This probably felt like yet another doomsday for Cleveland Browns fans accustomed to such experiences, and there aren't many positive ways to spin it. A Week 16 loss to the 1-13 New York Jets is a gut-punch that very well could cost the Browns the playoff berth that looked to be virtually locked up earlier this month.
But here's the "good news."
The Browns still don't need help from anybody else to end a 17-year postseason drought. The Pittsburgh Steelers also won to clinch the AFC North on Sunday, so solace can arguably be found in the fact that Cleveland's dud against the Jets didn't cost the team a shot at a division crown. And because that title has been secured, a veteran Pittsburgh team may take its foot off the gas pedal in Cleveland next Sunday.
Beat the potentially short-handed Steelers at home in Week 17 and you're in as a wild card with that laid egg in New York having practically no effect on your 2020 fate.
Wanna add another splash of H2O to the half-full glass? A recently laid egg might mean the Browns aren't due for another flop any time soon.
Adam Hunger/Associated Press
OK, that might be a small stretch, but Kevin Stefanski's team is certainly hoping that Sunday's embarrassing performance will work as a learning experience.
Regardless, it's quite appropriate that the Browns will almost definitely need to beat the Steelers to get over a legendary hump. They've lost five consecutive games to AFC North bullies Pittsburgh and the Baltimore Ravens, and it would be hard to argue they deserve a playoff spot after losing at home to a Steelers team with nothing significant on the line in Week 17.
The Browns can quickly erase Sunday's humiliation
Defeating the Steelers—even a shell of the Steelers—would send Cleveland to the playoffs with an encouraging experience under its belt. Under those circumstances, the Browns would put fear in the Steelers, Buffalo Bills, Tennessee Titans or Indianapolis Colts, one of whom would host Baker Mayfield and Co. on Wild Card Weekend.
Why? Because the last two months of the 2020 season would contain a lot more promise (that epic Monday Night Football battle with the Ravens, a win over the Steelers and impressive victories over the Titans and desperate New York Giants) than doom (duds against the Jets and Las Vegas Raiders).
Mayfield has seemingly turned a corner now that he's comfortable in Stefanski's new offense, he's got more support from the offense than ever before, and elite defenders Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward have the ability to mask defensive deficiencies and change games.
Corey Sipkin/Associated Press
They weren't on their game Sunday, but that's often part of the process when you're a young team in the process of evolving. Maybe they made the mistake of looking past a terrible opponent, and there's little doubt that the absence of starting offensive linemen Jedrick Wills Jr. (illness) and Wyatt Teller (ankle) and top receivers Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge (all of whom were late additions to the COVID-19 list) played a role as well.
That doesn't make the loss excusable, but the reality is they will likely be healthier and undoubtedly motivated next Sunday. The circumstances will have changed quite dramatically, and it's possible that by the first Monday morning of January, Cleveland's Week 16 loss to the Jets will feel like ancient history.
On the flip side, the Steelers could be galvanized
While the Browns could benefit from the fact that the Steelers have now clinched the North, Pittsburgh could be fired up after coming back from a 17-point deficit to beat the Colts on Sunday.
Head coach Mike Tomlin might prefer to attempt to build on that rally to establish strong vibes heading into the playoffs, and one could argue that the Browns would be better off facing a Steelers team that would have been mired in a four-game losing streak if not for that comeback against Indy.
Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
It's hard to imagine the fiery Tomlin fully lying down against a division rival, especially if he thinks his team can get a little more confidence before launching a playoff run in a race that might be wide-open. The defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs will be tough to overcome at Arrowhead, but their last seven wins have come by just a single score each and they won't have full home crowds this January.
Plus, a win Sunday might also guarantee Pittsburgh home-field advantage in the event that it faces Buffalo in the second round of the playoffs.
This is an experienced Steelers team that has Super Bowl pedigree and will certainly remain motivated in Week 17. The Browns still have a good shot at taking advantage of the fact Pittsburgh won't be desperate for a win, but we're likely in store for an intense and intriguing scrap between longtime rrival
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