our head-to-head recent success.

Regardless of his record against the Browns (which seems to be a bit of a fluke, but that's another topic), he's been REALLY good against everyone else and is on the verge of back to back AFC titles. This success lessens the Browns' chances of winning the division, which lessens the chance of homefield advantage, which lessens the chance of a deep playoff and/or SB run.

This is akin to Raptors fans saying "Cavs are 0-3 against the Raptors this year". Doesn't mean shit if the Raps don't even make the play-in tournament and the Cavs are the 4 seed. Browns are the Raps, Bengals are the Cavs - but with even more recent proven success. Of course Burrow being in the division is a problem.
 
What happens this summer with Joe B's extension and Lamar's contract... It is going to be interesting how that shakes out for both...
 
We can deal with Burrow.
I look forward to duking it out with him for many years.
Gonna be classic.
 
Deezus said:
I'd argue you're the one moving the goalposts a bit. The statement was along the lines of "We have to deal with Joe Burrow forever. This sucks." I think its a pretty fair statement, regardless of our head-to-head recent success.

Regardless of his record against the Browns (which seems to be a bit of a fluke, but that's another topic), he's been REALLY good against everyone else and is on the verge of back to back AFC titles. This success lessens the Browns' chances of winning the division, which lessens the chance of homefield advantage, which lessens the chance of a deep playoff and/or SB run.

This is akin to Raptors fans saying "Cavs are 0-3 against the Raptors this year". Doesn't mean shit if the Raps don't even make the play-in tournament and the Cavs are the 4 seed. Browns are the Raps, Bengals are the Cavs - but with even more recent proven success. Of course Burrow being in the division is a problem.
Click to expand...

This is a far concern and a far comparison. Where *I*, and I'm assuming others, are coming from is, the Browns franchise has been bad and unlucky for almost 30yrs. All that, but they've beaten Burrow when they've faced him. If the bad shit is fixed, and they stop beating themselves, they'll be fine against Burrow.

If I can win an F1 race driving a Honda Civic, I'm probably a good enough driver to win driving a race car.

Maybe that's not the case, but I'm more worried about getting the Browns fixed than Burrow.
 
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