Browns have playoff fever

The Indianapolis Colts were 4-6 after making five turnovers and losing to the San Francisco 49ers, 40-21, when former Colts coach Jim Mora went on his infamous “Playoffs?” postgame tirade. They won only two more games in 2001 and missed the playoffs.

The 2018 Browns, still giddy after beating the Atlanta Falcons, 28-16, on Nov. 11, are 3-6-1 heading into their game with the Bengals on Nov. 25 in Cincinnati.

If the conversation over Thanksgiving dinner starts to lag, toss this one out to get it going again: Unlike those 2001 Colts, the current Browns believe they are still in the playoff hunt. And, as crazy as it sounds, mathematically, anyway, they are.

The Los Angeles Chargers are in second place in the AFC West with a 7-3 record. The second place team in every other division is 5-5. Six teams, including the Browns, are under .500.

The Browns might have to win at least five of their last six games to sneak in as a wildcard team, but two are with the Bengals and their final regular season game is with the Ravens in Baltimore. The Ravens and Bengals are two of the 5-5 teams the Browns are chasing. The remaining three games are at Houston (7-3), vs. Carolina (6-4) and at Denver (4-6).

The Browns must play four of their final six games on the road. They have lost 25 straight on the road. Extending that streak to 26 in Paul Brown Stadium would tie them with the Detroit Lions (2007-2010) for the longest road losing streak in the history of the NFL. Obviously, before they can think about the playoffs, they have to avoid making dubious history.

The Browns haven’t won a road game since beating the Ravens, 33-30, in Baltimore on Oct. 11, 2015. Likewise, they haven’t won back-to-back games since beating the Raiders, Buccaneers and Bengals in a three-game stretch from Oct. 26-Nov. 6 2014.

Left guard Joel Bitonio and linebacker Christian Kirksey (currently on IR) are the only players on the roster that were part of the 2014 team.