ProFootballTalk chalking up Oakland Raiders loss against Cleveland Browns

Cleveland has enjoyed some winning football early in the 2014 season as the Browns have somehow prevailed over the Josh Gordon suspension as well as the Johnny Manziel distractions this preseason to compile a 3-2 record through their first five games of the year under quarterback Brian Hoyer. A come from behind win on the road against the Tennessee Titans followed by a beat down of their AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers having hopes high for the long struggling Browns who share a place with the Raiders as one of the most doomed franchises in the AFC in the 00’s.

That hasn’t stopped ProFootballTalk from looking ahead to the Browns next three games as a potential chance for the team to go 6-2, writing matchups against Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and the Raiders as likely wins before Cleveland have a Thursday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Touting their soft schedule in October as something that gives them a good chance of thrusting themselves into the playoff picture before the snow falls and the NBA season starts in Cleveland.

In fact, PFT feel that it wouldn’t be surprising to see the 3-2 Browns to go run the table for the rest of the month.

From ProFootballTalk’s Michael David Smith:

"The Cleveland Browns haven’t won more than five games in any season since 2007. There’s a good chance that they’ll reach their sixth win of the season by the halfway point.The surprisingly 3-2 Browns are heading into a stretch of the schedule that’s about as easy as an NFL team can have: Cleveland’s next three games are against Jacksonville, Oakland and Tampa Bay, and two of those three games are at home. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see the Browns at 6-2 when the season hits its halfway point.The Browns’ ninth game is a Thursday night at Cincinnati, and that could be the game that announces Cleveland as a real contender. Win on the road against the Bengals, and the Browns could improve to 7-2 and would have to be considered a good bet to make the playoffs."

While both Jacksonville and Tampa Bay have struggled as much as the Raiders have to start the 2014 season, PFT may be getting ahead of themselves in assuming that all three teams will bow to the still rather average Browns roster one by one. Especially with center Alex Mack out for the season giving the Browns a significant hurdle to overcome. Throw in the Raiders two near upsets against the Patriots as well as the Chargers and you can see why people may be getting ahead of themselves in assuming that Oakland or the other two teams mentioned will be easy fodder for the Browns. After all they are the Cleveland Browns for a reason (as the mainstream media will say after the Browns drop one of these next three games).