18. Cleveland Browns (LW: 17)
That might be the end of the Cleveland dream. While 7-5 may keep other teams alive in other conferences or divisions – by comparison, it would give a team a two-game lead in the NFC South – the Browns sit at the bottom of a crowded AFC North. Not to be forgotten in the team’s defeat in Buffalo on Sunday is the equally important loss of a head-to-head tiebreaker against the Bills. Of all the non-divisional teams against whom the Browns could ill-afford a loss, the Bills were probably the most critical. Surely, the story going into the Browns’ final four games is the potential quarterback change, as Brian Hoyer was benched late in Week 13’s loss for Johnny Manziel. Whether or not head coach Mike Pettine sticks with Manziel or Hoyer going forward, Cleveland may have to win out to still be playing in January.
