Kiss of death
The Browns can clinch a playoff spot by about 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Think about that. The Browns can play the final two weeks of the season knowing they are in the playoffs if:

- The Browns beat Buffalo at home.

- Houston beats Denver in Houston Thursday.

- Kansas City beats Tennessee.

None of those things seem impossible. But I do tend to believe the Browns will make the playoffs if they defeat Buffalo Sunday. A win there puts the Bills two games behind the Browns. The way the Broncos are playing, it's difficult to see them being much of a threat in the coming weeks.

Tennessee is an interesting case. A talented and well-coached team, it has been woefully inconsistent in recent weeks. Vince Young has been more bad than good this season. But mostly, the Titans are in a bad spot because they have lost games they should have won.

- Cincinnati and Denver blasted them in road games.

- San Diego stole a game from them in OT.

- But again, the Browns can't worry about any of that. A win Sunday puts the Browns in the driver's seat. Nine wins with two games to play against sub-.500 teams.

-Why is this worrysome? Nobody expected the Browns to make the playoffs this year, especially without Brady Quinn leading them. Cleveland has played this season without expectations. Very few people have bought in, even with the success. The Browns were just 3 1/2 point favorites over a 3-9 Jets team Sunday.

- You could argue the only times the Browns have had expectations were week 1 and week 13. In each of those games, (against the Steelers and the Cardinals) the Browns seemed to play below their ability level.

-The question is whether the Browns can play loose against a Bills team that (in my opinion, anyway) is not as talented as them.

-What the fans are looking for, I think, is the team that beat the Texans three weeks ago -- loose, confident, and ready.

- December. Cleveland. Playoffs. It just doesn't get any better than that.