Browns Week 16 Playoff Clinching Scenarios
It's the most wonderful time of the year. The Cleveland Browns are playing meaningful football in December and have a chance to clinch a playoff berth in Week 16.
On Tuesday, the league revealed all the playoff scenarios that can happen this weekend, among them, the Browns path to locking up a playoff berth for the first the first time since 2020.
It's worth noting that all eight clinching scenarios require a Browns win. Here's what else would need to happen around that for Cleveland to be postseason bound.
1) Bengals loss + Broncos loss or tie + Bill loss + Dolphins win or tie + Colts loss or tie
OR
2) Steelers loss or tie + Bill loss + Dolphins win or tie + Broncos loss or tie OR
3) Steelers loss or tie + Bil loss + Dolphins win or tie + Jaguars loss + Colts win OR
4) Steelers loss or tie + Broncos loss or tie + Jaguars loss + Colts win OR
5) Steelers loss or tie + Bills loss + Chiefs win + Colts win + Jaguars loss OR
6) Steelers loss or tie + Broncos loss or tie + Dolphins win or tie + Colts loss OR
7) Steelers loss or tie + Broncos loss or tie + Dolphins win or tie + Jaguars loss OR
8) Bengals-Steelers tie + Bills loss + Colts win + Jaguars loss
Each scenario is a bit convoluted in terms of other outcomes that would aid the Browns. Ultimately, the only thing Cleveland can control is what they do, so if they take care of business against the Texans they will be in the driver's seat to earn a spot in the playoffs with less dependency on other teams in Week 17.
To this point, only the Ravens have clinched a playoff berth out of the AFC. At 11-3 they are closing in on winning the AFC North and currently hold the No. 1 seed in the conference as well. As things sit right now, three teams from the division would be in the tournament if the season ended today with Baltimore, Cleveland and Cincinnati all currently in the AFC playoff picture.
