Mayfield, Browns Clinch 1st NFL Playoff Berth Since 2002 with Win vs. Steelers

For the first time since 2002, Northeast Ohio will get to enjoy the NFL playoffs. The Cleveland Browns clinched a wild-card berth with a 24-22 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.  

Fans were supposed to be celebrating this achievement last year. The offseason arrival of Odell Beckham Jr., Olivier Vernon and Sheldon Richardson and the emergence of Baker Mayfield raised expectations around the franchise higher than they had been since the Browns returned in 1999.

Then, Cleveland fell flat, winning six games. Ownership cleaned house, firing head coach Freddie Kitchens and general manager John Dorsey. The front office also made it a priority to strengthen Mayfield's supporting cast. The Browns signed Austin Hooper and Jack Conklin and used a first-round pick on Jedrick Wills Jr.

The natives weren't getting restless at the halfway point, but the team wrapped up its first half with a 38-7 drubbing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6 and a 16-6 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8. Beckham suffered a torn ACL, and the Browns were falling short in multiple areas of the field.

Mayfield acknowledged they were "not anywhere close to where we want to be."

The Week 9 bye allowed Cleveland to rest and reset. The team promptly reeled off a four-game winning streak to secure its first winning season since 2007. From that point, it became a matter of when rather than if a playoff bid would follow.

For obvious reasons, Mayfield garners more attention than almost any Browns player. This is a quarterback-driven league, and his performances often dictate whether the team is going to be in a position to win.

Nick Chubb is the engine of the offense, though. The third-year running back had 1,067 yards and 12 touchdowns in 12 games, entering Week 17 ranked second among running backs with 5.4 yards per carry.

The 24-year-old takes a lot of pressure off Mayfield and brings balance to an offense that has missed Beckham.

On defense, Cleveland's 21 takeaways help mitigate the fact that the unit allowed a lot of yards through the air this season. The Browns aren't an elite defensive team, but that doesn't matter as much if you're forcing a lot of turnovers. Myles Garrett is an elite pass-rusher who can almost single-handedly wreck an opponent's offensive game plan, too.

Nobody will be naming the Browns the favorite for Super Bowl LV, but their first half against the Tennessee Titans in Week 13 served as a reminder of how great they can be when they're firing on all cylinders. They were up 38-7 at the interval, and Mayfield had thrown for 290 yards and four touchdowns.

Cleveland's 47-42 loss to the Baltimore Ravens was also the kind of result that reflected positively on the losing team. It took an incredible performance from Lamar Jackson and a 55-yard field goal from Justin Tucker for Baltimore to come away victorious. A different iteration of the Browns would've wilted under the prime-time lights.

This isn't a Super Bowl-or-bust kind of year, but the fanbase might feel a bit deflated if the team goes out in the AFC Wild Card Round after having turned things up a notch in the second half.