Browns: After 18 years, Cleveland secures playoff spot with win over Steelers

The Cleveland Browns couldn’t make it easy, beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 24-22 to secure the sixth seed in the NFL Playoffs.

The Cleveland Browns are officially going to the playoffs for the first time since 2002, making it 18 years since the team last made it to the playoffs. The only thing they had to do to secure that spot was beat the Pittsburgh Steelers, something that could not come easy. The Browns did win, 24-22, but the Steelers took advantage of a decimated secondary.

Steelers’ backup, Mason Rudolph, torched the Browns secondary on a few big throws, most of which to Chase Claypool, allowing Pittsburgh to stay in the game. The secondary was without some of its key players due to COVID-19, which has been sweeping through the players over the last two weeks. Luckily no one has gotten sick, but the precautions in place mean that a lot of the Browns players have been sitting.

The defense has got to be better next week.

Cleveland had issues with play calling all day, with Kevin Stefanski seemingly making things harder on the team than they needed to be, but despite some really curious calls, Baker Mayfield and Nick Chubb led the team to a win. Mayfield had 197 yards passing, completing 63% of his passes for a touchdown, and tacked on 44 yards rushing the ball, converting several key third downs with his feet.

Chubb, who was sparingly used, still had 14 carries, and 108 yards, and a touchdown. He went over 1,000 yards on the season in this game and absolutely torched the Steelers defense whenever he was given the opportunity.

The Browns have a big task though for next week. Just like in 2002, Cleveland will face off with the Steelers in the playoffs. The third game will be the rubber match and it will be a monumental moment for the fanbase and the team. Now the good guys just need to do it one more time.