Who is the NFL playoff lineup for the Browns? Analyzing Cleveland’s prospective opponents in the NFL bracket for 2024.
The Browns are headed back to the playoffs. And headed into the final game, they’ll be resting plenty of their starters.
That might not have sounded possible when news broke that quarterback Deshaun Watson would miss the remainder of the 2023 season. It already sounded complicated when star running back Nick Chubb was ruled out for the year in Week 2. And with every injury that was added up, the playoff chances would have felt likely to go down.
Instead, a team led by Joe Flacco and down to a third-string right tackle, a second-string left tackle and multiple other backups across the starting lineup has just continued to win down the stretch of the season, and finds itself locked into the playoffs with room to spare.
The Browns head into a Week 18 clash with the Bengals resting starters comfortably knowing that at this point is about rest for the upcoming wild-card matchup. Who will that matchup be against? Here’s what you need to know.
Whatever happens, the Browns are guaranteed a spot in the AFC as the No. 5 seed. The winner of the AFC South division will start at seed number four.
Cleveland may already be aware of the division that it will face. It remains unclear which team will win, though.
The Browns’ most likely opponent seems to be Jacksonville. The Titans, who have some concerns about their starting quarterback situation in light of Will Levis’ recent injury, will host the Jaguars on the road. But Jacksonville has its own question mark at quarterback, with Trevor Lawrence probably doubtful going into the game.
The improbable still exists.
Even if every team in the AFC South is tied at the end, the Jaguars would still be tied. However, Jacksonville won’t play the Browns if Tennessee loses.
The final game Lawrence played was against the Jaguars in Week 14. In that game, he was sidelined due to a high ankle sprain. Even so, the Jaguars kept the game close, but Cleveland prevailed 31–27.
Colts
