CLEVELAND — As we say hello to 2024, the Browns' postseason journey just got a lot clearer, though only technically.
Unfortunately, Cleveland will not be able to win its first division championship since 1989 after the Baltimore Ravens claimed the AFC North (and with it the conference's No. 1 seed) with a 56-19 dismantling of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. This means the upstart Browns are officially locked in as the AFC's fifth seed in the NFL playoffs, and will have to play in the wild-card round on the road in two weeks.
But one major question remains: Whom will they play? Well, in a strange way, we both do and don't know who it will be.
Let me explain.
The conference's divisional seeding picture is just about set, with the Ravens entrenched at the top out of the North and the Kansas City Chiefs secure at No. 3 after winning the AFC West this past weekend. In addition, the winner of this Sunday night's showdown between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins will take the AFC East as well as the second seed (Miami could also do so with a tie).
That leaves just one more division winner, and it is now confirmed that the champion of the AFC South will be the No. 4 seed and have the honor of playing host to Cleveland when the playoffs get underway. Heading into the final week of the regular season, three of the division's four teams — the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Houston Texans — all sat at 9-7 and remained very much alive for that coveted postseason home game.
For Jacksonville, the scenario is simple: Beat the 5-11 Tennessee Titans Sunday in Nashville and win the South for the second straight year. The Jags own tiebreakers over both Indy and Houston, so any other result would be moot at that point.
But what if the Titans pull of the impossible and upset the Jaguars? In that case, Saturday night's battle between the Texans and Colts in Indianapolis would mean everything, with the winner staking their claim to first place as well as the fourth seed. That lucky team ended up being Houston, by virtue of a 23-19 victory over Indy.
With the win, it's worth noting that the Texans have now clinched a playoff spot regardless, while the Colts have been eliminated from postseason contention. However, Houston can only grab the division if Jacksonville loses to or ties with Tennessee this afternoon.
Oddly enough, the Browns not only beat all three of these teams during the regular season, but are also guaranteed to finish with a better overall record at no worse that 11-6, compared to 10-7 for whoever clinches the AFC South. However, since division winners cannot be seeded lower than fourth and are guaranteed to host at least one postseason game, Cleveland's seemingly superior resume will not play a role here.
In truth, the eyes of all Browns fans this weekend may be more focused on the AFC South race than their own team, as Cleveland's regular-season finale in Cincinnati is essentially meaningless for both squads. Not only can the Browns not improve on or hurt their playoff positioning, but the Bengals were also eliminated from postseason contention with their 25-17 loss to the Chiefs last week.
The Browns punched their postseason ticket with a 37-20 win over the New York Jets on "Thursday Night Football," giving them an opportunity to get some much-needed extra rest heading into Week 18. With their seeding set in stone and the squad already beset by injuries, head coach Kevin Stefanski says he will rest a number of starters against Cincy.
The NFL's wild-card round will take place over a three-day period from Jan. 13-15. Cleveland's to-be-determined matchup could be placed into any one of six time slots.