Since the Browns were 4-3, the Greetham Angle has been laying out the route for them to go to the postseason. As we previously stated, 10 victories has historically been the key number to qualify for the playoffs. In the AFC this season, all seven of the clubs that reached that mark advanced.
Strangely, less than three weeks ago on Christmas Eve, the Browns defeated the Texans 36-22 to reach the 10-win milestone.
Out of the seven NFL clubs, four had ten or more victories, but only three with nine wins qualified for the postseason.
The Browns were able to rest their starting line-up against the Bengals last Sunday in a meaningless game since they had 11 wins. Since the winners of each division automatically receive the top four seeds and home games in the first round, the Browns’ 11-6 record earned them the top wild-card berth, or No. 5 seed.
The only club in the AFC with a better record than the Browns was the Ravens, who finished 13-4 and earned the No. 1 seed and bye. For the first time since 2020 and just the second time since 2002, the Browns have qualified for the postseason.
The Browns won an 8-1 record at Cleveland Browns Stadium in the end, but they will only be able to host a home game if the No. 6 Dolphins and No. 7 Steelers—two teams seeded lower than them—end up in the final two. The champions of each category are the top four seeds.
The Browns would need to win their wild-card game in order to have a chance to play another home game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. They would also need to hope that the No. 6 or No. 7 teams, who are both lower seeds than the Browns, win their games in order for the Browns to have a chance at the higher seed.
With a perfect record, the Ravens are the only team in the AFC to have a bye. Following the wild card round, they will play the lowest seed still standing in the second round.
The AFC’s seeding is as follows: the top-seeded Ravens (13-4), followed by the Bills (11-6), the Chiefs (11-6), the Texans (10-7), the Browns (11-6), the Dolphins (11-6), and the Steelers (10-7).
The Browns have a 3-2 record when playing AFC playoff opponents. They beat the Texans and split with the Steelers and Ravens. Against NFL playoff teams, they are 0–1. They fell to the No. 6 seed Rams and defeated the No. 1 seed 49ers. In sum, the Browns’ record versus 2024 NFL playoff teams is 4-3.
The only club to defeat the 49ers and Ravens, the top seed in each conference, is the Browns.
The Browns would travel to play the Ravens in the second round if they prevailed and the teams with better seeds won the other games. On November 12, the Browns defeated the Ravens 33–31 in Baltimore. Deshaun Watson missed the entire season due to a fractured right shoulder.
Even though the Browns had a record that was on par with or better than all but one of the other division winners, they are unfortunate enough that the winners of the division receive a home game in the first round and the top four seeding.
The No. 2 Bills versus the No. 7 Steelers, the No. 3 Chiefs versus the No. 6 Dolphins, and the No. 4 Texans versus the No. 5 Browns are the pairings for the wild card games.
Based on ESPN’s Football Power Index, the Browns have a 2.5 percent chance of making it to the Super Bowl and a 0.4 percent chance of winning it. The FPI projects the Browns to go to the conference finals (10.2%) and the division round (50.5%).
In addition to losing Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb and the team’s top three offensive tackles early in the season, the Browns have already started no fewer than five different quarterbacks this year. They have also lost several important defensive players. The Browns managed to qualify for the playoffs in spite of all of the challenges.
Joe Flacco led the Browns to a four-game winning streak before they rested their starters against the Bengals the previous week. After averaging 31.0 points per game in Flacco’s last four games at quarterback, the Browns aim to regain that momentum.
Though it has been an unlikely roller coaster of a season, there is no guarantee the Browns will be in this same position a year from now, so enjoy the trip, wherever it leads. The Browns’ playoff voyage begins on Saturday.
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