The Browns apparently could have used more pork and sauerkraut on New Year’s Day because they weren’t lucky Sunday.
The Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) won the AFC North by upsetting the Kansas City Chiefs 34-31 at Paul Brown Stadium. In a wild finish, Evan McPherson made a 20-yard field goal to lift the Bengals over the Chiefs (11-5) with time expired.
The outcome closed the door on a division championship for the Browns (7-8). That was their most realistic path to the playoffs by far.
A wild-card berth for the Browns would require a miracle involving many outcomes. If the Los Angles Chargers defeat the Denver Broncos on Sunday night, the Browns will be eliminated from playoff contention.
To control their own destiny in the quest for their first AFC North title and first division championship since 1989, the Browns needed the Bengals to lose to the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens to fall to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday.
The Browns had only one of those games go their way.
The Ravens (8-8) lost 20-19 to the Rams (12-4) at M&T Bank Stadium, with backup quarterback Tyler Huntley starting in place of Baltimore star Lamar Jackson, who was inactive for the third consecutive game with an ankle injury suffered Dec. 12 in a 24-22 loss to the Browns in Cleveland.
Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. helped the Browns after forcing his way out of Cleveland in early November. He caught a 5-yard pass for a first down on fourth-and-5 from the Ravens 12-yard line, then a 7-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford on the next play to give the Rams a one-point lead with 57 seconds left to play.
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For the Browns to keep their minuscule hopes for a wild-card spot alive, they will need more help Sunday.
But nothing will matter if they don’t defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers (7-7-1) on “Monday Night Football” at Heinz Field and the Bengals in the Jan. 9 regular-season finale at FirstEnergy Stadium.
The Steelers prevailed 15-10 on Oct. 31 in Cleveland.
“For us, it is really a playoff game,” Browns four-time Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio said Tuesday on Zoom. “We have to go 1-0 this week.”
“Guys are just ready to control what they can control,” Browns All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett said Friday. “We know we need some help to get where we want to get, but it starts first by winning. We have to go into a hostile environment and play the best we can. We have to put our best foot forward and go ball out. Right now, nothing matters if we go in there and take an L. We have to knock them out of the playoffs.”
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The Browns should expect the Steelers to be fired up. After all, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said Thursday “all signs are pointing” to Monday likely being his final game in Pittsburgh.
Roethlisberger is 24-3-1 as a starter against the Browns, including 0-1 in the playoffs. The last time the Browns played at Heinz Field, they captured their first postseason victory since Jan. 1, 1995, by triumphing 48-37 over the Steelers on Jan. 10 in a wild-card game.
The Browns were eliminated 22-17 by the Chiefs on Jan. 17 in the divisional round.
On Sunday, the Browns were all but eliminated from playoff contention when the Chiefs dropped their road game in Cincinnati.
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Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns playoff chances take major blow after Bengals win AFC North