THEY’VE DONE IT! The Cleveland Browns are in the Playoffs for the second time in four years!
I just cannot believe it… I can’t. There were at least two times this season that I thought the magic would run out. I first thought things would be derailed early after the team lost Nick Chubb in Week 2 against the Steelers. The Browns lost the guy many probably consider to be their heart and soul.
And several weeks later, back-to-back ugly losses to the Rams and Broncos dropped them to 7-5. If that Jaguars game had gone the other way to knock the Browns down to 7-6, who knows if they would have ended up in a freefall similar to the 2014 season? That team went 7-4, but ended up dropping their final five games to finish 7-9 after Alex Mack broke his leg.
But this 2023 team refused to die. They refused to let all these obstacles stop them. They stubbornly told the powers that be, “Sit down and shut up! You are NOT ruining this for us like you do every other year! You’re gonna watch us make the Playoffs and like it!”
And here they stand. They’re 11-5, and the top Wild Card team in the AFC. And even with all the injuries they’ve dealt with, they are a team that absolutely NOBODY wants to play right now!
But in order to claim this playoff berth, they had to get the job done. How’d they do it? Let’s take a look at the Keys to Victory!
Clutch defense!
For most of the night, the Browns played solid defense. As they’ve done all year, they’ve gotten stops when they’ve absolutely had to have them. With the Browns holding a 34-17 lead, the Jets had not one, not two, but three times to really do some damage and get back into this game. They had three drives where they were deep in Cleveland territory and could have scored to make things really hairy for the Browns if they had cashed in!
But thanks to Shelby Harris blocking a field goal, and a pair of fourth and short stands, the Browns only surrendered a grand total of three points in crunch time. Yes, they did surrender 360 yards, and they could tighten up there. But they have been extremely stingy all season long and over the last few weeks. And that’s exactly what you want to see going into Playoff time. Let me drop some numbers for ya:
- The Browns allowed 13.1 points per game at home, which is their lowest total since 1994.
- They also allowed an average of 111 pass yards per game, and 198 total yards per game at home, which is the lowest in the NFL since 1977.
Now the question becomes: Can they take this defense on the road? If everything holds up in the playoff race as of now, the Browns will likely travel to take on the AFC South Champion (Colts, Jaguars or Texans) in the Wild Card Game the second weekend in January. Time will tell.
They’ll also need to take this next Key to Victory on the road as well…
The Ground Attack is back!
For several weeks, the Browns struggled to do what they are best known for: Run the football with power, strength and a bad attitude. Even though Nick Chubb has been out for the whole season, this team has been fantastic at running the football by committee. Jerome Ford, Kareem Hunt, and Pierre Strong have filled in admirably for Cleveland’s future Hall of Fame running back.
The team finally found some signs of life on the ground against a normally stout Jets defense. As a team, the Browns ran the ball 28 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. Jerome Ford ran with an attitude, frequently turned the corner for extra yards, and wasn’t afraid to put his head down and fight anyone who came at him. And Kareem Hunt had an explosive first step that led to his touchdown. He looked like he was shot out of a cannon!
Cleveland is going to need that kind of ground attack going into the Playoffs. Joe Flacco can’t throw the ball 40-45 times a game in the Playoffs. Not against the teams the Browns will face. They have to be able to rely on both the run and the pass. And at least for one night, they were able to put everything together. It’s definitely an encouraging sign!
Joe Flacco: The Fountain of Youth
Okay, let’s face it: Joe Flacco didn’t just dip his throwing arm into the Fountain of Youth. He went swimming in it before he arrived in Cleveland!
And we’re now seeing the results. He has been absolutely amazing in his five starts with the Browns, going 4-1, and becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to have at least 250 passing yards and multiple passing touchdowns in his first five starts with a team. Not to mention he has thrown 13 touchdowns over those five starts, which is the best in a five-game stretch in his career.
The encouraging thing? This doesn’t look like a fluke. Nobody lucks their way into doing what he’s doing. And they especially don’t luck into doing it in their late 30s, when most of the NFL world would say their best days are behind them.
If what Joe Flacco is doing right now for the Browns is a fluke, there’s also no explaining why this offense looks so fluid, smooth and confident with him out there. He’s a true winner. A veteran leader who has experience not only in games like these, but in the Playoffs as well. For as much as Deshaun Watson is being paid, THIS is what a true franchise quarterback is supposed to be doing.
It’s absolutely amazing to see the level of chemistry Flacco has built with Cooper, Njoku, Moore, Goodwin and others. And it only stands to get better from here on out, which is extremely exciting!
But you know what’s even more exciting? Watching these guys potentially get even better on the NFL’s biggest stage. The Browns punched their ticket to the dance for the second time in four seasons. And I absolutely cannot wait to see what they do.
If they go home as a one and done, so be it. I’m still unbelievably proud of them. But I would venture to say not only can they win a playoff game, but they also have the potential to challenge for the AFC Championship, and could very well be a dark horse to represent the conference in the Super Bowl if they hit their absolute ceiling, and are firing on all cylinders. Yeah, I went there. These guys have earned the right to at least be in that discussion.
But for now, they deserve a rest. 10 days could be just what this team needs to get a few guys healthy, before they wrap up the regular season, and begin what could be a very interesting Playoff run. Up next? Cleveland heads to Cincinnati to battle the Bengals on January 7th. If they win that one, they’ll finish the regular season at 12-5, which would be their best regular season record since 1986.
The Browns went 12-4 that year under Marty Schottenheimer and Bernie Kosar, and only missed out on the Super Bowl thanks to a certain quarterback named John Elway.
But with how 2023 has gone for the Browns, you really do have to wonder: Can this team do the unthinkable and go all the way? They certainly have the talent and mindset to do so. But we’ll have to wait and see. For tonight, bask in this one, Dawg Pound!
We’re going to the Playoffs! GO BROWNS!
Statistical Leaders
Joe Flacco: 19-29, 309 yards, 3 TDs, INT
Jerome Ford: 12 carries, 64 yards
David Njoku: 6 receptions, 134 yards
Sources: ESPN, clevelandbrowns.com
Picture Credit: dailyclevelandnews.com
