AFC North standings: Steelers look for some positives in Week 13

Cleveland Browns (6-6), Bye Week

The Cleveland Browns enter a late bye week after a deflating loss against the Baltimore Ravens under the lights. It was a game that the away club was in the entire time but just couldn’t close it out. Baker Mayfield is not playing well and it could either be ability, a multitude of injuries, or both.

Another major factor for this team struggling is the lack of complementary football for their offense. They go as their running game goes and that has not been doing the job lately. Mayfield has not been able to take over games without a running game. He needs a running attack to take shots down the field. If they don’t accomplish that then this will get ugly before the season wraps up.

The bye week will allow this team to rest up some before they get ready for next week’s game. They stay home as they host the Baltimore Ravens. This is odd as they will face the Ravens in back-to-back games with a bye week in-between. They will have more time to prepare for this one but they will still have issues.

The Ravens are the best team in the AFC North by a slim margin because their defense causes turnovers that set up the offense to score points. This Browns team is not a playoff-caliber club at the moment but they have a chance to upset the incoming squad next weekend. They have the extra time to prepare and rest so they better come out swinging.