Midway through the 2026 NFL season, the Cleveland Browns are 5-4, which is a surprise to many. After being one of the worst teams in the league last season, the expectation was for Cleveland to face a similar fate in 2026.
However, the Browns have been much better than expected, and they find themselves in the playoff picture with half a season to go.
The reason Cleveland has been able to surpass expectations thus far is that it is a really clutch team. Looking at a lot of the team’s numbers, it would be surprising that it won five of its first nine games.
If anyone watched the first three quarters of Browns’ games, the team’s early season success would be even more of a mystery.
Cleveland has made a habit of struggling its way through three quarters of action, before flipping a switch in the fourth quarter and making a dramatic comeback. It took game-winning drives for the Browns to get each of their five wins, and they were a two-point conversion short of picking up a sixth in Week 9.
The question, of course, is if this is sustainable. Can Cleveland keep winning close games and actually battle its way to being a contender?
History says no. The Browns are the fourth team in NFL history whose first five wins of a season came by four or fewer points. The previous three teams that did that all missed the playoffs.
Browns’ close wins put them on track to miss the playoffs
This history was pointed out during Cleveland’s Week 9 game against the New Orleans Saints, with the broadcast highlighting the 1999 Chicago Bears, 2003 Houston Texans, and 2009 Oakland Raiders as the three other teams that picked up their first five wins by four or less points.
What the broadcast didn’t note, though, is that those teams didn’t even get to their fifth win until late in the season. The ‘99 Bears were 4-5 after Week 9 and didn’t get win No. 5 until Week 11. They ultimately finished the year 6-10.
The ‘03 Texans were 3-5 after Week 9 and didn’t get to five wins until Week 13 before finishing with a 5-11 record. The ‘09 Raiders, who also finished with a 5-11 record, were 2-6 after a Week 9 bye and finally got to five wins in Week 15.
The Browns, on the other hand, picked up their fifth win in Week 7, starting the season 5-2. Cleveland has since dropped its last two games, but it was off to a promising start — which can’t really be said for the other teams.
Ultimately, the Browns will decide their fate, not history. With eight games left in the season, Cleveland will decide how many more it’ll win — and how those games will be won.
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