The road to the AFC Championship Game and, therefore, the Super Bowl, goes through the AFC North for the Cleveland Browns. This year, if the Browns won the division, Cleveland would have hosted a playoff game and had a better shot to win and advance.
Instead, the Browns were blown out by the Houston Texans on the road because the Baltimore Ravens secured the AFC North and top seed in the conference.
The Ravens are not the only impediment for Cleveland. The Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to bounce back with a healthy Joe Burrow while the Pittsburgh Steelers hope to find an offensive identity to join the race for the top, not just a playoff spot, in 2024
The Bengals have already lost their offensive coordinator as Brian Callahan took the head coaching job with the Tennessee Titans.