The Cleveland Browns defied a lot of odds by clinching a Wild Card spot in Week 17 with their victory over the New York Jets. It is the second time in four seasons the Browns are going to advance to the postseason and only the third time since the team came back to the NFL.
It was a well-earned playoff berth as Cleveland faced a lot of adversity throughout the season. Joe Flacco is the fourth quarterback the team started this season, as Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending injury, Dorian Thompson-Robinson was concussed before Flacco was signed and P.J. Walker was ineffective.
Watson was far from the only key player on the team to get hurt and be sidelined for the remainder of the season. Running back Nick Chubb suffered the same fate as did left tackle Jack Conklin.
NFL News & Rumors: Kevin Stefanski & Cleveland Browns Updates
Despite that, the team will be postseason-bound. With a playoff spot locked up, their Week 18 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals is rather meaningless as they are the No. 5 seed regardless of how things shake out.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski touched on the importance of entering the playoffs with some positive momentum, so the regulars could play. Also, this year’s Browns team could tie a franchise record in the regular season finale.
“If the Browns can earn one more victory, it would be the first time in nearly 40 years the franchise would hit the 12-win mark in any season. The last Browns team to accomplish that feat was Marty Schottenheimer’s 1986 squad, which infamously had its season ended by the Denver Broncos via John Elway’s “The Drive,” in the AFC Championship game,” wrote Spencer German of Browns Digest.
NFL News & Rumors: Kevin Stefanski & Cleveland Browns Updates
As an NFL franchise, 12 wins is the most the Browns have had. Matching that number would be quite an accomplishment, especially given the hurdles the team had to overcome throughout the season.
Stefanski has already joined franchise lore becoming only the second coach, along with Paul Brown, to win 11 games in multiple seasons. While that regular season success is impressive, what Stefanski wants is to start adding playoff victories to his resume, as that will be his main focus the remainder of the season.
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