Browns beat Steelers

[Spider-Dan]

Not so sure about miami now, if they can't beat the bills, what chance do they have beating the texans, steelers or Titans in their final three games?

Are memories getting really short around here?

Let's not get too crazy with the criticism.  We did just lose to BUF, who provided the pathetic Browns with their only other win.

[dolphins4life]

It can only help us.  It can't hurt us.

This Sunday's game is a must-win.  That is for sure. 

[Dave Gray]

It can only help us.  It can't hurt us.

What's your line of thinking?  Where I'm sitting, I don't see how this helps us at all.  It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't help. 

[Spider-Dan]

What's your line of thinking?  Where I'm sitting, I don't see how this helps us at all.  It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't help.

PIT had one less loss than us.  If both of us had won all of our games until week 17, they would have been one game up. (this part was wrong)  Now, you might be thinking, "If we beat them in week 17, we're tied and we have the tiebreaker over them, so who cares?"  But the tiebreakers aren't that simple.

If, for example, SD also would up with 3 more losses (unlikely, but certainly possible against DAL, CIN, TEN, WSH), then our head-to-head tiebreaker over PIT is nullified (we beat PIT, who beat SD, who beat us).  So then it comes down to conference record... and PIT losing an in-conference game to a team that has already been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs is always good for any team that is competing with PIT for a playoff spot.

[Dave Gray]

^^

That line you crossed out is pretty big, since we were, at that point, tied.  If we are to win out (which is required), we give Pit a loss, and beat them outright (no tiebreakers.)  Therefore, it's meaningless.

[Spider-Dan]

It's still not exactly required for us to win out.

ranking team overall division conference
6. Jacksonville Jaguars 7-5 (3-2, 6-2)
7. Baltimore Ravens 6-6 (3-2, 6-4)
8. Miami Dolphins 6-6 (4-2, 4-4)
9. New York Jets 6-6 (2-4, 5-5)
10. Pittsburgh Steelers 6-7 (1-4, 4-6)
11. Tennessee Titans 5-7 (2-4, 3-7)
12. Houston Texans 5-7 (1-5, 4-6)

Of the 6 other teams on this list, we already own tiebreakers against 1 (NYJ) and are playing the other 4.  Provided that we beat JAX, we could still lose one of the last three games and get in, as long as the team that we lose to isn't in contention (e.g. PIT).  The only way that we wouldn't get in is if one of the other teams on this list runs the table, and even that would potentially help us (as HOU and JAX both play NE).  Plus, BAL and PIT play each other in week 16.

So PIT losing still helps us, in that we could potentially clinch a playoff spot before we play them in week 17.

[Dave Gray]

OK.  I have given up hope for any more losses.

[Denver_Bronco]

If I were you guys I would stop using the mathematics and just see where you are going into weeks 16 & 17. It would be just a tad easier by then. Win your games, then talk about it.

[NADS]

Not so sure about pittsburgh now, if they can't beat the browns, what chance do they have beating the ravens, dolphins or Packers in their final three games?

Spoiler alert--the Steelers will play a part in someone missing the playoffs.  That huge popping sound is Pittsburgh's head coming out of its ass after losing to the Browns.  The worse thing that can happen is they say "fuck it" and start converting on 4th down and forever because they've got nothing to lose.  When is Polamalu due back?

[fyo]

If I were you guys I would stop using the mathematics and just see where you are going into weeks 16 & 17. It would be just a tad easier by then. Win your games, then talk about it.

That gives us nothing to do NOW. We're fans; it's not like we actually influence what happens on the field