49ers defender: ‘Cleveland is a scary team in the AFC’

The NFL playoffs would have to go perfectly for both teams for the 49ers and Browns to matchup in the Super Bowl

The fact that the Cleveland Browns are the fifth seed in the AFC playoff picture, have one of the best records in all of the NFL and are being talked about as AFC Championship game contenders is beyond shocking given all the injuries. On the other hand, the Browns have been shocking the NFL all season.

It started with a huge win in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, continued in Week 3 with a convincing win over the Tennessee Titans but the team solidified itself as contenders in Week 5 versus the San Francisco 49ers. The big wins didn’t stop there but beating the Niners stamped Cleveland’s season as a big deal.

Now, with a long way to go until the Super Bowl, the Browns are being talked about as the “biggest threats” to the top-seeded Baltimore Ravens in the AFC with a real shot to make it to the Super Bowl. Cleveland is on the minds of San Francisco’s DT Arik Armstead as the NFL playoffs start next week:

Looking back at their Week 5 matchup, you can tell that Armstead remembers exactly how the Browns won. The Niners scored just 17 points, QB Brock Purdy threw for just 125 yards and Cleveland’s rushing attack had 160 yards on the ground.

If the two teams have the type of postseasons they hope to have, the rematch in the Super Bowl would likely include a healthy Christian McCaffrey and Joe Flacco starting for the Browns. Neither was true earlier in the season.

A long way to go until a Cleveland vs San Francisco rematch would be possible but interesting to hear Armstead mention the Browns as a threat.

How surprised are you that the Niners defender brought up the Browns as a threat in the AFC?