The Cleveland Browns find themselves firmly in the playoff race and in better position than much of the AFC. They’ve overcome numerous issues on their quarterback depth chart and somehow head into Week 16 with a chance to clinch a playoff berth with Joe Flacco helming their offense.
The Browns defense has been the key, but Flacco has made critical plays to lead them to two straight wins and a 9-5 record. They came back from a ten-point deficit in Week 15 to win after avoiding a near Hail Mary completion as time expired. They now head into Week 16 with a chance to clinch a wild card berth if they win and get a lot of help.
Update: The Browns beat the Texans but did not get the help they needed. The Steelers and Bills both won on Saturday, which eliminated all of the Browns’ clinching scenarios before they played on Sunday.
Cleveland Browns playoff clinching scenarios – Week 16
The Browns travel to face the Houston Texans on Christmas Eve. Houston is a 2.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook as they should be getting star rookie C.J. Stroud back in the starting lineup after a concussion kept him out in Week 15.
Below is a look at odds for each of the teams involved in the Browns’ various scenarios. A Bills loss seems unlikely, which would eliminate five of the eight scenarios. A Broncos loss is not likely, but probably has a slightly better chance of happening than a Bills loss. A Broncos win would eliminate five scenarios as well, with enough overlapping with the Bills so that all eight clinching scenarios would be eliminated.
Broncos (-6.5) vs. Patriots
Colts (+1) @ Falcons
Bills (-10.5) @ Chargers
Dolphins (-1.5) vs. Cowboys
Steelers (+2) vs. Bengals
Jaguars (-1) @ Buccaneers