Browns Stomp Jets, Clinch Playoff Birth
Author: Dylan Lieck | Dec. 28th, 2023 | 10:23 P.M. CST
Browns Secure 11th Victory, Clinch Playoff Spot in AFC
In a game with a total of 33.5, we saw an offensive outburst in Cleveland on Thursday Night. Joe Flacco, who started his first game for the Browns a month ago, threw for 297 yards and 3 TDs in the first half alone. Flacco and Browns offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 34 of their 37 points in the first half. The win for the Browns was their 11th of the season, clinching team’s first playoff birth since 2020. This 2023 team’s playoff birth will be the franchises’ 3rd playoff appearance in this century, but this team is by far the best team the Browns have had in that same time span. If the Browns are able to win in Cincinnati next week, they will earn their 12th win of the season, which would tie the Browns franchise record for most wins in a single season in the Super Bowl era. It’s truly a remarkable season for a franchise that has long been the laughing stock of the NFL.
A Season of Adversity, Injuries, and Resilience
Early in the season, it looked like this Browns team was in for another disappointing season. The first game of the season was a statement game for the Brownies, absolutely shutting down a Bengals team who was a play away from appearing in the Super Bowl the previous season. Their defense stymied Joe Burrow and company, not allowing a single offensive TD over the course of 60 minutes. They clearly put the NFL on notice in game one that they were for real on the defensive side of the ball. However, the win came with a major loss on the other side of the ball, as two-time First Team All-Pro Left Tackle Jack Conklin went down with a significant knee injury. Conklin, the 29 year old Michigan State product who signed a four year 60 million dollar contract this offseason, was a major piece of Cleveland’s offensive line. Losing him the first game of the season was a huge loss for the team. But that was just the tip of the iceberg in terms of injuries for this 2023 Cleveland Browns team.
The following week, the Brownies traveled to Pittsburgh to take on their divisional rival on Monday Night Football. The Browns had significant success on the ground early in the game, as all-world RB Nic Chubb ran for 64 yards on just 10 carries in the first quarter. However, on a play early in the second quarter, Chubb was hit low by Steelers’ Safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, a hit that many felt was a dirty play. Chubb was dragging a defender at the time, and the low hit caused his knee to buckle in the wrong direction. Chubb tore every major ligament in that knee, and he was obviously lost for the season. If that wasn’t enough, a few weeks later QB DeShaun Watson showed up on the injury report with an undisclosed shoulder injury to his throwing arm. That injury, which initially looked to be something minor, ended up causing Watson to miss multiple games early in the season. After returning to the lineup for a few games, as well as leading the Browns to a big comeback victory over their rivals (the Baltimore Ravens), Watson had season ending shoulder surgery.
The list of injuries for the Browns was mounting, and the Watson news seemed to be the nail in the coffin for this team. But that was not to be. Kevin Stefanski, and the Browns core unit refused to let injuries define the 2023 season. Despite having P.J. Walker, a career backup QB who has one of the worst efficiency ratings in the history of the NFL, as well as Dorian Thompson Robinson (DTR), a rookie QB who was largely a running QB in college, the Browns just kept finding ways to win games. The team was largely carried by the defense, who ranks #1 in the NFL in most major statistical categories. The stop unit for the Browns has been absolutely incredible this season under Defensive Coordinator Jim Schwartz, single handedly keeping the Browns in the playoff hunt.
The Joe Flacco Era Breathes Life into Browns
Then something happened in Cleveland. The Browns went out and signed veteran QB Joe Flacco. Flacco, who spent part of last year with the New York Jets, was considered washed up by many around the NFL. Nobody would’ve blamed Flacco for retiring at this point in his career. The 38 year old is in his 15th season in the NFL, has had stints with 5 different NFL teams (including the Browns), and has absolutely filled up the trophy case in his storied career. He won a Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens in the 2012-2013 season, along with a Super Bowl MVP in the same season, as well as a Pro-Bowl Invitation in 2015. But despite not being signed to an active roster at the start of this season, Flacco knew that he wasn’t done; he still had something left to give. And, boy was he right.
The Browns were in a spot with their QB position where their ceiling was making the playoffs. Nobody feared playing this Cleveland team, despite having that amazing defense, when they had P.J. Walker or DTR under center. One could even argue that when Flacco became the starter in Cleveland that the majority of peoples’ sentiments on the Browns didn’t change. However, it was clear pretty quickly that the Browns knew what they were doing when they went out and got Flacco. In his first game, Joe Flacco threw for 254 yards and 2 TDs in a loss to the Los Angeles Rams. Although the Browns lost the game, it was clear Flacco could still sling it, and it was a sign of things to come.
Flacco won his next 4 starts, throwing 11 touchdowns in those 4 starts, including back-to-back 3 TD performances in his last two starts. Flacco leads the league in TD passes over the past 4 weeks, and he seems to be getting better and better with each additional start. In fact, over his first 5 games, his completion percentage has improved in each of his five starts. It all culminated with the near 300-yard, 3 TD first half against a New York Jets defense that has been second against the pass this season (2nd only to the Browns).
Divisional Title, #1 Seed: Not Impossible
The first half performance by Flacco all but sealed the victory for the Browns in the Thursday Night matchup, as the Nathaniel Hackett led Jets Offense was only able to muster 17 total points the entire game (shocker). With the victory, the Brownies are officially in the playoffs, although they were already 99%+ to make the playoffs going into this matchup. In fact, there is actually a scenario in which the Browns can actually win the division. If the Ravens were to lose their final two games (vs. Dolphins, vs. Steelers), and the Browns win their final game at Cinci, the Browns would tie the Ravens atop the AFC North, with both teams sitting 12-5, and the two teams splitting their head-to-head matchups in the regular season. In that scenario, the tiebraker would initially come down to record within the division. Although the Ravens and Browns are each currently 3-2 within the division, if this specific scenario were to play out, the Browns would actually end up with the better record within the AFC North at 4-2, while the Ravens would sit 3-3. That would launch the Browns into 2nd place in the AFC.
What’s even wilder about that scenario, is at that point the Dolphins would be lone team ahead of the Browns in the AFC, and the Dolphins face the Buffalo Bills the final game of the season. The Bills currently are fighting for a playoff birth, and they will no doubt be giving their best effort against their division rival that final game of the regular season. If the Bills were able to go into the Miami and win in that same scenario, the Browns would actually be tied for first place in the AFC, and they would hold the tiebreaker over Miami with a better record within the AFC. So, as crazy as it may sound, the Browns actually have a realistic path to the #1 seed in the AFC. Is it likely? Not at all. Is it possible? Absolutely, it is. We’ve seen much wilder things happen. And, each of the things needed to happen for this to be possible, are nowhere near out of the realm of possibility. Below I will list the necessary requirements for the Browns winning the division, as well as their path to the #1 seed:
Browns Path to AFC North Crown:
Win the final week at Cincinnati
Ravens lose to Dolphins Week 17, Steelers Week 18
Browns Path to AFC #1 Overall Seed:
Win the final week at Cincinnati
Ravens lose to Dolphins Week 17, Steelers Week 18
Dolphins lose final week to Bills
Amazing Accomplishment in Cleveland, But More to Come
All of that said, I’m not sure Browns fans care whether they get the #1 overall seed. Sure it would be incredible for the city to host a playoff game in Cleveland. And, sure it would be even better to get a first round bye, host at least one playoff game, and hold homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. However, this city is focused more on its team, rather than what other teams may need to do for their team to be in those positions. On Thursday night in Cleveland, Browns fans were jacked from the opening kick off, and this was for a game against the six win New York Jets. They were going absolutely nuts on every big play for their team all night long, and they did not let up until the final whistle blew. When that whistle did finally blow, fans in Cleveland knew that they were now guaranteed at least one extra game this season, and that in itself is cause for celebration for these fans.
But, what if making the playoffs wasn’t the ceiling for this team? What if the QB they brought in, who has loads of playoff experience, who’s played in big time games, who’s won a Super Bowl MVP, is ready to deliver more to the city than just a playoff appearance? I’m not sure Browns fans could handle that. Well, I’m here to say that they might need to prepare for that distinct possibility.
Whether the Cleveland Browns do pull off the unthinkable and win the division, or even get the #1 overall seed, I’m not sure it matters all that much for this team. They’ve proven that no matter who they play, where they play, or who they have available to them, that they are going to go out and perform at an extremely high level. And, they can compete with anyone in this league. This is the only team in football who can say that they have wins over BOTH current #1 seeds in each conference. They beat the San Francisco 49ers at home early in the season, and followed it up a few weeks later by beating the Baltimore Ravens. What’s even crazier is that they did both of those things without Joe Flacco, and without high level QB play. The 49ers win came with P.J. Walker under center, and I’ve mentioned how amazing an accomplishment it is to win any game with that guy throwing the ball. They beat the Ravens with DeShaun Watson as the QB, but it was a nowhere near healthy Watson. They defeated Baltimore in that game with Watson’s shoulder holding on by a thread, in a game where he really didn’t play well whatsoever. Now they have a QB who looks to be playing significantly better than either guy they had in that matchup. THAT IS SCARY.
This Cleveland Browns team is more than just a playoff team. They are the real deal. And I believe, even as a wild card team, they have a legitimate shot to make it to a Super Bowl. And, if they somehow, someway do end up getting a home playoff game, or even the #1 seed, I could actually make the argument that they are the favorite. If you add home field advantage to this team, with Joe Flacco and with that defense, I challenge you to find a team playing better football who could beat them. I’m all in on this Cleveland Browns team, and I’m stoked to see how it plays out for them in these playoffs. Don’t look now, but you may be seeing the Browns playing in February.
