3 bold predictions for Week 17 of 2023 NFL season

2. Browns play turnover-free football vs. Jets and clinch playoff berth

It’s been a pretty astounding season to date for a franchise that has had a less-than-impressive run since re-entering the league more than two decades ago.

With a 10-5 record, the Cleveland Browns have already secured just their fourth winning campaign since returning to the NFL in 1999. It’s the second time in four years that head coach Kevin Stefanski has led the club to at least 10 wins. In 2020, the Browns finished 11-5 and defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh in the wild card round before losing in the divisional playoffs at Kansas City.

This year’s club is led by the league’s top-ranked defense. These days, veteran Joe Flacco is the starting quarterback. Regardless of who has been behind center, mistakes have been a big part of the team’s story in 2023.

The Browns lead the NFL with 32 turnovers after 16 weeks of play. The club has given up the football in 14 of their 15 contests. The lone exception was a mistake-free 27-0 victory in Week 9 against the Cardinals. On Thursday night vs. the visiting Jets, Stefanski’s squad will play its second turnover-free game of the season. A victory over Robert Saleh’s club puts Cleveland in the playoffs.