The last time the Cleveland Browns made the playoffs was 2002. If they miss the postseason again in 2020, they will have had 18 consecutive seasons without a postseason berth, surpassing the 17 seasons the Buffalo Bills went without a trip to the playoffs from 2001 to 2017.
Cleveland was in the driver’s seat heading into Week 16. Facing off against a 1-win New York Jets team, the Browns could have won to secure a Wild Card berth. Instead, they fell to one of the bottom teams in the conference. Even so, they control their own destiny in Week 17.