The Browns clinched a playoff berth with Thursday’s victory over the Jets and now they know where they’ll finish in the standings.
With Baltimore’s victory over Miami on Sunday, Cleveland will be the AFC’s No. 5 seed for the 2023 postseason.
The Dolphins and Bills will play for the AFC East title in Week 18. But if Miami wins that game, the Bills will finish 10-7, behind Cleveland. If Buffalo wins, the Dolphins’ conference record will be worse than that of the Browns, which would make them the No. 6 seed.
It’s currently likely — but not guaranteed — that the Browns will play the winner of the AFC South, who would be the No. 4 seed. Cleveland went 4-0 against the AFC South this season, defeating Tennessee and Jacksonville at home along with Houston and Indianapolis on the road.
It’s a remarkable story for the Browns, as the club has won games with four different quarterbacks this season. Now we’ll see if quarterback Joe Flacco can lead Cleveland to a postseason victory.