Why the Browns are the team to beat in the AFC North

The Cleveland Browns still trail the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North, but after upsetting Baltimore 33-31 in a Week 10 thriller, they just may be the new team to beat the division.

Here are three reasons why:

Control their destiny

Baltimore still holds the lead of the division with a 7-3 record, but Cleveland (6-3) now controls its own destiny and has a great chance to make the playoffs for the first since the 2020 season. The Browns have a 78.3 percent chance to make the postseason, per ESPN.

Week 11 will weigh heavily on Cleveland's aspirations to win the AFC North with a home matchup against the Steelers (6-3), who beat the Browns in Week 2. If Cleveland gets its revenge and defeats Pittsburgh, its chances of winning the division grow astronomically.

Championship defense

The Browns defense has been one of the best in the league halfway through the season, allowing the fewest total yards per game (242.7) and the sixth-fewest points per game (18.9) in the NFL. A big reason why is the play of DE Myles Garrett, who is arguably leading the race for this year's NFL Defensive Player of the Year with a league-leading 11 sacks and four forced fumbles.

Quarterbacks Deshaun Watson, P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson have all started games this season, but it hasn't mattered who has played at quarterback with the defense playing lights out. They say that defense wins championships, and Cleveland seems to have itself one of that caliber.

Good enough quarterback play

The quarterback play for the Browns has been up and down all season with Watson dealing with a shoulder injury that sidelined him for several weeks. Since returning, he has proved to be the difference the past two weeks, throwing for 432 yards, three touchdowns and just one interception.

It doesn't look like Watson is going to return to his 2020 form when he led the league in passing yards (4,823) with the Texans, but he has been good enough to win the division and make the playoffs. Watson has provided enough of a spark for the offense, which led to Cleveland's first win during which it trailed by 14+ points since Week 3 in 2018, per ESPN Stats & Info.