Every Game That Matters For The Playoff Bound Browns In Week 17
Sunday should be a mostly relaxing day for Browns fans with a playoff berth already locked up. A 37-20 win over the Jets on Thursday night guaranteed that they can't finish lower than the five seed in the AFC.
In terms of seeding, there is one other possibility for Cleveland, and it's a pretty big one, in that there is still a path to winning the AFC North and earning the top seed in the conference if the football Gods work some magic over these final two weeks of the regular season and cool down the red hot Baltimore Ravens.
Beyond that, there are a number of games – particularly in the AFC South – that could have implications on who the Browns would face in the first round, assuming they remain the five seed. Here are the remaining Week 17 matchups that impact Cleveland.
Dolphins @ Ravens (-3.5) – 1 pm Sunday
This game, of course, tops the list matchups to consume this weekend as it is the only one that could directly impact where the Browns end up seeded in the playoffs.
A Ravens loss to Miami would leave the door open for Cleveland to win the AFC North in Week 18 with a win of its own over Cincinnati and another Ravens loss one week from now. If that were to happen, not only would it be the first time 1989 that the Browns would win the division, but they'd also enter the playoffs as the No. 1 overall seed with a first round bye and home field advantage.
Baltimore has won five straight, including a statement win over the 49ers on Christmas this past week, so it's probably fairly unlikely to happen, but never say never. It all starts with A Dolphins win on Sunday afternoon.
Panthers @ Jaguars (-3.5) – 1 pm Sunday
Jacksonville is the current AFC South leader and slotted in the four seed in the conference at the moment, at 9-7. That means if the playoffs started today Cleveland would be heading to Jacksonville for a rematch with the Jags.
That said, the south is one of the more intriguing races to watch down the stretch of the regular season because Jacksonville actually has the same record as divisions foes Indianapolis and Houston, but maintain the top spot in the division due to the head-to-head win percentage tiebreaker.
One or two slip ups from Jacksonville and they may end up outside of the playoffs looking in. It certainly doesn't help that star quarterback Trevor Lawrence won't suit up against the Panthers this weekend, as he battles a shoulder injury. If they win out, the division and a first-round home game are theirs.
Raiders @ Colts (-3.5) – 1 pm Sunday
Some may consider this one of the worst matchups of the weekend but it makes the list for similar reasons as the previous game. Indy is right on Jacksonville's tail for the AFC South crown and with a win over Las Vegas and a Jaguars loss, they'd enter the final week of the regular season in first place in the division.
As things stand right now, the winner of that division is likely going to be the four seed in the AFC and would open up the playoffs hosting Cleveland. If it's Indy, the Browns have already proven they can go into Lucas Oil Stadium and find a way to win.
Titans @ Texans (-4.5) – 1 pm Sunday
C.J. Stroud is back and that may be enough to lift Houston into the playoffs, in a year it was supposed to be "rebuilding." Essentially, Houston is in the same place as Indy where if they win out they'd get in as at least the seven seed. Because those two teams play each other in Week 18, there's no scenario where they can both make the 14-team playoff field.
Now, if the Jags lose to the Panthers tomorrow, and one or both of Indianapolis or Houston win their respective games this weekend, Jacksonville would no longer control its own destiny to get into the playoffs. In that instance, the Colts and Texans regular season finale would wind up determining who wins this grind of a division.
