No NFL team is going to get anywhere unless it wins its division.

In the case of the Browns, then, it’s time to pay attention to what the AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens are doing.

They have separated themselves from the rest of the division, and they proved that once again on Saturday night with a 28–14 victory over another team in division, the Pittsburgh Steelers, in the wild-card round of the AFC playoffs.

The margin of victory doesn’t indicate how much the Ravens dominated the Steelers. They rushed for a whopping 299 yards to 29 for Pittsburgh. The Steelers like to beat up teams physically, but they were the ones who were beaten up in this game. It might convince the powers to be in Pittsburgh that, for the first time since possibly the turn of the century, a complete rebuild, and not just a tinkering, may be in order.

The Cincinnati Bengals almost made the playoffs, but they need to fix their defense dramatically before they can consider themselves a Super Bowl  contender.

The Browns didn’t come close to the three other teams, finishing 3-14 and dead-last in the division.

Yes, they went 2–4 in division games, besting Baltimore and Pittsburgh in Cleveland, but they lost the second game against those teams by big margins.

So, the Browns have a long way to go before they can consider themselves a playoff team again. They will know just how far that distance is by seeing where the Ravens finish at the end of the playoffs.

Indeed, it’s time for a little birdwatching.

Steve King