The Browns in the playoffs? Not so fast

The Cleveland Browns find themselves at 3-1-0 in this young 2026 season. Three comeback wins have been featured so far and show that Cleveland has no quit.

The win over division rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football placed the Browns in first place all alone atop the AFC North Division.

And that is all well and good. Everyone wants to win games and become fans of something they feel is relevant. It is easier to root for a team that is winning games than to be devoted to a club that continually rests in the basement on an annual basis.

With the win, certainly Cleveland will obviously climb in the league power rankings. The league has five undefeated teams going into Week 4, and nine teams that are currently at 2-1-0 that could improve their standing once the smoke from the weekend subsides.

Teams that begin their season 3-1-0 have made the playoffs 75% of the time since the NFL expanded its postseason format in 2020. Remember, the consensus for the Browns before the year began was a five-win season, six at most?

It is a distinct possibility that Cleveland could be ranked in the Top 10. No, really. There are a few media outlets that are predicting a playoff spot for the Browns. So are numerous Facebook fan pages. Really? Let's slow this down a bit and be more realistic.

Jacob Robinson of The Athletic said this about Cleveland's sudden ascension:

"What about surprise 3-1 teams like these Browns? Projected before the season to win five games, Cleveland had Super Bowl odds of +15000, ranking 28th at the time. This start is very different from most."

For one, it's just one win. A key division matchup, to be certain, but simply one game on the schedule. There are 13 remaining.

Cleveland has beaten the 1-2-0 Carolina Panthers, the 0-3-0 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the now 2-2-0 Steelers. Nothing in this grouping screams potential Super Bowl champion. The only good team they faced was the Jacksonville Jaguars, who took Cleveland to the wood shed to the tune of a 34-10 beatdown.

There is a saying: "It's not what you are, but who you've played."

Now, don't get this all wrong; the Browns have the opportunity to gain double-digit wins this year. No, really. Because they were at the bottom of the division last year, they are set up with what is called "the fourth-place schedule" this year. That means they are pitted against the majority of clubs that also finished dead last in their division in 2025. Playing last year's crappy teams is a wonderful thing.

On the schedule are the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Tennessee Titans, Las Vegas Raiders, Indianapolis Colts, New York Football Giants, and Atlanta Falcons. Seven wins from this group? Six? Even five victories place Cleveland at eight wins for the year. With seven playoff seeds in the AFC, getting into the postseason will require a minimum of 10 wins. 11 gets you in.

But hold the phone. The Houston Texans were expected to be in the AFC Championship Game this year, and yet currently are 0-3-0. The Browns play Houston in Week 10. If Cleveland can split with every team in the division, that is another three wins. The victory over Pittsburgh is a direct indication that this could happen.

The Browns are the only team in the division that has never won an AFC North Division crown. Back in the day, they captured the AFC Central many times, but so far, since the realignment, they have never won the division title now called the AFC North. This could happen. This year.

And the playoffs could happen as well. Then again, the bottom could fall out. Lord knows the team collects penalties and allows a team like the Steelers to crawl back into the game after building a big lead.

"Should we trust Cleveland? Naturally, fans are concerned. These Browns are also different in another way, as they're 3-1 despite having a negative points margin (minus-14) on the season. But there's good news there, too. The recent history of 3-1 teams with negative differentials is a reminder that a winning record is all you need."

Last year, the Arizona Cardinals began their season 2-0-0, and everyone started talking playoffs. The Cardinals are a 127-year franchise, and they ended their season 3-14-0. It was the greatest number of losses in a single season in team history. Yet, they began on top of the world.

Let's just enjoy the moment. When the Browns begin beating the really good NFL teams, like the Baltimore Ravens, then let's start discussing the postseason.

What would you put the odds of the Browns making the NFL playoffs this year?

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