Cleveland Browns: Predicting the final five games of the season

Week 17 Cleveland Browns at Washington Commanders

Unfortunately, the hope for a winning season stops in Washington, D.C. according to these predictions. The Commanders made a smart move when they said Carson Wentz will remain on the bench in favor of Taylor Heinicke, but they really never should have had Wentz. That’s a discussion for a different day, however.

Heinicke has helped them go from a 1-4 franchise to a 7-5-1 club. Their most recent game ended in a tie against the New York Giants, who are now 7-4-1 — so it’s not as if they tied with a bad team.

Washington also plays strong defense, giving up 21 points or fewer in every game this season since Week 5. They’ve also secured wins over teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles — who have the best record in the NFL — and lost by just three to the Minnesota Vikings — who have the No. 2 seed in the NFC right now.

Put all that together and it’s probably safe to assume they’re going to play Cleveland tough at home. The Browns are able to put up 21 in this prediction but it’s hard to believe this defense can hold a playoff-caliber team to fewer than that, especially with all the injuries.

A narrow loss ends their hopes of a winning season but they can still end on a high note if they knock off the Steelers in Week 18.

Prediction: Commanders 24, Browns 21
Record: 7-9