The Browns have only themselves to blame for the difficult situation in which they find themselves concerning making the playoffs for the second straight year.

They got exactly what they needed Sunday with the Los Angeles Rams’ come-from-behind 20-19 win over the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens. It was first thing that had to happen during the day to give the Browns in the hunt for the division title, which was their clearest path to the postseason.

Then, however, they got exactly what they didn’t need less than a half-hour later with Cincinnati’s come-from-behind 34-31 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, giving the Bengals the North championship and leaving the Browns hanging by a thread in the race for a wild-card berth. By the time you read this, even that thread may have been cut, eliminating the 7-8 Browns altogether as they get ready to battle the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football at Heinz Field.

The Browns have lost six games — six games!! — by six points or less this year. Their inability to make the deciding play in any of those games, instead of having it made against them, is why they’re on the outside looking in at the playoffs. The season is only 17 games, so when you lose that many close games — more than one-third of the entire schedule of games — you have virtually no shot of overcoming it. You have no room for error.

In 2020, when they made the playoffs, they made those big plays late in games.

Why they couldn’t repeat that this season –in fact, couldn‘t get even close to doing it — is hard to figure out, and even harder to stomach for the Browns and their fans.

And it will be even harder to watch these final two games (the Browns end the regular season next Sunday by hosting the Bengals).

By Steve King