The Browns enter their bye week with a record of 3-6-1 and are currently in the hunt for a new head coach. On Sunday, an interesting name appeared on the Browns’ list of potential head coaches: former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, who served under George W. Bush.

Although Rice has ties to the sport through her position on the inaugural college football playoff committee, she has no experience as a staff member for any team. If Rice does interview for the position, she would be the first woman to ever interview for a head coaching position in the NFL. Overall, getting women involved in the league has become more common; with more teams bringing women onto their teams in varying roles.

Rice, however, does not have the sort of experience other women have, and those assistants could feel slighted. Katie Sowers of the San Francisco 49ers has been an offensive assistant since 2016. She has experienced the day-to-day operations of the NFL and possesses more experience with the behind the scenes.

The actual list of potential Browns’ head coaches is vague now. The Browns will have to wait until after both the NFL and NCAA seasons to find candidates. So far, names like Bruce Arians, Lincoln Riley, and even current Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy have come up. All, though, are speculation.

Regardless, the Browns still have this season to compete and are “in the hunt” for the playoffs (I use that phrase loosely). Interim head coach, Gregg Williams, has done a good job keeping the team motivated to finish the season strong. Offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens has also done a great job by utilizing the running backs and Baker Mayfield’s strengths.

The Browns will have to continue to perform since their upcoming schedule is one of the toughest in the league. The will face the Bengals, Texans, Panthers, Broncos, Bengals again, and the Ravens. All those teams, besides the Broncos, are in playoff contention.  Conference wins against the Bengals and Ravens could prove important if the Browns are truly pushing for the postseason.

Honestly, any wins in general would be great for the Browns to truly shift the culture of the last decade. The Browns have had enough top five draft picks over the last ten years. I would rather have them win more games then get a higher draft pick. They have a youthful base with talent to build off and hold a decent amount of cap room and money to play with in the offseason.

Overall, the season has been an interesting one since the Browns landed a franchise QB, which is unheard of for Cleveland! The team has played actual football this year, and not looked like a hot mess. The NFL is a week to week league, so this analysis could change; however, all signs are pointing to a positive future.

Jake Adams is a columnist. Contact him at [email protected].