Now that his Cleveland Browns are sitting at 6-3, head coach Mike Pettine is having to deal with something few thought he would in Year 1: playoff expectations.
"There's already a major over-reaction to it," Pettine said, via The Plain Dealer. "People are starting to talk playoffs and making grandiose plans."
Of course, Pettine said that he saw this coming. Why would a coach riding high at 6-3 be honest and say that there have been some players who surprised him a bit?
"Why not us?" Pettine told reporters on Friday. "It's a mistake to ignore it."
After a stretch where the Browns played the Buccaneers, Bengals, Jaguars and Raiders, Pettine's team has three more winnable games -- Houston (Ryan Mallett's first start), Atlanta and Buffalo -- coming up ahead.
Managing expectations and continuing to motivate his team will be key for the first-year head coach.
If nothing else, we're looking at a rookie entering a defining moment of his first year. Will he foster the attitude that the Browns expected to make the playoffs all along? Or, will some of the initial doubts creep back in during the home stretch?
The latest Around The NFL Podcast previews every Week 10 game and recaps the Browns' blowout win over the Bengals. Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
