Browns rooting guide: Playoffs and NFL draft both important watches in Week 9

Browns playoff hopes are slim and NFL draft prospects are high but Week 9 can be game changing

The direction of the Cleveland Browns 2024 NFL season might already be set after the 1-6 start to the season but the team will decide in Week 9 whether that holds true. After knocking off the Baltimore Ravens in Week 8, the Browns are just two games out of the last playoff spot held by the Los Angeles Chargers, their Week 9 opponent.

What happens this week will not only decide what Cleveland does at the NFL trade deadline, where being buyers not sellers is possible, but also what the focus of the fanbase is: Playoffs or NFL draft?

Due to that, it was important to put together a Browns rooting guide that looked at both sides of the equation. If Cleveland wins, what other games matter at this point in the season for playoff reasons? If the Browns lose, what games impact their NFL draft position?

Browns Playoff Rooting Guide

1 PM starts

• Browns over Chargers
• Bills over Dolphins
• Raiders over Bengals - An interesting one where the outcome, at least for this week, helps both sides of this rooting guide
• Broncos over Ravens - An interesting one as Denver winning makes a wild card contender better but Cleveland still has an outside shot at the AFC North with so many division games ahead. Plus rooting for Baltimore is never fun

4 PM starts

None of note as the only AFC team playing during these games is the Jaguars. More on that game later

Sunday Night Football

Vikings over Colts - Former Browns QB Joe Flacco gets the start but Indianapolis is 4-4 so Cleveland fans are rooting for their former QB coach, Kevin O’Connell, in Minnesota instead

Monday Night Football

Unimportant for Browns playoff situation at this time with the Chiefs facing the Bucs.

Browns NFL Draft Rooting Guide

1 PM starts

• Chargers over Browns
• Cowboys over Falcons
• Dolphins over Bills
• Raiders over Bengals - Again
• Titans over Patriots - This one is interesting but if the top overall pick is of interest, Tennessee getting their second win is more important than New England getting their third
• Giants over Commanders
• Panthers over Saints - Same reasons as Titans vs Pats

4 PM starts

• Jaguars over Eagles
• Rams over Seahawks

Sunday/Monday Night Football

Neither game currently has importance to wear Cleveland would land in the NFL draft after Week 9.

Are you currently paying attention to Browns rooting interesting around the NFL or don’t care until later in the season? In what situations are you able to root for the Bengals, Ravens and Steelers*?***

Share your rooting thoughts in the comment section below