Browns eliminated from 2021 NFL playoff

The Cleveland Browns are officially eliminated from 2021 NFL playoff contention before getting to take the field in Week 17. What seemed like a forgone conclusion to many when the team fell to the Las Vegas Raiders and Green Bay Packers, became a certainty on Sunday.

First, the Cincinnati Bengals clinched the AFC North crown with a late-game win against the Kansas City Chiefs. The division was the most likely route for the Browns playoff chances. Had the Bengals lost, Cleveland would have controlled their own playoff destiny and won the division with two victories.

The Cincinnati win left the Browns with a very small chance for the playoffs but required a variety of games to fall their way. Instead, the first game that the team needed went against them with the Los Angeles Chargers defeating the Denver Broncos in the 4 PM window Sunday.

With the Chargers victory, Cleveland’s small playoff hopes vanished.

The 2021 NFL season came with a lot of expectations for the Browns but ends with them having two meaningless games at the end. Yahoo Sports