# 2023 Cleveland Browns season

The 2023 season was the Cleveland Browns' 71st season as a member of the National Football League (NFL), their 75th overall, and their fourth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry. They improved upon their 7–10 record from the previous season, finishing with an 11–6 record and clinching their first winning season and playoff berth since 2020.
In the season, the Browns started five different quarterbacks: Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P. J. Walker, Joe Flacco, and Jeff Driskel. This marked the most starting quarterbacks in a season in franchise history and the most by any team since the 1987 New England Patriots. Although the Browns advanced to the playoffs, they were blown out by the Houston Texans in the Wild Card Round, 45–14. Flacco, who did not have a team for eleven weeks, won the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award for clinching their spot in the playoffs and winning four of his five starts.
The Cleveland Browns drew an average home attendance of 67,810 in 9 home games in the 2023 NFL season, the 19th highest in the league.

## Offseason
### Staff changes

On January 9, the day after the 2022 season finale, the Browns fired defensive coordinator Joe Woods after three seasons.
On January 18, the team hired former Tennessee Titans senior defensive assistant Jim Schwartz to replace Woods as defensive coordinator. Schwartz previously served as head coach of the Detroit Lions and defensive coordinator for the Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles, winning Super Bowl LII during his tenure with the latter.
On February 21, the Browns fired special teams coordinator Mike Priefer after four seasons. He had served as interim head coach for two games, including the Browns' playoff victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2020.
On February 25, the Browns hired former Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone to the same position, as well as to serve as assistant head coach. Ventrone played ten seasons as a safety and special teams specialist, including four seasons with the Browns.

### Roster changes
#### Free agents

2023 Cleveland Browns Free Agents :
| Pos. | Player | 2023 team | Date |
| QB | Jacoby Brissett | Washington Commanders | March 16 |
| TE | Pharaoh Brown | Indianapolis Colts | April 10 |
| DT | Taven Bryan | Indianapolis Colts | March 17 |
| LB | Jermaine Carter | Houston Texans | May 8 |
| DE | Jadeveon Clowney | Baltimore Ravens | August 18 |
| LB | Tae Davis | Atlanta Falcons | March 17 |
| G | Hjalte Froholdt | Arizona Cardinals | March 15 |
| S | Ronnie Harrison | Indianapolis Colts | August 14 |
| OT | Chris Hubbard | Tennessee Titans | July 28 |
| RB | Kareem Hunt | Cleveland Browns | September 20 |
| TE | Jesse James | New Orleans Saints | May 31 |
| RB | D'Ernest Johnson | Jacksonville Jaguars | March 23 |
| LB | Deion Jones | Carolina Panthers | July 31 |
| LB | Jordan Kunaszyk | Cleveland Browns | March 20 |
| C | Ethan Pocic | Cleveland Browns | March 15 |
| LB | Reggie Ragland | | |
| LB | Sione Takitaki | Cleveland Browns | March 16 |
| LB | Anthony Walker Jr. | Cleveland Browns | March 29 |
| DE | Stephen Weatherly | | |
| CB | Greedy Williams | Philadelphia Eagles | March 16 |
| DE | Chase Winovich | Houston Texans | March 17 |

#### Signings

2023 Cleveland Browns Signings :
| Pos. | Player | 2022 team | Date |
| LB | Matthew Adams | Chicago Bears | March 21 |
| TE | Jordan Akins | Houston Texans | March 18 |
| CB | Lorenzo Burns | Birmingham Stallions (USFL) | August 1 |
| QB | Joshua Dobbs | Tennessee Titans | March 20 |
| CB | Mike Ford | Atlanta Falcons | March 21 |
| WR | Marquise Goodwin | Seattle Seahawks | April 14 |
| DT | Trysten Hill | Arizona Cardinals | March 20 |
| DT | Maurice Hurst Jr. | San Francisco 49ers | March 18 |
| CB | BoPete Keyes | Baltimore Ravens | July 6 |
| OG | Wes Martin | Washington Commanders | March 30 |
| SS | Rodney McLeod | Indianapolis Colts | May 5 |
| DE | Ogbonnia Okoronkwo | Houston Texans | March 15 |
| S | Juan Thornhill | Kansas City Chiefs | March 15 |
| DT | Dalvin Tomlinson | Minnesota Vikings | March 15 |
| CB | Chris Westry | Carolina Panthers | May 16 |

#### Trades

2023 Cleveland Browns Trades :
| Date | Team | Player(s)/Asset(s) received | Player(s)/Asset(s) traded |
| March 22 | New York Jets | WR Elijah Moore 2023 3rd round selection | 2023 2nd round selection |
| May 16 | Minnesota Vikings | DE Za'Darius Smith 2025 6th round selection 2025 7th round selection | 2024 5th round selection 2025 5th round selection |
| August 24 | Arizona Cardinals | 2024 5th round selection | QB Joshua Dobbs 2024 7th round selection |
| August 27 | New England Patriots | RB Pierre Strong Jr. | T Tyrone Wheatley Jr. |
| August 28 | Los Angeles Chargers | K Dustin Hopkins | 2025 7th round selection |

#### Draft

2023 Cleveland Browns draft selections :
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 12 | Traded to the Houston Texans | Traded to the Houston Texans | Traded to the Houston Texans | |
| 2 | 42 | Traded to the New York Jets | Traded to the New York Jets | Traded to the New York Jets | |
| 3 | 73 | Traded to the Houston Texans | Traded to the Houston Texans | Traded to the Houston Texans | |
| 3 | 74 | Cedric Tillman | WR | Tennessee | From Jets |
| 3 | 98 | Siaki Ika | DT | Baylor | 2020 Resolution JC-2A selection |
| 4 | 111 | Dawand Jones | OT | Ohio State | |
| 4 | 126 | Isaiah McGuire | DE | Missouri | From Vikings |
| 5 | 140 | Dorian Thompson-Robinson | QB | UCLA | From Rams |
| 5 | 142 | Cameron Mitchell | CB | Northwestern | |
| 6 | 190 | Luke Wypler | C | Ohio State | |
| 7 | 229 | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | Traded to the Baltimore Ravens | |
2023 Cleveland Browns undrafted free agents :
| Name | Position | College |
| Caleb Biggers | CB | Boise State |
| Mohamoud Diabate | LB | Utah |
| Thomas Greaney | TE | Albany |
| Hassan Hall | RB | Georgia Tech |
| Ronnie Hickman | S | Ohio State |
| Jeremiah Martin | DE | Washington |
| Tanner McCalister | S | Ohio State |
| Lonnie Phelps | DE | Kansas |
| Charlie Thomas | LB | Georgia Tech |
Draft trades
* 1 2 The Browns traded first- and third-round selections (12th and 73rd overall), 2022 first- and fourth-round selections (13th and 107th overall), and 2024 first- and fourth-round selections (23rd and 123rd overall) to the Houston Texans in exchange for QB Deshaun Watson and a 2024 sixth-round selection (203rd overall).'"`UNIQ--ref-00000065-QINU`"'
* 1 2 The Browns traded a second-round selection (42nd overall) to the New York Jets in exchange for a third-round selection (74th overall) and WR Elijah Moore.'"`UNIQ--ref-00000067-QINU`"'
* ↑ The Browns received a third-round selection and a 2022 third-round selection as a result of the Minnesota Vikings hiring former Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as general manager.'"`UNIQ--ref-0000006B-QINU`"'
* ↑ The Browns traded a 2022 fourth-round selection (118th overall) to the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for a fourth-round selection (126th overall) and a 2022 fifth-round selection (156th overall).
* ↑ The Browns traded CB Troy Hill to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for a fifth-round selection (140th overall).
* ↑ The Browns traded a seventh-round selection (229th overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round selection.'"`UNIQ--ref-0000006F-QINU`"'

### Uniform changes

On July 17, the Browns introduced a white helmet with an orange and brown center stripe. The helmet was worn during three games with the team's 1946 throwback uniforms, which were previously introduced in 2021. It will be worn for three games and mark the first time since 1951 that the Browns will wear a non-orange helmet.

## Preseason

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| HOF | August 3 | New York Jets | W 21–16 | 1–0 | Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium | Recap |
| 1 | August 11 | Washington Commanders | L 15–17 | 1–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | August 17 | at Philadelphia Eagles | T 18–18 | 1–1–1 | Lincoln Financial Field | Recap |
| 3 | August 26 | at Kansas City Chiefs | L 32–33 | 1–2–1 | GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Recap |

## Regular season
### Schedule

| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | September 10 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 24–3 | 1–0 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 2 | September 18 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 22–26 | 1–1 | Acrisure Stadium | Recap |
| 3 | September 24 | Tennessee Titans | W 27–3 | 2–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 4 | October 1 | Baltimore Ravens | L 3–28 | 2–2 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 5 | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye | Bye |
| 6 | October 15 | San Francisco 49ers | W 19–17 | 3–2 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 7 | October 22 | at Indianapolis Colts | W 39–38 | 4–2 | Lucas Oil Stadium | Recap |
| 8 | October 29 | at Seattle Seahawks | L 20–24 | 4–3 | Lumen Field | Recap |
| 9 | November 5 | Arizona Cardinals | W 27–0 | 5–3 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 10 | November 12 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 33–31 | 6–3 | M&T Bank Stadium | Recap |
| 11 | November 19 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 13–10 | 7–3 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 12 | November 26 | at Denver Broncos | L 12–29 | 7–4 | Empower Field at Mile High | Recap |
| 13 | December 3 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 19–36 | 7–5 | SoFi Stadium | Recap |
| 14 | December 10 | Jacksonville Jaguars | W 31–27 | 8–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 15 | December 17 | Chicago Bears | W 20–17 | 9–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 16 | December 24 | at Houston Texans | W 36–22 | 10–5 | NRG Stadium | Recap |
| 17 | December 28 | New York Jets | W 37–20 | 11–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | Recap |
| 18 | January 7 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 14–31 | 11–6 | Paycor Stadium | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

### Game summaries
#### Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bengals | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Browns | 0 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 24 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: September 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,919
* Referee: Clete Blakeman
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 42-yard field goal, 14:15. Browns 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 33 yards, 2:54.
CLE – Deshaun Watson 13-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 0:17. Browns 10–0. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 1:19.
Third quarter
CIN – Evan McPherson 42-yard field goal, 11:44. Browns 10–3. Drive: 6 plays, 30 yards, 1:46.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 34-yard field goal, 2:21. Browns 13–3. Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:32.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal, 11:29. Browns 16–3. Drive: 6 plays, 39 yards, 3:25.
CLE – Harrison Bryant 3-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Deshaun Watson run), 9:11. Browns 24–3. Drive: 3 plays, 18 yards, 1:16.
Top passers
CIN – Joe Burrow – 14/31, 82 yards
CLE – Deshaun Watson – 16/29, 154 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CIN – Joe Mixon – 13 rushes, 56 yards
CLE – Nick Chubb – 18 rushes, 106 yards
Top receivers
CIN – Ja'Marr Chase – 5 receptions, 39 yards
CLE – Elijah Moore – 3 receptions, 43 yards :
The Browns opened the season with an AFC North matchup against the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals, marking the 100th meeting between the two franchises.
The Browns defense dominated the game, forcing ten Cincinnati punts including seven three-and-outs, and limiting the Bengals offense to six first downs. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was limited to a career-low 82 passing yards. On offense, the Browns were led by Nick Chubb's 106 rushing yards on 18 carries. Quarterback Deshaun Watson had 154 passing yards, 45 rushing yards, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown, despite a 55.2% completion percentage and one interception. Kicker Dustin Hopkins converted all three of his field goal attempts in his Browns debut. The Bengals' lone score came on an Evan McPherson field goal.
With the win, the Browns opened the season 1–0 for the second consecutive year. This marked the first time the Browns won consecutive season openers since 1993 and 1994.

#### Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 3 | 11 | 8 | 0 | 22 |
| Steelers | 7 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 26 |
at Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 18
* Game time: 8:15 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Clear, 62 °F (17 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,576
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (ABC): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Lisa Salters
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
PIT – Alex Highsmith 30-yard interception return (Chris Boswell kick), 14:51. Steelers 7–0.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal, 8:46. Steelers 7–3. Drive: 11 plays, 50 yards, 6:05.
Second quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 2-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Jerome Ford run), 14:02. Browns 11–7. Drive: 4 plays, 23 yards, 1:06.
PIT – Chris Boswell 52-yard field goal, 9:11. Browns 11–10. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:20.
PIT – George Pickens 71-yard pass from Kenny Pickett (run failed), 6:05. Steelers 16–11. Drive: 4 plays, 82 yards, 1:36.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 55-yard field goal, 0:22. Steelers 16–14. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 2:24.
Third quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 50-yard field goal, 11:47. Steelers 19–14. Drive: 9 plays, 44 yards, 3:13.
CLE – Pierre Strong Jr. 1-yard run (Deshaun Watson run), 10:01. Browns 22–19. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:46.
Fourth quarter
PIT – T. J. Watt 16-yard fumble return (Chris Boswell kick), 6:58. Steelers 26–22.
Top passers
CLE – Deshaun Watson – 22/40, 235 yards, TD, INT
PIT – Kenny Pickett – 15/30, 222 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Jerome Ford – 16 rushes, 106 yards
PIT – Najee Harris – 10 rushes, 43 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Amari Cooper – 7 receptions, 90 yards
PIT – George Pickens – 4 receptions, 127 yards, TD :
After starting the season with a win, the Browns traveled to Pittsburgh to for a second straight division rivalry game, this time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh scored on an Alex Highsmith interception returned for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage to take a 7–0 lead. Cleveland responded with a Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal to cut the Steelers lead to 7–3, but failed to get closer on the next drive as Hopkins missed a field goal attempt on the next drive. Early in the second quarter, Browns' Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb suffered a severe knee injury and was removed from the game; the injury ended Chubb's season. The Browns were able to get into the end zone on that drive on a Deshaun Watson 2-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Ford and added a 2-point conversion after a Pittsburgh penalty to take an 11–7 lead. Pittsburgh responded with a Chris Boswell field goal and a Kenny Pickett 71-yard pass to George Pickens to take a 16–11 lead, but the Browns added another Hopkins field goal before halftime to cut the Steelers' lead down to two points.
On their first drive of the third quarter, Pittsburgh scored on a Boswell 50-yard field goal. The Browns responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Pierre Strong Jr., set up by a 69-yard run by Ford two plays earlier, to take a 22–19 lead after a Watson run for the 2-point conversion. However, in the fourth quarter T. J. Watt recovered a Watson fumble and returned it for a touchdown to take the lead. The Browns were not able to respond, resulting in a 26–22 Steelers win.
With the loss, the Browns fell to 1–1. This was the Browns' 20th straight regular season loss in Pittsburgh.

#### Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Titans | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Browns | 3 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: September 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sun/Clouds, 68 °F (20 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,919
* Referee: Craig Wrolstad
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 48-yard field goal, 7:49. Browns 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 48 yards, 7:11.
Second quarter
TEN – Nick Folk 44-yard field goal, 14:14. Tied 3–3. Drive: 4 plays, 9 yards, 2:06.
CLE – Jerome Ford 19-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Dustin Hopkins kick), 9:39. Browns 10–3. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:35.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 52-yard field goal, 1:00. Browns 13–3. Drive: 7 plays, 46 yards, 2:49.
Third quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 3-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 5:49. Browns 20–3. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:34.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Amari Cooper 43-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Dustin Hopkins kick), 6:51. Browns 27–3. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 6:28.
Top passers
TEN – Ryan Tannehill – 13/25, 104 yards
CLE – Deshaun Watson – 27/33, 289 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
TEN – Derrick Henry – 11 rushes, 20 yards
CLE – Pierre Strong Jr. – 6 rushes, 27 yards
Top receivers
TEN – DeAndre Hopkins – 3 receptions, 48 yards
CLE – Amari Cooper – 7 receptions, 116 yards, TD :
The Browns returned home for a Week 3 battle with the Tennessee Titans. Cleveland had a 12-play drive on the first possession of the game which culminated in a Dustin Hopkins 48-yard field goal to give the Browns a 3–0 lead. After a Tennessee field goal tied the game early in the second quarter, Cleveland responded with a Deshaun Watson touchdown pass to Jerome Ford and another Hopkins field to take a 13–3 lead into halftime.
The Browns defense held the Titans scoreless through the second half. On offense, the Browns added two touchdowns on a Ford run, the first rushing touchdown of his career, and a 43-yard pass from Watson to Amari Cooper, to give the Browns a 27–3 win.
With the win, the Browns improved to 2–1.

#### Week 4: vs. Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ravens | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Browns | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 71 °F (22 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,919
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Lamar Jackson 10-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 6:38. Ravens 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 10 yards, 0:04.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 53-yard field goal, 2:21. Ravens 7–3. Drive: 8 plays, 40 yards, 4:17.
Second quarter
BAL – Lamar Jackson 2-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 4:18. Ravens 14–3. Drive: 8 plays, 93 yards, 4:24.
BAL – Mark Andrews 7-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 0:11. Ravens 21–3. Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 2:34.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Mark Andrews 18-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 5:56. Ravens 28–3. Drive: 6 plays, 38 yards, 3:40.
Top passers
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 15/19, 187 yards, 2 TD
CLE – Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 19/36, 121 yards, 3 INT
Top rushers
BAL – Gus Edwards – 15 rushes, 48 yards
CLE – Pierre Strong Jr. – 5 rushes, 49 yards
Top receivers
BAL – Mark Andrews – 5 receptions, 80 yards, 2 TD
CLE – David Njoku – 6 receptions, 46 yards :
The Browns stayed home to take on the Baltimore Ravens, in an early battle for the top spot in the AFC North. In the week leading up to the game, starting quarterback Deshaun Watson was limited in practice due to a shoulder injury. He was ultimately declared inactive for the game after pre-game warmups. Backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson made his first career start in Watson's place.
After teams exchanged punts to start the game, a Brandon Stephens interception was returned to the Browns' 10 yard-line. This set up a Lamar Jackson touchdown run on the next play to take a 7–0 lead. The Browns responded with a Dustin Hopkins field goal to get on the scoreboard, but the Ravens dominated the rest of the game. Jackson added a second touchdown run and two touchdown passes to Mark Andrews to give the Ravens a 28–3 victory. Meanwhile, the Ravens held Thompson-Robinson to 121 yards in the air and recorded three interceptions. The Browns were held to 166 total yards and 93 rushing yards (40 of which coming on a single Pierre Strong Jr. run in the game's final minute).
With the loss, the Browns entered their bye week at 2–2.

#### Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| 49ers | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 19 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: October 15
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Cloudy, 53 °F (12 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,431
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews and Tom Rinaldi
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SF – Christian McCaffrey 13-yard pass from Brock Purdy (Jake Moody kick), 12:16. 49ers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 84 yards, 2:44.
Second quarter
SF – Jake Moody 25-yard field goal, 7:54. 49ers 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 76 yards, 6:28.
CLE – Kareem Hunt 16-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 5:38. 49ers 10–7. Drive: 5 plays, 83 yards, 2:16.
Third quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 42-yard field goal, 11:09. Tied 10–10. Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 3:51.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 46-yard field goal, 2:59. Browns 13–10. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:48.
Fourth quarter
SF – Jordan Mason 8-yard run (Jake Moody kick), 10:58. 49ers 17–13. Drive: 1 play, 8 yards, 0:06.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 50-yard field goal, 3:21. 49ers 17–16. Drive: 14 plays, 43 yards, 7:37.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 29-yard field goal, 1:40. Browns 19–17. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 1:16.
Top passers
SF – Brock Purdy – 12/27, 125 yards, TD, INT
CLE – P. J. Walker – 18/34, 192 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
SF – Christian McCaffrey – 11 rushes, 43 yards
CLE – Jerome Ford – 17 rushes, 84 yards
Top receivers
SF – Brandon Aiyuk – 4 receptions, 76 yards
CLE – Amari Cooper – 4 receptions, 108 yards :
The Browns returned from their bye week with a game against the 5–0 San Francisco 49ers. San Francisco took their first drive 84 yards in five plays, culminating in a touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Christian McCaffrey to take an early 7–0 lead. On the Browns' first possession, quarterback P. J. Walker, getting the start in place of the injured Deshaun Watson, threw an interception which was returned to the Cleveland 25-yard line. However, San Francisco could not capitalize as kicker Jake Moody missed a long field goal attempt. In the second quarter, a Moody field goal increased San Francisco's lead to 10–0, but the Browns cut it to 10–7 on a Kareem Hunt 16-yard touchdown run.
The Browns opened the second half with a Dustin Hopkins field goal to tie the score and took a 13–10 lead late in the third quarter on another Hopkins field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, another Walker interception set the 49ers up at the Cleveland 8-yard line, and they would score a touchdown the next play to retake a 17–13 lead. The Browns took the ensuing drive 14 plays for 43 yards and cut the 49ers' lead to one point with Hopkins' third field goal of the half. After their defense forced a three-and-out, The Browns took their next drive deep into San Francisco territory but settled for another Hopkins field goal to take a 19–17 lead with 1:40 remaining in the game. San Francisco quickly drove into Cleveland territory but had to settle for a Moody field goal attempt with nine seconds remaining. Moody missed the kick wide right, preserving the Browns' win.
With the win, the Browns improved to 3–2. Hopkins was named AFC Special Teams Player of the week after his four field goal performance which included the game-winner. Hopkins also became the first player in franchise history to kick a field goal of at least 50 yards in four straight games.

#### Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 20 | 3 | 9 | 39 |
| Colts | 14 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 38 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Indiana
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 53 °F (12 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 65,552
* Referee: Shawn Smith
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 69-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 14:03. Browns 7–0. Drive: 3 plays, 77 yards, 0:57.
IND – Josh Downs 59-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Matt Gay kick), 11:38. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:25.
IND – Gardner Minshew 17-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 4:28. Colts 14–7. Drive: 6 plays, 57 yards, 2:25.
Second quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 2-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 14:22. Tied 14–14. Drive: 5 plays, 36 yards, 2:01.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 44-yard field goal, 8:38. Browns 17–14. Drive: 4 plays, 0 yards, 1:31.
IND – Gardner Minshew 4-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 3:51. Colts 21–17. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:47.
CLE – Tony Fields II fumble recovery in end zone (Dustin Hopkins kick), 1:42. Browns 24–21.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 27–21. Drive: 7 plays, 34 yards, 1:17.
Third quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 54-yard field goal, 9:23. Browns 30–21. Drive: 4 plays, 6 yards, 0:53.
IND – Jonathan Taylor 5-yard run (Matt Gay kick), 5:11. Browns 30–28. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 4:12.
Fourth quarter
IND – Matt Gay 27-yard field goal, 14:09. Colts 31–30. Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:09.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 58-yard field goal, 6:33. Browns 33–31. Drive: 6 plays, 17 yards, 2:29.
IND – Michael Pittman Jr. 75-yard pass from Gardner Minshew (Matt Gay kick), 5:38. Colts 38–33. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:55.
CLE – Kareem Hunt 1-yard run (run failed), 0:15. Browns 39–38. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 2:20.
Top passers
CLE – P. J. Walker – 15/32, 178 yards, INT
IND – Gardner Minshew – 15/23, 305 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Jerome Ford – 11 rushes, 74 yards, TD
IND – Jonathan Taylor – 18 rushes, 75 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – Elijah Moore – 4 receptions, 59 yards
IND – Josh Downs – 5 receptions, 125 yards, TD :
After their three-game home stand, the Browns opened a string of five away games in seven weeks with a trip to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. Both teams scored a touchdown on long plays on their first drives: The Browns on a Jerome Ford 69-yard run and the Colts on a Gardner Minshew 59-yard pass to Josh Downs. Later in the quarter, a Minshew touchdown run gave Indianapolis a 14–7 lead. In the second quarter, Cleveland tied the game on a Kareem Hunt touchdown run. Colts kicker Matt Gay lined up for a 60–yard field goal attempt on their next drive, but it was blocked by Myles Garrett, setting up a Dustin Hopkins 44-yard field goal to give the Browns a 17–14 lead. Indianapolis scored a touchdown on their next drive, but on their following drive, Garrett forced a Minshew fumble in the end zone, which was recovered by Tony Fields II in the end zone. A 54-yard field goal by Hopkins gave the Browns a 27–21 lead at halftime.
The Browns opened the scoring in the third quarter with a Hopkins field goal to extend their lead to 30–21. However, the Colts took the ensuing drive 75 yards, culminating in a touchdown run by Jonathan Taylor to cut the Browns' lead to 30–28. The teams traded field goals early in the fourth quarter, with Hopkins hitting a career-long 58-yard kick, to give the Browns a 33–31 lead. That lead lasted less than a minute, as Minshew quickly found Michael Pittman Jr. for a 75-yard touchdown pass to give the Colts a 38–33 lead. After the teams exchanged three-and-outs, the Browns drove 80 yards in 12 plays, with Hunt scoring a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Browns a 39–38 lead with 15 seconds remaining. A Colts fumble in the final seconds sealed the win.
With the win, the Browns improved to 4–2. Garrett was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a blocked kick. Hopkins was named AFC Special Teams Player of the week for a second consecutive week. He kicked four field goals on the day, three of which were over 50 yards, and became the first player in NFL history to make a field goal of at least 50 yards in five consecutive games.

#### Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 20 |
| Seahawks | 17 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EDT/1:05 p.m. PDT
* Game weather: Sunny, 47 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 68,807
* Referee: Bill Vinovich
* TV announcers (Fox): Adam Amin, Daryl Johnston and Pam Oliver
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
SEA – Jake Bobo 3-yard run (Jason Myers kick), 8:53. Seahawks 7–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:55.
SEA – Tyler Lockett 12-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 5:30. Seahawks 14–0. Drive: 6 plays, 41 yards, 2:26.
CLE – David Njoku 18-yard pass from P. J. Walker (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:22. Seahawks 14–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 2:08.
SEA – Jason Myers 32-yard field goal, 0:59. Seahawks 17–7. Drive: 6 plays, 62 yards, 2:23.
Second quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 1-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 4:40. Seahawks 17–14. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 5:15.
Third quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 25-yard field goal, 7:29. Tied 17–17. Drive: 10 plays, 76 yards, 5:49.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 27-yard field goal, 2:50. Browns 20–17. Drive: 9 plays, 30 yards, 4:05.
Fourth quarter
SEA – Jaxon Smith-Njigba 9-yard pass from Geno Smith (Jason Myers kick), 0:38. Seahawks 24–20. Drive: 5 plays, 57 yards, 1:19.
Top passers
CLE – P. J. Walker – 15/31, 248 yards, TD, 2 INT
SEA – Geno Smith – 23/37, 254 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
CLE – Kareem Hunt – 14 rushes, 55 yards, TD
SEA – Kenneth Walker III – 8 rushes, 66 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Amari Cooper – 6 receptions, 89 yards
SEA – Tyler Lockett – 8 receptions, 81 yards, TD :
The Browns traveled to Seattle for a game with the Seahawks. Seattle raced to an early 14–0 lead on a Jake Bobo 3-yard touchdown run and a Geno Smith 12-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett. However, the Browns defense strengthened after that point, allowing them to get back into the game. They added two touchdowns of their own on a P. J. Walker 18-yard pass to David Njoku and a Kareem Hunt 1-yard run. These sandwiched a Jason Myers field goal to give Seattle a 17–14 lead at halftime.
In the third quarter, Cleveland had drives of ten plays and nine plays and made it inside the Seattle 10-yard line, but could only come away with a pair of Dustin Hopkins field goals to take a 20–17 lead. With just over 2:00 remaining in the fourth, the Browns were attempting to run the clock out but Walker threw a costly interception to Julian Love that tipped off Jamal Adams' helmet. Seattle turned the interception into a Smith touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, giving Seattle a 24–20 lead with 38 seconds remaining. Cleveland was unable to move the ball on their final drive.
With the loss, the Browns fell to 4–3.

#### Week 9: vs. Arizona Cardinals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Browns | 0 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: November 5
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny, 56 °F (13 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,919
* Referee: Carl Cheffers
* TV announcers (CBS): Spero Dedes, Adam Archuleta and Aditi Kinkhabwala
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 30-yard field goal, 14:15. Browns 3–0. Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:46.
CLE – Amari Cooper 11-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Dustin Hopkins kick), 6:48. Browns 10–0. Drive: 11 plays, 49 yards, 6:22.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 45-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 13–0. Drive: 9 plays, 39 yards, 1:44.
Third quarter
CLE – David Njoku 5-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Dustin Hopkins kick), 8:07. Browns 20–0. Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 1:24.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 3-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 7:48. Browns 27–0. Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 2:13.
Top passers
ARI – Clayton Tune – 11/20, 58 yards, 2 INT
CLE – Deshaun Watson – 19/30, 219 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
ARI – Clayton Tune – 5 rushes, 28 yards
CLE – Jerome Ford – 20 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
ARI – Marquise Brown – 4 receptions, 24 yards
CLE – Amari Cooper – 5 receptions, 139 yards, TD :
The Browns returned home to take on the Arizona Cardinals as starting quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to game action following his shoulder injury.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Browns got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter with a Dustin Hopkins field goal. The Browns added a Watson touchdown pass to Amari Cooper and a second Hopkins field goal to take a 13–0 lead into halftime. The Browns continued to dominate in the second half, adding a Watson touchdown pass to Watson touchdown pass to David Njoku and a Kareem Hunt touchdown run for a 27–0 win. The Browns' defense dominated the Cardinals the entire game. In addition to posting a shutout, the defense had seven sacks, three takeaways, and allowed just 58 total yards.
With the win, the Browns improved to 5–3. This marked the Browns' first shutout win since 2007.

#### Week 10: at Baltimore Ravens

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 3 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 33 |
| Ravens | 17 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 31 |
at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Clear, 49 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 70,424
* Referee: Land Clark
* TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Jonathan Vilma and Shannon Spake
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
BAL – Kyle Hamilton 18-yard interception return (Justin Tucker kick), 14:20. Ravens 7–0.
BAL – Keaton Mitchell 39-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 10:13. Ravens 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 79 yards, 2:38.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 36-yard field goal, 7:27. Ravens 14–3. Drive: 10 plays, 49 yards, 2:46.
BAL – Justin Tucker 37-yard field goal, 3:29. Ravens 17–3. Drive: 8 plays, 56 yards, 3:58.
Second quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 28-yard field goal, 7:30. Ravens 17–6. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 7:16.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 23-yard field goal, 1:02. Ravens 17–9. Drive: 6 plays, 33 yards, 1:12.
Third quarter
BAL – Odell Beckham Jr. 40-yard pass from Lamar Jackson (Justin Tucker kick), 12:29. Ravens 24–9. Drive: 6 plays, 78 yards, 2:31.
CLE – Kareem Hunt 3-yard run (Deshaun Watson run), 2:20. Ravens 24–17. Drive: 17 plays, 75 yards, 10:09.
Fourth quarter
BAL – Gus Edwards 3-yard run (Justin Tucker kick), 11:34. Ravens 31–17. Drive: 7 plays, 12 yards, 3:17.
CLE – Elijah Moore 10-yard pass from Deshaun Watson (Dustin Hopkins kick), 8:57. Ravens 31–24. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:37.
CLE – Greg Newsome 32-yard interception return (kick failed), 8:16. Ravens 31–30.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 40-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 33–31. Drive: 12 plays, 58 yards, 1:12.
Top passers
CLE – Deshaun Watson – 20/34, 213 yards, TD, INT
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 13/23, 223 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
CLE – Jerome Ford – 17 rushes, 107 yards
BAL – Lamar Jackson – 8 rushes, 41 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Amari Cooper – 6 receptions, 98 yards
BAL – Zay Flowers – 5 receptions, 73 yards :
The Browns traveled to Baltimore for round two of their rivalry game with the Ravens. On the second play from scrimmage, Baltimore defensive back Kyle Hamilton intercepted a Deshaun Watson pass and returned it for an 18-yard touchdown to give the Ravens an early 7–0 lead. The Ravens went up 14–0 on a Keaton Mitchell 39-yard touchdown run. After the two sides exchanged field goals, the Ravens led 17–3 after the first quarter. The Browns closed the gap to 17–9 by halftime with a pair of short field goals by Dustin Hopkins.
The Ravens took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and quickly drove down the field, culminating in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to former Brown Odell Beckham Jr. to extend their lead to 24–9. However, the Browns came back with a 17-play drive that took over ten minutes off the clock, scoring on a Kareem Hunt 3-yard run to make the score 24–17 after a successful two-point conversion. On the Ravens' next drive, they got close to field goal range, but a Myles Garrett sack of Jackson on third down forced a Ravens punt to start the fourth quarter. However, James Proche fumbled the ensuing punt return, which was recovered by the Ravens on the Cleveland 12-yard line. A Ravens touchdown on an Augustus Edwards 3-yard run increased their lead to 31–17. The Browns then quickly drove down the field for a Watson touchdown pass to Elijah Moore to cut the Ravens' lead to 31–24, and a prompt Greg Newsome interception returned for a touchdown cut the Ravens' lead to 31–30 after Hopkins missed the extra point. After the Browns defense forced a punt, Watson led the Browns on a 12-play drive culminating in a Hopkins 40-yard field goal as time expired for a 33–31 win.
With the win, the Browns improved to 6–3.
The following week, it was revealed Watson suffered a fracture to his right shoulder during the game, requiring season-ending surgery.

#### Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Steelers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 10 |
| Browns | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: November 19
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Sunny, 48 °F (9 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,919
* Referee: Shawn Hochuli
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 1-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 4:35. Browns 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 50 yards, 3:49.
Second quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 25-yard field goal, 0:05. Browns 10–0. Drive: 17 plays, 77 yards, 5:24.
Third quarter
PIT – Jaylen Warren 74-yard run (Chris Boswell kick), 14:10. Browns 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:50.
Fourth quarter
PIT – Chris Boswell 28-yard field goal, 7:40. Tied 10–10. Drive: 13 plays, 62 yards, 7:10.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 34-yard field goal, 0:02. Browns 13–10. Drive: 8 plays, 48 yards, 1:16.
Top passers
CLE – Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 24/43, 165 yards, INT
PIT – Kenny Pickett – 15/28, 106 yards
Top rushers
CLE – Kareem Hunt – 12 rushes, 36 yards
PIT – Jaylen Warren – 9 rushes, 129 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – Elijah Moore – 6 receptions, 60 yards
PIT – George Pickens – 4 receptions, 38 yards :
The Browns returned home to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, hoping to even the season series after a Week 2 loss in Pittsburgh. Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson made his second career start following the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson. The Browns took a 7–0 lead on a Jerome Ford 1-yard touchdown run, set up by the defense forcing a Pittsburgh punt from within its own 10 yard line. A Dustin Hopkins 25-yard field goal just before halftime gave the Browns a 10–0 lead at the break.
In the first minute of the third quarter, Jaylen Warren cut the Browns' lead to 10–7 with a 74-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh added a Chris Boswell field goal to tie the game early in the fourth quarter. After the teams exchanged punts, the Browns got the ball back with 1:18 remaining. Thompson-Robinson drove the Browns into the red zone by completing four of five passes for 39 yards to set up a go-ahead 34-yard field goal. Hopkins made the field goal with two seconds remaining to give the Browns a 13–10 lead. An unsuccessful hook and ladder play by Pittsburgh ended the game.
With the win, the Browns improved to 7–3.

#### Week 12: at Denver Broncos

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 12 |
| Broncos | 7 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 29 |
at Empower Field at Mile High, Denver, Colorado
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 4:05 p.m. EST/2:05 p.m. MST
* Game weather: Sunny, 40 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 76,261
* Referee: Adrian Hill
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
DEN – Samaje Perine 3-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 8:14. Broncos 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 5:21.
Second quarter
DEN – Russell Wilson 2-yard run (Wil Lutz kick), 11:11. Broncos 14–0. Drive: 13 plays, 80 yards, 5:52.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 36-yard field goal, 5:59. Broncos 14–3. Drive: 13 plays, 57 yards, 5:12.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 24-yard field goal, 0:22. Broncos 14–6. Drive: 11 plays, 67 yards, 2:42.
Third quarter
CLE – Harrison Bryant 2-yard pass from Dorian Thompson-Robinson (pass failed), 6:42. Broncos 14–12. Drive: 13 plays, 79 yards, 6:24.
DEN – Wil Lutz 23-yard field goal, 1:25. Broncos 17–12. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 5:17.
Fourth quarter
DEN – Adam Trautman 8-yard pass from Russell Wilson (Wil Lutz kick), 13:29. Broncos 24–12. Drive: 4 plays, 20 yards, 1:25.
DEN – Wil Lutz 34-yard field goal, 4:19. Broncos 27–12. Drive: 7 plays, 42 yards, 4:05.
DEN – P. J. Walker sacked in the end zone by Zach Allen for a safety, 2:19. Broncos 29–12.
Top passers
CLE – Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 14/29, 134 yards, TD
DEN – Russell Wilson – 13/22, 134 yards, TD
Top rushers
CLE – Jerome Ford – 9 rushes, 75 yards
DEN – Javonte Williams – 18 rushes, 65 yards
Top receivers
CLE – David Njoku – 6 receptions, 59 yards
DEN – Courtland Sutton – 3 receptions, 61 yards :
The Browns traveled to Denver to take on the Broncos, looking to win four straight games for the first time since 2020. Meanwhile, the Broncos were riding a four-game winning streak of their own. Denver scored the only points of the first quarter on a Samaje Perine 3-yard touchdown run to take a 7–0 lead. The Broncos doubled their lead early in the second quarter on a Russell Wilson 2-yard touchdown run. Cleveland was able to get on the board with a pair of field goals late in the second quarter, to close Denver's lead to 14–6 at halftime.
In the third quarter, the Browns found the end zone on Dorian Thompson-Robinson touchdown pass to Harrison Bryant, the first touchdown of Thompson-Robinson's career. However, a failed two-point conversion kept the Browns down 14–12. Late in the third quarter, Denver added a Wil Lutz field goal to extend their lead to 17–12. After Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion late in the third quarter, he was replaced by third-string quarterback P. J. Walker. The Browns fumbled the ball on the first play of the fourth quarter, resulting in a quick Broncos touchdown on a Wilson pass to Adam Trautman. The Browns offense was not able to get going with Walker under center, while Denver added a field goal and a safety for a 29–12 win.
With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–4.

#### Week 13: at Los Angeles Rams

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 19 |
| Rams | 10 | 3 | 7 | 16 | 36 |
at SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
* Date: December 3
* Game time: 4:25 p.m. EST/1:25 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 67 °F (19 °C) (retractable roof open)
* Game attendance: 72,887
* Referee: John Hussey
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 24-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 10:14. Browns 7–0. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 4:42.
LAR – Lucas Havrisik 44-yard field goal, 6:28. Browns 7–3. Drive: 7 plays, 49 yards, 3:50.
LAR – Puka Nacua 70-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Lucas Havrisik kick), 3:59. Rams 10–7. Drive: 2 plays, 79 yards, 0:49.
Second quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 40-yard field goal, 2:06. Tied 10–10. Drive: 7 plays, 58 yards, 2:31.
LAR – Lucas Havrisik 28-yard field goal, 0:00. Rams 13–10. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 2:06.
Third quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 24-yard field goal, 4:58. Tied 13–13. Drive: 15 plays, 74 yards, 7:34.
LAR – Demarcus Robinson 7-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Lucas Havrisik kick), 0:39. Rams 20–13. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 4:19.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Harrison Bryant 8-yard pass from Joe Flacco (kick failed), 8:49. Rams 20–19. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 6:50.
LAR – Cooper Kupp 3-yard pass from Matthew Stafford (Lucas Havrisik kick), 3:48. Rams 27–19. Drive: 5 plays, 24 yards, 2:44.
LAR – Kyren Williams 1-yard run (Lucas Havrisik kick), 1:56. Rams 34–19. Drive: 5 plays, 30 yards, 0:33.
LAR – Joe Flacco sacked in end zone by Kobie Turner and Aaron Donald for a safety, 0:36. Rams 36–19.
Top passers
CLE – Joe Flacco – 23/44, 254 yards, 2 TD, INT
LAR – Matthew Stafford – 22/37, 279 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
CLE – Kareem Hunt – 12 rushes, 48 yards
LAR – Kyren Williams – 21 rushes, 88 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – Harrison Bryant – 5 receptions, 49 yards, TD
LAR – Cooper Kupp – 6 receptions, 39 yards, TD :
The Browns stayed in the western United States to take on the Los Angeles Rams. With Dorian Thompson-Robinson remaining in the concussion protocol, Joe Flacco was named the team's starting quarterback. Flacco became the fourth starting quarterback for the Browns in 2023, tying a franchise record for most starting quarterbacks in a single season.
The Browns scored on their opening drive as Flacco connected with Jerome Ford on a 24-yard touchdown pass to take a 7–0 lead. However, the Rams scored on their first two possessions, a Lucas Havrisik field goal and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua to take a 10–7 lead after the first quarter. Cleveland tied the score on a Dustin Hopkins field goal, but a Havrisik field goal late in the second quarter gave Los Angeles a 13–10 halftime lead.
The Browns tied the score late in the third quarter on a Hopkins field goal. However, the Rams retook a 20–13 lead after three quarters on a Stafford touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson. The Browns scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a Flacco pass to Harrison Bryant, but a missed extra point kept the Browns behind 20–19. After forcing a punt, the Browns had the opportunity to take the lead but Flacco threw an interception. After that, the Rams scored the final 16 points of the game to win 36–19.
With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–5.

#### Week 14: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jaguars | 0 | 7 | 7 | 13 | 27 |
| Browns | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: December 10
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 39 °F (4 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,431
* Referee: Ronald Torbert
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – David Njoku 34-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 11:39. Browns 7–0. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:21.
Second quarter
CLE – David Njoku 30-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 13:40. Browns 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:25.
JAX – Evan Engram 10-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence (Brandon McManus kick), 6:14. Browns 14–7. Drive: 2 plays, 12 yards, 0:39.
Third quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 4-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 9:39. Browns 21–7. Drive: 7 plays, 22 yards, 4:25.
JAX – Travis Etienne 1-yard run (Brandon McManus kick), 4:59. Browns 21–14. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards, 2:27.
Fourth quarter
CLE – David Bell 41-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 12:34. Browns 28–14. Drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 1:36.
JAX – Parker Washington 19-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence (Brandon McManus kick), 8:52. Browns 28–21. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:42.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 55-yard field goal, 3:10. Browns 31–21. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 0:20.
JAX – Evan Engram 2-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence (pass failed), 1:33. Browns 31–27. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:37.
Top passers
JAX – Trevor Lawrence – 28/50, 257 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
CLE – Joe Flacco – 26/45, 311 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
JAX – Travis Etienne – 14 rushes, 35 yards, TD
CLE – Jerome Ford – 12 rushes, 51 yards
Top receivers
JAX – Evan Engram – 11 receptions, 95 yards, 2 TD
CLE – David Njoku – 6 receptions, 91 yards, 2 TD :
After their two-game road trip, the Browns returned home to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cleveland opened the scoring on its first drive, with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to David Njoku to take a 7–0 lead. After both teams exchanged several punts, Cleveland doubled its lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Njoku early in the second quarter. Later in the quarter, Jacksonville recovered an Amari Cooper fumble at the Browns' 12-yard line and quickly scored a touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence to Evan Engram to cut the Browns' lead to 14–7 at halftime.
Jacksonville took the first possession of the second half but quickly fumbled in their own territory. The Browns cashed in for a Kareem Hunt touchdown run to extend their lead to 21–7. Later in the quarter, the Jaguars took advantage of a short field from another Browns turnover and scored on a Travis Etienne run to cut the Browns' lead to 21–14. Early in the fourth quarter, the Browns went for it on fourth and 3 from the Jacksonville 41-yard line. This play resulted in a touchdown pass from Flacco to David Bell, the first touchdown of Bell's career, extending the Browns' lead to 28–14. Jacksonville took the ensuing drive down the field and scored on a Lawrence touchdown pass to Parker Washington to again cut the Browns' lead to 7 points. After a Browns' punt, Jacksonville elected to go for a fourth and 3 from their own 38-yard line, but failed. The Browns could not move the ball on the next drive, but Dustin Hopkins kicked a 55-yard field goal to give the Browns a two-possession lead at 31–21. Jacksonville scored on its next drive on a 2-yard pass from Lawrence to Engram, set up by a questionable pass interference call on Anthony Walker Jr.. A failed 2-point conversion attempt made the score 31–27 with 1:37 remaining. However, Jacksonville could not recover the onside kick and the Browns were able to run out the clock.
With the win, the Browns improved to 8–5. The Browns became the eighth team to win a game with four different starting quarterbacks since quarterback starts were recorded in 1950. This also marked Flacco's 100th career win as a starting quarterback. Hopkins set a franchise record with his 31st made field goal of the season, besting the previous record of 30 held by Phil Dawson.

#### Week 15: vs. Chicago Bears

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bears | 0 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 17 |
| Browns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 20 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: December 17
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Rain, 45 °F (7 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,919
* Referee: Brad Allen
* TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Kugler, Mark Sanchez and Laura Okmin
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
No scoring plays.
Second quarter
CHI – Cole Kmet 5-yard pass from Justin Fields (Cairo Santos kick), 10:54. Bears 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 1 yard, 2:23.
CLE – David Njoku 2-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:48. Tied 7–7. Drive: 12 plays, 84 yards, 7:06.
Third quarter
CHI – Tremaine Edmunds 45-yard interception return (Cairo Santos kick), 13:50. Bears 14–7.
CHI – Cairo Santos 41-yard field goal, 7:07. Bears 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 4:38.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 33-yard field goal, 12:27. Bears 17–10. Drive: 6 plays, 52 yards, 2:29.
CLE – Amari Cooper 51-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 3:08. Tied 17–17. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:10.
CLE – Dustin Hopkins 34-yard field goal, 0:32. Browns 20–17. Drive: 8 plays, 63 yard, 1:18.
Top passers
CHI – Justin Fields – 19/40, 166 yards, TD, 2 INT
CLE – Joe Flacco – 28/44, 374 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
Top rushers
CHI – Roschon Johnson – 5 rushes, 36 yards
CLE – Jerome Ford – 8 rushes, 20 yards
Top receivers
CHI – Cole Kmet – 5 receptions, 23 yards, TD
CLE – David Njoku – 10 receptions, 104 yards, TD :
The Browns stayed home to take on the Chicago Bears. After both teams punted on their first four possessions, the Bears opened the scoring on a Justin Fields 5-yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet which was set up by Eddie Jackson intercepting a Joe Flacco pass and returning the ball to the Cleveland 1-yard line. The Browns responded on their next drive going 84 yards and scoring on a Flacco 2-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku to make the score 7–7 at halftime.
Early in the third quarter, Chicago extended its lead to 14–7 on a Tremaine Edmunds 45-yard interception return touchdown. Chicago extended its lead to 17–7 later in the quarter on a Cairo Santos 41-yard field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, Cleveland cut Chicago's lead to 17–10 on a Dustin Hopkins 33-yard field goal. The Browns later tied the game on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Amari Cooper. After forcing a Bears' three-and-out, the Browns took a 20–17 lead on a Hopkins 34-yard field goal with 36 seconds remaining. This field goal was set up by a pair of Flacco passes to Njoku for 31 and 34 yards. The Bears drove to around midfield. On the final play of the game, they attempted a Hail Mary pass which was batted down and fell into Darnell Mooney's hands. However Mooney could not hang onto the football ball and kicked it into the air, which was promptly intercepted by D'Anthony Bell to preserve the win.
With the win, the Browns improved to 9–5. The Browns set a franchise record with their fifth win this season in which they had the game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation. They also secured their first winning season since 2020, and their fourth since returning to the NFL in 1999.

#### Week 16: at Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 15 | 6 | 8 | 36 |
| Texans | 0 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 22 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: December 24
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 70,831
* Referee: Tra Blake
* TV announcers (CBS): Ian Eagle, Charles Davis and Evan Washburn
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 4-yard run (Dustin Hopkins kick), 13:18. Browns 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 59 yards, 1:52.
Second quarter
CLE – Amari Cooper 75-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dustin Hopkins kick), 12:04. Browns 14–0. Drive: 3 plays, 90 yards, 1:32.
HOU – Dameon Pierce 98-yard kickoff return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 11:51. Browns 14–7.
CLE – David Njoku 21-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Dorian Thompson-Robinson run), 4:16. Browns 22–7. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 2:51.
Third quarter
CLE – Amari Cooper 7-yard pass from Joe Flacco (run failed), 2:35. Browns 28–7. Drive: 18 plays, 94 yards, 9:39.
Fourth quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 1-yard run (Joe Flacco-Amari Cooper pass), 12:31. Browns 36–7. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 4:06.
HOU – Nico Collins 5-yard pass from Davis Mills (Davis Mills-Nico Collins pass), 6:08. Browns 36–15. Drive: 10 plays, 61 yards, 1:58.
HOU – Andrew Beck 1-yard pass from Davis Mills (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:12. Browns 36–22. Drive: 9 plays, 53 yards, 1:56.
Top passers
CLE – Joe Flacco – 27/42, 368 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
HOU – Davis Mills – 15/32, 149 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
CLE – Jerome Ford – 15 rushes, 25 yards, TD
HOU – Devin Singletary – 9 rushes, 44 yards
Top receivers
CLE – Amari Cooper – 11 receptions, 265 yards, 2 TD
HOU – Dalton Schultz – 8 receptions, 61 yards :
The Browns traveled to Houston to play the Texans in a game with playoff implications for both teams. The Browns scored a touchdown on their first possession on a Jerome Ford 4-yard run, set up by a 53-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper on the first play from scrimmage. The Browns doubled their lead to 14–0 early in the second quarter on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Cooper. However, Houston's Dameon Pierce returned the ensuing kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown to cut the Browns' lead to 14–7. During that play, Browns' kicker Dustin Hopkins injured his hamstring attempting to chase Pierce, forcing Hopkins' early exit and limiting the Browns' kicking options. The Browns added a touchdown and two-point conversion late in the half on a Flacco 21-yard pass to David Njoku to take a 22–7 halftime lead.
After forcing a Houston punt early in the third quarter, the Browns went on an 18-play, 94-yard drive which took almost ten minutes off the clock, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Cooper to extend their lead to 28–7. In the fourth quarter, the Browns extended their lead to 36–7 on a Kareem Hunt touchdown run. Houston added two late touchdowns on Davis Mills passes to Nico Collins and Andrew Beck to make the final score 36–22.
With the win, the Browns improved to 10–5. Cooper was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week with 11 receptions, 265 yards, and two touchdowns. His 265 receiving yards set a franchise record, breaking the previous record of 261 yards held by Josh Gordon. Flacco was named FedEx Air Player of the week after completing 27 of 42 passes, 368 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He became the first Browns player to record at least 350 passing yards in consecutive games and became the second to have 300 passing yards in three straight games, joining Josh McCown.

#### Week 17: vs. New York Jets

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Jets | 7 | 10 | 0 | 3 | 20 |
| Browns | 20 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 37 |
at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio
* Date: December 28
* Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 47 °F (8 °C)
* Game attendance: 67,919
* Referee: Alex Kemp
* TV announcers (Prime Video): Al Michaels, Kirk Herbstreit and Kaylee Hartung
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CLE – Jerome Ford 7-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Riley Patterson kick), 11:10. Browns 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:50.
NYJ – Breece Hall 21-yard pass from Trevor Siemian (Greg Zuerlein kick), 8:06. Tied 7–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:04.
CLE – Kareem Hunt 7-yard run (kick failed), 4:43. Browns 13–7. Drive: 7 plays, 75 yards, 3:23.
CLE – Ronnie Hickman 30-yard interception return (Riley Patterson kick), 2:01. Browns 20–7.
Second quarter
CLE – Elijah Moore 8-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Riley Patterson kick), 6:15. Browns 27–7. Drive: 10 plays, 79 yards, 5:32.
NYJ – Jermaine Johnson 37-yard interception return (Greg Zuerlein kick), 2:02. Browns 27–14.
CLE – Jerome Ford 50-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Riley Patterson kick), 1:25. Browns 34–14. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:37.
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 46-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 34–17. Drive: 6 plays, 47 yards, 1:25.
Third quarter
No scoring plays.
Fourth quarter
NYJ – Greg Zuerlein 44-yard field goal, 8:50. Browns 34–20. Drive: 7 plays, 9 yards, 3:05.
CLE – Riley Patterson 33-yard field goal, 2:54. Browns 37–20. Drive: 6 plays, 18 yards, 2:27.
Top passers
NYJ – Trevor Siemian – 32/45, 261 yards, TD, INT
CLE – Joe Flacco – 19/29, 309 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
NYJ – Breece Hall – 13 rushes, 84 yards
CLE – Jerome Ford – 12 rushes, 64 yards
Top receivers
NYJ – Garrett Wilson – 5 receptions, 50 yards
CLE – David Njoku – 6 receptions, 134 yards :
The Browns returned home for a Thursday night game against the New York Jets. Both offenses scored touchdowns on their first drive, with the Browns scoring on a Joe Flacco 7-yard pass to Jerome Ford and the Jets on a Trevor Siemian pass to Breece Hall. On the Browns' next drive, they added another touchdown on a Kareem Hunt run to take a 13–7 lead following a failed extra point. The Browns extended their lead to 20–7 on a Ronnie Hickman interception return late in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Cleveland added another touchdown on a Flacco pass to Elijah Moore to take a 27–7 lead. However, on the Browns' next drive, Flacco threw an interception to Jermaine Johnson II which was returned for a touchdown, cutting Cleveland's lead to 27–14. The Browns scored a touchdown on their next drive on a Flacco 50-yard touchdown pass to Ford, while the Jets closed out the half with a Greg Zuerlein field goal to make the score 34–17.
Defense reigned in the second half. After the Jets took the opening possession into the Browns' 10-yard line, they came up scoreless as the Zuerlein's field goal attempt was blocked by Shelby Harris. After several punts and turnovers, each team kicked a field goal in the second half to make the final score 37–20.
With the win, the Browns improved to 11–5 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2020 and the third time since returning to the NFL in 1999. The Browns finished 8–1 at home. Flacco became the first player in Browns history to have at least 300 passing yards in four consecutive games.
On December 31, Baltimore defeated Miami to clinch the AFC North. This assured the Browns of the 5-seed and marked the Browns’ 31st consecutive season without a division title, the longest active streak in the NFL.

#### Week 18: at Cincinnati Bengals

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 14 |
| Bengals | 14 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
at Paycor Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
* Date: January 7
* Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Cloudy, 38 °F (3 °C)
* Game attendance: 65,865
* Referee: Alan Eck
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, James Lofton, Jay Feely and Tiffany Blackmon
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
CIN – Joe Mixon 1-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 6:07. Bengals 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:03.
CIN – Joe Mixon 6-yard run (Evan McPherson kick), 0:48. Bengals 14–0. Drive: 5 plays, 67 yards, 3:03.
Second quarter
CIN – Andrei Iosivas 3-yard pass from Jake Browning (Evan McPherson kick), 9:19. Bengals 21–0. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 5:25.
CIN – Evan McPherson 45-yard field goal, 1:55. Bengals 24–0. Drive: 4 plays, 7 yards, 1:19.
Third quarter
CIN – Andrei Iosivas 7-yard pass from Jake Browning (Evan McPherson kick), 3:32. Bengals 31–0. Drive: 14 plays, 99 yards, 8:12.
Fourth quarter
CLE – David Bell 31-yard pass from Jeff Driskel (Riley Patterson kick), 8:45. Bengals 31–7. Drive: 5 plays, 55 yards, 2:08.
CLE – David Bell 24-yard pass from Jeff Driskel (Riley Patterson kick), 2:34. Bengals 31–14. Drive: 9 plays, 75 yards, 3:58.
Top passers
CLE – Jeff Driskel – 13/26, 166 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
CIN – Jake Browning – 18/24, 156 yards, 3 TD, INT
Top rushers
CLE – Pierre Strong Jr. – 14 rushes, 65 yards
CIN – Joe Mixon – 14 rushes, 111 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – David Bell – 4 receptions, 68 yards, 2 TD
CIN – Andrei Iosivas – 5 receptions, 36 yards, 2 TD :
With Cleveland being assured of the 5-seed no matter what the outcome of this game or any other game in Week 18, the Browns announced they would rest some starters for the game; Jeff Driskel was named the starting quarterback. The Browns set a franchise record for most starting quarterbacks in a season and become the first team since the 1987 New England Patriots to start five quarterbacks in a season.
With most Cleveland starters not playing, Cincinnati dominated the first half and raced to a 24–0 halftime lead on the strength of two Joe Mixon touchdown runs, a Jake Browning touchdown pass to Andrei Iosivas, and an Evan McPherson field goal. In the second half, Cincinnati extended its lead to 31–0 on a second touchdown pass from Browning to Iosivas. The Browns added two late touchdown passes from Driskel to David Bell to make the final score 31–14.
With the loss, the Browns finished the season 11–6. They finished 3–5 in away games.

### Standings
#### Division

AFC North :
| viewtalkedit | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| $^{(1)}$ Baltimore Ravens | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 3–3 | 8–4 | 483 | 280 | L1 |
| $^{(5)}$ Cleveland Browns | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 3–3 | 8–4 | 396 | 362 | L1 |
| $^{(7)}$ Pittsburgh Steelers | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5–1 | 7–5 | 304 | 324 | W3 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 1–5 | 4–8 | 366 | 384 | W1 |

#### Conference

AFCvte :
| # | Team | Division | W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | SOS | SOV | STK |
| Division leaders ||||||||||||
| 1 | Baltimore Ravens | North | 13 | 4 | 0 | .765 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .543 | .529 | L1 |
| 2 | Buffalo Bills | East | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .471 | .471 | W5 |
| 3 | Kansas City Chiefs | West | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 9–3 | .481 | .428 | W2 |
| 4 | Houston Texans | South | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .474 | .465 | W2 |
| Wild cards ||||||||||||
| 5 | Cleveland Browns | North | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 3–3 | 8–4 | .536 | .513 | L1 |
| 6 | Miami Dolphins | East | 11 | 6 | 0 | .647 | 4–2 | 7–5 | .450 | .358 | L2 |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | North | 10 | 7 | 0 | .588 | 5–1 | 7–5 | .540 | .571 | W3 |
| Did not qualify for the postseason ||||||||||||
| 8 | Cincinnati Bengals | North | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .574 | .536 | W1 |
| 9 | Jacksonville Jaguars | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .533 | .477 | L1 |
| 10 | Indianapolis Colts | South | 9 | 8 | 0 | .529 | 3–3 | 7–5 | .491 | .444 | L1 |
| 11 | Las Vegas Raiders | West | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 4–2 | 6–6 | .488 | .426 | W1 |
| 12 | Denver Broncos | West | 8 | 9 | 0 | .471 | 3–3 | 5–7 | .488 | .485 | L1 |
| 13 | New York Jets | East | 7 | 10 | 0 | .412 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .502 | .454 | W1 |
| 14 | Tennessee Titans | South | 6 | 11 | 0 | .353 | 1–5 | 4–8 | .522 | .422 | W1 |
| 15 | Los Angeles Chargers | West | 5 | 12 | 0 | .294 | 1–5 | 3–9 | .529 | .388 | L5 |
| 16 | New England Patriots | East | 4 | 13 | 0 | .235 | 2–4 | 4–8 | .522 | .529 | L2 |
| Tiebreakers ||||||||||||
| 1 2 Buffalo claimed the No. 2 seed over Kansas City based on head-to-head victory. 1 2 Buffalo finished ahead of Miami in the AFC East based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 Cleveland claimed the No. 5 seed over Miami based on conference record. 1 2 Cincinnati finished ahead of Jacksonville based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Indianapolis (see below). 1 2 Jacksonville finished ahead of Indianapolis based on head-to-head sweep. 1 2 Las Vegas finished ahead of Denver based on head-to-head sweep. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest ranked remaining team from each division. ||||||||||||

### Team leaders
#### Regular season

| Category | Player(s) | Value |
| Passing yards | Joe Flacco | 1,616 |
| Passing touchdowns | Joe Flacco | 13 |
| Rushing yards | Jerome Ford | 807 |
| Rushing touchdowns | Kareem Hunt | 9 |
| Receptions | David Njoku | 81 |
| Receiving yards | Amari Cooper | 1,250 |
| Receiving touchdowns | David Njoku | 6 |
| Points | Dustin Hopkins | 123 |
| Kickoff return yards | Pierre Strong | 200 |
| Punt return yards | James Proche | 191 |
| Tackles | Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | 101 |
| Sacks | Myles Garrett | 14.0 |
| Forced fumbles | Myles Garrett | 4 |
| Interceptions | Martin Emerson | 4 |
| Pass deflections | 2 players tied | 14 |

## Postseason
### Schedule

| Round | Date | Opponent (seed) | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| Wild Card | January 13 | at Houston Texans (4) | L 14–45 | 0–1 | NRG Stadium | Recap |

### Game summaries
#### AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Houston Texans

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Browns | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Texans | 10 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 45 |
at NRG Stadium, Houston, Texas
* Date: January 13, 2024
* Game time: 4:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. CST
* Game weather: None (retractable roof closed)
* Game attendance: 71,946
* Referee: Clay Martin
* TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge and Kathryn Tappen
* Recap, Game Book
Game information :
First quarter
HOU – Kaʻimi Fairbairn 21-yard field goal, 5:29. Texans 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 43 yards, 2:54.
CLE – Kareem Hunt 1-yard run (Riley Patterson kick), 2:09. Browns 7–3. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 3:20.
HOU – Nico Collins 15-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 0:11. Texans 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:58.
Second quarter
CLE – Kareem Hunt 11-yard pass from Joe Flacco (Riley Patterson kick), 12:18. Browns 14–10. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:53.
HOU – Brevin Jordan 76-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), noon. Texans 17–14. Drive: 1 play, 76 yards, 0:18.
HOU – Dalton Schultz 37-yard pass from C. J. Stroud (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 1:11. Texans 24–14. Drive: 8 plays, 71 yards, 4:33.
Third quarter
HOU – Steven Nelson 82-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 6:05. Texans 31–14.
HOU – Christian Harris 36-yard interception return (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:06. Texans 38–14.
Fourth quarter
HOU – Devin Singletary 19-yard run (Kaʻimi Fairbairn kick), 4:06. Texans 45–14. Drive: 6 plays, 50 yards, 3:00.
Top passers
CLE – Joe Flacco – 34/46, 307 yards, TD, 2 INT
HOU – C. J. Stroud – 16/21, 274 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
CLE – Kareem Hunt – 8 rushes, 26 yards, TD
HOU – Devin Singletary – 13 rushes, 66 yards, TD
Top receivers
CLE – David Njoku – 7 receptions, 93 yards
HOU – Nico Collins – 6 receptions, 96 yards, TD :
This was the first postseason meeting between the Browns and Texans. During the regular season, the Browns defeated the Texans 36–22 in Houston in Week 16. Deshaun Watson, who was the starting quarterback for Cleveland since 2022, suffered a season-ending injury in Week 10. He was the starting quarterback for Houston from 2017 to 2020.
After a competitive first half that was led by the Texans, they took a commanding lead after the turn of the half, in which Joe Flacco threw back-to-back interceptions that were returned for touchdowns. This was the Texans' first playoff win since the 2019 season.

## 2024 Pro Bowl Games

Seven Browns players – G Joel Bitonio, WR Amari Cooper, DE Myles Garrett, TE David Njoku, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Wyatt Teller, and CB Denzel Ward – were selected to represent the AFC in the 2024 Pro Bowl Games. Bitonio, Cooper, and Garrett were selected as starters, while Njoku and Ward were selected as reserves. Owusu-Koramoah and Teller were originally selected as alternates, but made the roster as injury replacements. This marks the sixth consecutive and sixth overall selection for Bitonio, fifth selection for Cooper and Garrett, fourth for Teller, third for Ward, and first for Njoku and Owusu-Koramoah.
In addition, P Corey Bojorquez, S Grant Delpit, K Dustin Hopkins, and C Ethan Pocic were selected as alternates.