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NFL playoff picture: What does Browns-Ravens mean for AFC standings?

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Game results (Sunday): With the Chargers win in Week 18, the Steelers fell to the sixth seed and will travel to Baltimore for a wild card game, the third matchup of Baltimore and Pittsburgh this season.

Game update: The Ravens are the AFC North champions and have clinched the three seed after their Week 18 win over the Cleveland Browns.

Week 18 of the 2024 NFL season has arrived.

While many teams have already punched their playoff tickets — or booked their post-season travel plans after being eliminated — a handful of teams enter the final weekend of the regular season with some outstanding business.

The Baltimore Ravens are one of those teams. While the Ravens have already clinched a playoff spot, they enter Week 18 with a chance to clinch the AFC North and a home game on Wild Card Weekend.

Here is how the Ravens can lock up the AFC North this weekend, starting with their game Saturday against the Cleveland Browns.

Sitting at 11-5, the Ravens have already clinched a playoff spot.

But the AFC North title has yet to be decided, with both Baltimore and the Pittsburgh Steelers having a chance to claim the division in Week 18. The Ravens are a game ahead of Pittsburgh in the standings, so Baltimore has the advantage heading into Saturday.

With a win or a tie against the Browns on Saturday, the Ravens will take the AFC North. It is worth noting that Baltimore is a prohibitive favorite entering the game — FanDuel listed them as 19.5-point favorites as of Friday morning — and the Browns are starting reserve quarterback Bailey Zappe in this game.

Even if the Ravens lose on Saturday, they can still win the division if the Steelers lose or tie against the Cincinnati Bengals later in the day.

The Browns-Ravens game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, with Bengals-Steelers scheduled for 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

In addition, Baltimore’s seed in the AFC playoff bracket is on the line this weekend. If they win the division they will slot in as the No. 3 seed and have a home game on Wild Card Weekend. But if the Steelers end up winning the division, then the Ravens will enter the playoffs as the No. 5 seed and play on the road against the Houston Texans, who are locked into the No. 4 seed.

Browns playoff picture

The Browns have already been eliminated from playoff contention.

However, Cleveland remains in the mix for the first-overall selection. With a loss to the Ravens — and both the Tennessee Titans and the New England Patriots either winning or tying their games — the Browns would secure the first-overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Tiebreaker implications

This game has no tiebreaker implications.

Mark Schofield
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