Baker Mayfield throws against the Texans. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

HOUSTON -- One year ago, the Browns went to Los Angeles and went through the motions in a 19-10 loss to the Chargers. The loss dropped them to 0-12. Four days later, owner Jimmy Haslam fired Sashi Brown. John Dorsey was introduced as GM the next day.

Where will the Browns be a year from now?

They got a glimpse on Sunday of where they could be.

The goal in 2018 was to stabilize the organization after their 1-31 run. That process was slowed by the decision to keep Hue Jackson as head coach and add Todd Haley as offensive coordinator. Once those two were cleared out, mere competence was enough to build confidence.

The goal in 2019: become the team that was across from them on Sunday. Not a mirror image of that team, but a team experiencing that level of success. Become a team playing the first weekend of December with a young, thriving quarterback and a legitimate shot at the playoffs and a division title.

There is work to do, like hiring a coach, for one. There are clear positions of need.

But, even with the result from Sunday, the Browns and Dorsey don't need a wrecking ball to fix this. This offseason, they can address their needs with some precision with the goal to get to next December on the other side of a game like Sunday's.

Here are a few more takeaways from Sunday's game in Houston:

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Winning vs. draft position

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The Browns used two Top 5 picks to land two cornerstones last season. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

There's some convoluted path for the Browns to play the first weekend in January.

"If we win out, we still have a pretty high chance of making the playoffs," Damarious Randall said after Sunday's game.

We all know the reality, though, and, if we were being honest, we knew it even before Sunday's loss. It was a long shot. It would take a near miracle at this point.

So, now what? Well, first I guess I have to think about unmuting the phrase "mock draft" on Twitter, but I'm going to hold out as long as I can.

As for the last four games, is draft position more important than winning?

No. It's not.

The Browns are building towards something and expectations should be high heading into 2019. As long as Baker Mayfield is starting at quarterback, winning matters. The Browns play two division teams in these last four, including a game against Baltimore that could be huge for the Ravens.

Winning games in December doesn't mean you'll win the following year, but you're trying to build something with this young quarterback and players who are part of your future. Winning, in this case, still matters, even if it doesn't mean playing into the new year.

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The Mike McCarthy situation

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The Packers fired Mike McCarthy on Sunday. (Jim Mone, Associated Press)

John Dorsey, just like he did with the No. 1 overall pick, isn't going to tip his hand in this coaching search, so, for now, we're just connecting dots. That's why McCarthy is going to be linked to the Browns, who have built Green Bay East in their front office.

I put the question out on Twitter about McCarthy and, while it's hardly a large sample size, McCarthy would not be a popular choice.

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Mike McCarthy: yes or no — Dan Labbe (@dan_labbe) December 3, 2018

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That doesn't really matter, though. This hire can't be made by public opinion. McCarthy doesn't do much for me, but it doesn't matter what I think or what anyone else outside of Dorsey thinks.

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The opportunity

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Baker Mayfield makes the Browns' job very attractive. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

Hiring McCarthy feels like playing it safe. Here's a guy the front office knows and he's won games. He's won a Super Bowl. You can be competitive with him.

Who are the Browns to turn down those credentials?

Does it limit the ceiling for this team longterm, though?

That's why McCarthy is so complicated. We're talking about a guy who won divisions and went to the playoffs a bunch and, again, won a Super Bowl. We're also talking about a guy who had Aaron Rodgers for all those years.

The theme of the first two sections of this post was all about the arrow pointing up and the opportunity that awaits this team. That's why this hire is so important and, if McCarthy really is a candidate, getting to the bottom of that complicated resume is so important.

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On to Carolina

The Panthers come to town on Sunday with their coaching staff in disarray, a four-game losing streak and fresh off a loss to the Buccaneers. They are still very much in the playoff hunt in the NFC, though and things can change quickly in the NFL. Just look at the Cowboys.

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The #Panthers have fired multiple assistant coaches, including DL coach Brady Hoke and CBs coach Jeff Imamura, per sources. — Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 3, 2018

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It would be good for the Browns to show up Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium and continue the Panthers' spiral. It's fun to play spoiler.