NFL playoff picture: Browns top wild card team in AFC, NFC has clear divide

The Cleveland Browns were once again victorious in a game that was ugly and went down to the wire. Winning is winning in the NFL and it is very hard to do on a regular basis.

While Browns fans (including myself) are highly concerned about the team’s chances to make noise in the NFL playoffs with their quarterback play, getting there is the first step. Cleveland has been seeded into a playoff spot for months at this point in time and each win moves them closer to securing it.

The current AFC playoff picture shows a bunched-up set of teams and a ton of teams within two games of the playoffs:

With the Baltimore Ravens leading the AFC North, the Browns are as high as they can be seeded at this point in time.

As the playoff race continues, teams that are more than two games out are really of no interest. Anything can happen but, right now, only two AFC teams are not at least slightly in the playoff picture.

The NFC on the other hand looks quite different:

Having just six teams in the conference with winning records, and just one at .500, the NFC is a “have” and “have not” conference at this point. For Cleveland, the Los Angeles Rams are still in the playoff hunt but barely at 4-6 with the two teams matching up in LA in Week 13.

The only other NFC team on the Browns schedule is the 3-8 Chicago Bears.

Cleveland’s betting odds to make the playoffs jumped from -250 before their Week 11 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers to -475 currently.