Cleveland Browns' Super Bowl Odds Cut In Half After Baker Mayfield Leads Team To First Win In 2018

The Cleveland Browns are a long shot to win Super Bowl LIII. That’s actually a significant upgrade for a team that had gone 635 days without a regular-season win before Thursday night.

Heading into their Week 3 matchup with the New York Jets, Cleveland had 100/1 Super Bowl odds, meaning they were given virtually no chance to compete for a title. With Baker Mayfield now expected to be under center for the rest of the season, the Browns are at least on the radar, even if a deep playoff run is considered highly unlikely.

Cleveland improved their record to 1-1-1 and their Super Bowl odds to 50/1 with their 21-17 comeback victory on “Thursday Night Football.” The defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles actually had 50/1 Super Bowl odds during last year’s preseason. Philadelphia started the 2017 season with a 1-1 record before winning nine straight games.

Eleven teams now have worse Super Bowl odds than the Browns, including six AFC teams. Cleveland is given a better shot to win the championship than the Jets, Indianapolis Colts, Tennessee Titans, Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills.

Aside from already matching their 2016 win total and guaranteeing themselves a better record than last year, Cleveland looks like they are greatly improved. The Browns almost beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener, playing to a 21-21 tie. They would’ve beaten the New Orleans Saints on the road in Week 2 if they had a competent kicker.

Having one of the NFL’s best defenses could keep Cleveland competitive in just about every game. The Browns gave up 42 total points to the teams that finished second and third in total offense a season ago. Cleveland hasn’t surrendered more than 21 points in any of their three games after allowing opponents to score at least 21 points in 26 of 32 games over the previous two seasons.

With Tyrod Taylor at quarterback, Cleveland’s offense was likely to hold them back from being a winning team. Mayfield was terrific in his pro debut. Maybe the Browns will be able to move the ball with consistency now that the rookie has taken the reins of the offense.

Playing in a difficult division could be what ultimately keeps the Browns from approaching a winning record. Despite their early-season struggles and issues with their star players, Pittsburgh is still probably one of the AFC’s best teams. The Cincinnati Bengals look like a playoff contender after a perfect 2-0 start. The Baltimore Ravens should be in the postseason race, as well.

The Browns don’t face any teams that made last year’s playoffs on their upcoming schedule. Cleveland visits the currently winless Raiders in Week 4. They host the Ravens in a key AFC North matchup in Week 5 and will remain home for a matchup with the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 6. The Browns visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7 before their schedule becomes increasingly difficult. Consecutive games against the Steelers, Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs lead Cleveland into a Week 11 bye.

Let’s see how the Browns perform under head coach Hue Jackson now that they have a legitimate defense and a quarterback that finally gives them a chance to win. That’s how it appears, at least, heading into Week 4.

Cleveland has never reached the Super Bowl in franchise history. The Browns last made the playoffs in 2002 and haven’t won a postseason game since the 1994 season.