Joe Flacco, Browns handle Jets for playoff berth - ESPN

CLEVELAND — Joe Flacco's improbable revival season reached another level on «Thursday Night Football» as he led the Cleveland Browns to a playoff berth with a 37-20 win over the New York Jets.

Flacco become the first player in NFL history to have 250 passing yards and multiple passing touchdowns in each of his first five games with a franchise. The Browns signed Flacco on Nov. 20 after Deshaun Watson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury on Nov. 12.

The Browns led 34-17 at the half, marking the highest-scoring first half since 2019, when the 49ers and Saints combined for 55 points in Week 14 (the 49ers won 48-46), according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Cleveland Browns are playoff bound.

The Browns destroyed the New York Jets to clinch their first spot in the AFC playoffs since 2020.

Cleveland, with four straight wins, is surging at just the right time heading into the postseason.

QB breakdown: Flacco once again was fabulous. For the fourth time in his five starts, he led the Browns down the field on the opening drive for a touchdown. He then capped Cleveland's 34-point first-half scoring barrage by scrambling outside the pocket to his left to find Jerome Ford wide open for a 50-yard touchdown throw. In the first half alone, Flacco tossed three touchdowns and passed for 296 yards, the most in any half in his career, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He now has more than 300 passing yards in every victory of this four-game winning streak.

Buy on a breakout performance: Tight end David Njoku is playing the best ball of his career. With star receiver Amari Cooper (heel) out, Njoku stepped up with 113 receiving yards in the first quarter. That alone was the second-best receiving game of his career. Njoku has four