A loss is inexcusable for the Cleveland Browns come Sunday. 

With the Browns boasting a 7-4 record as the team continues its West Coast swing, Sunday is a must-win as the team attempts to stay in contention for the AFC North crown. 

There are two teams the Browns must keep pace: the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. 

The division shapes out as follows: Baltimore leads the pack at 9-3, Cleveland and Pittsburgh have the same 7-4 record.

Cleveland can't afford a loss. With the division as close as it is, each loss can feel like two. 

With no quarterback, a defense that has struggled to stop the run for stretches, and a team mired in uncertainty, beating the Rams isn't guaranteed. 

LA is the winner of two straight and looking for a third. They also must win to stay in the playoff picture, setting up a matchup that will be chalked full of playoff implications. 

Odds makers aren't favoring the Browns heading into Sunday. But if Cleveland chooses to go to its emergency quarterback — Joe Flacco — and mends the holes in a defense that has played well all season, the Browns could escape Los Angeles still in control of their destiny. 

Rams host the Browns at SoFi Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m.

Browns must answer quarterback question ahead of matchup with Rams

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