In an earlier post, I incorrectly stated that the Cincinnati Bengals were the second seed in the AFC. One reader correctly pointed out that the Bengals have actually fallen to the third seed in the conference. It didn't occur to me that the Chargers would benefit a jump in position after beating the Browns; the team that didn't beat the Lions, who were soundly beaten by the now #3 seed, the Cincinnati Bengals.
If the season were to end, the Bengals would host the Jacksonville Jaguars, who are best known for being the first team to lose to the 2008 Cincinnati Bengals.
How could beating the Browns help the Chargers leapfrog the Bengals? It's actually simple. Since the Bengals and Chargers have identical records, then you have to go through the gauntlet of tie-breaking scenarios.
Since the Bengals and Chargers haven't meant, the tie-breaker that would apply here is record within the conference. The Bengals are 6-3 against the AFC. The Chargers are 7-3.
Of course, none of this really matters because the Chargers and Bengals meet on December 20, which would be the only tie-breaker needed if both squads finish with identical records.