As for the playoffs, the Bengals' match against the Browns Sunday has almost no meaning for both teams. The Browns have clinched the fifth seed in the AFC and the Bengals have already been eliminated from the playoffs, meaning there won't be much at stake in the game.
Although there won't be much at stake from a playoff standpoint, history could be made on Sunday. If the Bengals beat the Browns, that would push them to 9-8 on the season, and if that happens, it would make the AFC North the first division since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970 to see EVERY team finish above 0.500. .
Here's a current look at the AFC North standings:
1. Crows: 13-4
2. Browns: 11-5
3. Steelers: 10-7
4. Bengals: 8-8
Over the past 53 years, we've seen several divisions come close to seeing every team finish above .500, but it's never happened. Last year, the NFC East was lucky to put every team above .500, but the Commanders lost three of its last four matches to finish at 8-8-1.
Although no division has achieved this feat since the merger, it has been done before. If the Bengals win, it would make the AFC North the first division in 88 YEARS to place every team above .500. The last time this happened was in 1935, in the vaunted setting NFL West.
Here's a look at the end of this division:
1. the Lions: 7-3-2
2. Packers: 8-4
3. Bear: 6-4-2
4. Cardinals: 6-4-2
It was so long ago that the Cardinals played in Chicago (they played in the Windy City until 1960 when they moved to St. Louis, then they finally moved to Arizona in 1988).
The NFL West finished the season also producing that year's NFL champion when the Lions beat the giants 26-7 in the title match.