Why Making the Playoffs was Important for the Cleveland Browns and Why It Brings Hope, Optimism Moving Forward

BEREA, Ohio — As bitter of a pill it was for the Cleveland Browns to be ‘one and done’ in the first round of the NFL playoffs, there is value in making it to the postseason.

Each and every year in the NFL is unique in its own way, but there are lessons and some carry over from season to season.

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The Browns had more than their share of injuries in 2023, including several core players on the team, and yet the team persevered and finished with 11 wins.

With a trip to the playoffs, the Browns have the beginnings of having a winning culture.

Kevin Stefanski knows it all starts over in 2024, but the Browns have a solid core to build upon.

“I think our guys know that and the NFL is set up that way where you see new teams in the playoffs every single year,” Stefanski said. “So our goal is to win championships. All 32 clubs talk about that. So, when you get back you start putting the work in to set yourself up for those types of things. But we know that all of that is earned. When you talk about playoffs and you talk about putting yourself in position to win championships.”

On defense, the Browns lost Anthony Walker, Grant Delpit, Rodney McLeod, Maurice Hurst, and Jacob Phillips for the season.

Not to mention, specialist Jakeem Grant, and kicker Dustin Hopkins,

Several other key players finished the season but were hobbled with injuries, such as Joel Bitonio (high ankle, knee) Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (torn pectoral), and Juan Thornhill (calf).

Despite all of the injuries, the Browns still made the playoffs.

There should be optimism that following an 11-win season and a trip to the playoffs, the Browns should be even better in 2024 with the return of so many key players. The question obviously is, will they be 100 percent and return to the same level of play that they were at before the injury?

Those are decisions that will have to be made this offseason, as well as what changes to the coaching staff will be addressed.

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The Browns were able to find some young, key contributors along the way that will only help build their depth and competition for the 2024 season.

The Greetham Angle has followed the Browns from the first day of training camp at The Greenbrier Resort in Sulphur Springs, WVa. This team has bonded and formed a chemistry that I have not witnessed in over 30 years of covering the Browns.

The players truly believe in the ‘next man up’ and have, for the most part, bought into the mentality that 53 players pulling together makes up for the deficit they might have in talent at positions, due to injury or whatever the case might be.

That is a positive sign that the team has bought into the culture that Stefanski and Andrew Berry have developed. There is no other explanation of how the team won with four different quarterbacks and without their Pro Bowl running back, franchise quarterback, three top offensive tackles, and a number of other key players.

I thought the Browns would be a playoff team in 2023 with their roster, which I have said is the best roster that I have covered in over 30 years. However, when the injuries started piling up and their top quarterback was lost for the season, it seemed plausible the Browns could still make the playoffs, but it seemed improbable that they could make it to the Super Bowl. The logical path to make the playoffs would be to rely on their top-tier defense and good special teams play, led by their Pro Bowl-caliber kicker and punter.

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Joe Flacco gave the Browns a shot in the arm and led the team to four straight wins and a playoff berth.

Even if the Browns are 100 percent healthy at this point next season–with Watson, Chubb, and the rest–there is no guarantee the Browns will be back in the playoffs, especially playing in the AFC North, where three of the four teams made the playoffs and all four had winning records. With Joe Burrow returning next season, the Bengals will move right into the discussion for being a playoff contender, as well.

Due to the Browns’ success in 2023, they will not be ‘under the radar’ and their schedule will feature playing close to half of the schedule against teams that made the playoffs this year.

When the Browns went to the playoffs after the 2020 season and then defeated the Steelers in the first round, the Browns seemed poised to be in a position to make the playoffs for the next several seasons, but as every Browns fan knows what happened, an 8-9 season and a 7-10 season and two years out of the playoffs.

Nothing is a given in the NFL.

The Browns are in a similar position heading into 2024 as they were after the 2020 loss in the playoffs. They have an opportunity in front of them. Despite losing the first playoff game, the Browns were able to win 11 games with a roster that finished the season without ten or more key players and several others that were at less than 100 percent.

The Browns’ offense averaged 23.9 points per game in 2023, 10th in the NFL, but Stefanski knows the Browns cannot rest on their accomplishments in 2023 and despite all of the injuries, particularly on offense, needed to re-tool the offensive side of the ball with a shakeup on the offensive coaching staff with the dismissal of the offensive coordinator, running backs coach and the tight ends coach.

At this time in 2023, the Browns hired a new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and a new special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone with positive results.

With a few key additions this offseason, and a return of many key players, including Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb, there is no reason the Browns should not be poised to have an even stronger season in 2024, a return to the playoffs and possibly, a much deeper run in the postseason.