The last time the Cleveland Browns made the playoffs was 2002. If they miss the postseason again in 2020, they will have had 18 consecutive seasons without a postseason berth, surpassing the 17 seasons the Buffalo Bills went without a trip to the playoffs from 2001 to 2017.
Cleveland was in the driver’s seat heading into Week 16. Facing off against a one-win New York Jets team, the Browns could have won to secure a Wild Card berth. Instead, they fell to one of the bottom teams in the conference. Even so, they control their own destiny in Week 17.
With a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17, the Browns would clinch their first trip to the playoffs since before Facebook was launched.
If the Browns lose, they still have a couple paths to the postseason. Thanks to wins over the Tennessee Titans and Indianapolis Colts, they have a path in the tiebreakers. A win by the Jacksonville Jaguars over the Colts would clinch a spot for the Browns without Cleveland winning. A combo of the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans winning would also give the Browns a playoff spot without a Cleveland win by eliminating the Titans.
Are Bills fans rooting for their Lake Erie cousins to end a long, arduous playoff drought or do you want the Browns to have a longer stretch than the Bills without a postseason run?