What record do the Browns need to have for Deshaun Watson to have a playoff shot?

The Cleveland Browns landed Deshaun Watson this offseason knowing he was facing a potential suspension. That ban ended up being 11 games, and the team is thus far 3-5 through the first eight games of the season. Cleveland is on a bye this week, meaning there are three more games with Jacoby Brissett under center.

The narrative entering the season was focused on how many games the team had to win before Deshaun Watson returned in Week 13. Specifically, what the record had to be for him to return and have a shot to lead the Browns to the playoffs. So with three more to go, what is the answer to that question?

Browns must accomplish a tough task before Deshaun Watson returns

Cleveland Browns v Baltimore Ravens

Cleveland enters Week 9 at 3-5 and in the 11th spot in the AFC standings. Without factoring in the tie-breakers, they are two losses behind the seventh-seed Los Angeles Chargers. They are also two games behind the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.

3-5 is a bad record, for sure, but the fact that Deshaun Watson returns in Week 13 makes this a unique situation. In theory, he is a top-10 quarterback returning fresh and healthy at a time when others may be dealing with nagging injuries late in the year.

However, what constitutes falling too far behind to have a shot? Simple logic tells us that a winning record is usually a minimum to make the postseason. With the 17-game schedule, that means finishing at least 9-8.

So, if the Browns lose three in a row before Watson comes back, that means he must win out. And that is an incredibly tall task for someone who hasn't played a competitive game in nearly two years.

The Browns play the Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in that order, following the bye week. Going 2-1 in that stretch seems like a minimum requirement to keep the playoff hopes alive. That would put the team at 5-6 with Deshaun Watson returning.

A 5-6 mark is important because the final six games of the year feature some tough matchups. In particular, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens are tough divisional opponents, while the Washington Commanders are a sneaky contender in the NFC. The New Orleans Saints are also on the schedule in that stretch.

Then comes the idea of tiebreakers. The Browns have already lost to the New York Jets, Los Angeles Chargers, and New England Patriots. All three teams are ahead of Cleveland in the Wild Card hunt.

A loss to the Dolphins, without Watson, means another tiebreaker is lost to a contending team. That makes the Miami game a must-win for more than one reason.

A 5-6 mark means Deshaun Watson will have some room for error upon his return. While fans in Cleveland are excited, he is coming off a two-year hiatus and the team has already showed a monumental ability to collapse late in games this year. So he needs that room for error, especially with a questionable defense.

In reality, the Browns have an extremely tough road to the postseason after such a rough start. But rallying and getting to 5-6 should do wonders for the locker room, given the emotional boost the quarterback can provide upon his return.