The 2023 NFL regular season was rough, to say the least, for the Cleveland Browns, with the team dealing with some costly injuries that many thought would derail their season and any hope of competing for a Super Bowl title.
Once the Browns lost star quarterback Deshaun Watson and star running back Nick Chubb to season-ending injuries, the consensus was that Cleveland wouldn’t be able to score, which was made even worse with the loss of tackles Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills.
All signs pointed toward disaster for the Browns, with no players on the roster that would replace these four, especially at quarterback and running back, but ultimately, it didn’t matter.
Apparently, what the Browns have done this season has been historic, as Cleveland is the first team since the merger to go into a playoff game without their Week 1 starter at quarterback, running back, and the two tackle positions, according to NFL on CBS.
The Browns will be the first team since the merger to play a playoff game without their Week 1 starting
QB (Deshaun Watson)
RB (Nick Chubb)
LT (Jack Conklin)
RT (Jedrick Wills)Next man up. pic.twitter.com/ITZQdmBRfY
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) January 10, 2024
Cleveland ended up winning four of the last five games of the regular season, which resulted in the team finishing with a record of 11-6 while securing the No. 5 seed in the AFC, setting up a first-round matchup with the upstart Houston Texans.
With the Browns going with a next-man-up mentality all season long, Cleveland is as resilient and tough as any team in the league and could be quite dangerous once the NFL playoffs get underway during Wild Card Weekend at NRG Stadium in Houston.
As long as Joe Flacco and company can continue playing at a high level and Myles Garrett keeps this defense humming, the Browns will be a force to be reckoned with moving forward.
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