Browns Clinch Playoff Berth With Win Over Jets

Let the festivities begin, Cleveland. The Cleveland Browns are playoff bound for the second time in four season, and the third time since the team returned to the shores of Lake Erie in 1999.

A 37-20 win over the New York Jets with Thursday Night Football as the backdrop, officially punched the Browns postseason ticket as they improved to 11-5 on the season.

How the Browns got here is pretty remarkable all things considered. A 2023 campaign that began with these exact playoff aspirations behind an offense led by franchise QB Deshaun Watson, All-Pro running back Nick Chubb and one of the best offensive lines in football, has been almost defined by non-stop season ending injuries, both Watson and Chubb included.

Cleveland clinched a playoff berth with 38-year-old Joe Flacco under center, throwing for 309 yards and three touchdowns in the clinching game. The ex-Jet and former thorn in the Browns side during his 11 years with Baltimore has become one of the best stories in football, leading Cleveland on this memorable run to the postseason.

There may not be a team in NFL history that defined the cliché "next man up" mentality than the 2023 Cleveland Browns.

Despite all the injuries, they're in and there may still be more to play for in Week 18 when the Browns visit the Bengals. If the Ravens lose to the Dolphins on Sunday, Cleveland would remain in the running for the No. 1 seed in the AFC, believe it or not. That would setup an apocalyptic scenario where Browns fans would find themselves rooting for their most hated rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, to then beat the Ravens in that final week of the season and a Browns win.

Whether or not the top seed in the conference comes to fruition or not, Cleveland can't finish lower than the 5 seed. They're also guaranteed to finish ahead of the Steelers in the standings for the first time since 1989, which should serve as an added feather in the cap of this tortured fan base.