Dec 24, 2023; Houston, Texas, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) in action during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns are defying the odds in the 2023 NFL season. When most teams lose their starting quarterback, they regress a little. When they are on their fourth quarterback who they signed off the street, the team is supposed to be done. Joe Flacco has righted the ship on offense and, behind a stellar defense, is in the playoffs. Here is the Cleveland Browns playoff preview.
Cleveland Browns Playoff Preview
The Browns are locked into the fifth seed in the AFC. With the Baltimore Ravens winning the division, the best Cleveland could do in the five seed. However, this isn’t all bad for the Browns. They will play the AFC South winner which is the weakest of the divisions. There is a chance they are favored in that matchup even though they are on the road. From there, they might have to play the Ravens but of all the teams in the AFC, the Browns might be the best equipped to stop their division rivals.
There are a couple of reasons the Browns match up well against the Ravens. First is familiarity. They know this team inside and out because they play them twice a year. Second is the speed on defense. Baltimore beats teams with a combination of Lamar Jackson and speed in the pass-catching unit. The Browns have a defense that can keep up with that speed. I’m not sure they will guaranteed to win but of all the teams in the AFC, they match up the best.
Cleveland Browns Playoff Preview: Why They Will Win
If the Browns make it to the Super Bowl, it will be on the back of their defense. Flacco has shown he can get the offense to score points but he also still makes a couple of mistakes a game. The defense is going to have to get the team out of tough situations. They have shown they can do it in the regular season but the playoffs are a different thing.
Flacco will also have to continue his Cinderella run with the team. In a one-and-done playoff situation, one bad game can mean the end of the season. What should excited Browns fans is we have seen Flacco do this before with the Ravens. He played out of his mind leading up to Super Bowl XLVII where he tied Joe Montana for most touchdown passes (11) without an interception. If Flacco can recapture the playoff magic, the Browns will surprise a lot of people.
Cleveland Browns Playoff Preview: Why They Won’t Win
It isn’t hard to see the situation where the clock strikes midnight on Flacco’s Cinderella season and a top seed obliterates them in the playoffs. While the defense is hyper-aggressive, it does lead to them giving up some big plays. A team like the Ravens or Dolphins could exploit that with their speed over the top. Zay Flowers or Tyreek Hill could have a huge game that leads to Flacco having to do too much late in the game.
The massive amount of injuries this team has had may also catch up with them. They have lost a lot of key pieces for the season and while that can work in the regular season, it might eventually catch up with them especially if another injury or two pops up.
Playoff X-Factor
Cleveland Browns playoff preview X-factor: David Njoku
Njoku has been on a tear in the last four games. He is averaging just over 93 receiving yards per game and a touchdown a game. In the previous 12 games, he was averaging about 42 receiving yards per game and only had two touchdowns total. While some of this is due to an instant chemistry with Flacco, it has been out of nowhere. If Njoku continues at this pace, the Browns offense should continue to thrive. If not, the offense could struggle to move the ball.
Check out more playoff previews from The Forkball!
If you had told me before the season that I would be writing a Cleveland Browns playoff preview talking about Joe Flacco before the season, I would have said you were crazy. Yet, here we are! It will be interesting to see whether this team can make any noise in the AFC playoffs.
