|
|
Thanks to the Houston Texans knocking off Denver on Thursday night, only two more things have to happen for the Browns to make the playoffs for the first time in five years.
If the Browns beat the Bills today at Cleveland Browns Stadium and the Chiefs win their home game against the Titans, the Browns are in.
Frigid temperatures and snow are in the forecast. It is Cleveland weather. It is Buffalo weather. It will be a playoff atmosphere because if Buffalo wins the Bills would have the tiebreaker edge on the Browns for the final wild-card spot in the AFC.
Players in the Browns' locker room expect fans to be at their rowdiest. They have been loose in practice all week leading up to the game - loose in a confident sort of way, not one that shows they are not paying attention.
Music was blaring from all corners of the locker room Friday. Players were joking with reporters. There is a mood in Berea that has not been felt around the Browns in 20 years.
"This is a lot different than 2002," said right guard Ryan Tucker, one of the few holdovers from the Browns' last playoff team. "This time, we have a chance to do it on our own. Last time, we needed a miracle from God to get in. Other teams had to lose. Now we control our own destiny."
The Browns made the playoffs in 2002 with a 9-7 record. They beat the Falcons, 24-16, in the final game. William Green scored a touchdown and Phil Dawson kicked the PAT with 3 minutes, 53 seconds left for an eight-point lead.
Atlanta had to beat the Browns or New Orleans had to lose that day for the Falcons to make the playoffs. As the Falcons were driving for what could have been the game-tying touchdown, the public-address announcer reported the Saints lost to Carolina, 10-6, clinching a playoff spot for Atlanta.
The Falcons moved to the Browns' 4. After a three-yard run by Warrick Dunn on first down and an incomplete pass by Michael Vick on second down, the Falcons put little effort into two straight runs by Dunn. They did not have to be aggressive because they were already in the playoffs.
The Browns held on, but they still needed help. The Jets gave it to them by beating Green Bay in a 4 p.m. game that day. The Browns, Jets, Patriots, Dolphins and Broncos all finished 9-7. The Jets won the AFC East and the Browns beat out the Patriots, Dolphins and Broncos for a wild-card spot in a series of tiebreakers. The Colts were the other wild-card team.
The Browns might peek at the scoreboard today to see what is unfolding in Kansas City, but even if they win and the Titans win, the Browns can clinch by winning next Sunday at Cincinnati. Taking a 10-5 record into the final game would assure the Browns of at least a one-game lead on Tennessee, and beating the Bills and Bengals would assure them of a better AFC record. The Browns would be 8-4 in the conference. The best the Titans could do is 7-5.
A key for the Browns today is protecting the ball. They are 8-0 when they win the turnover battle and 0-5 when they do not.
