3 ways Browns got screwed by the NFL on 2023 schedule

1. Browns get a short week at the most critical point

One way anyone could try and defend the early bye week is by saying teams get a longer break when they play on Thursday Night Football. While they do get some extra time following those games, that's still a grueling week for the players to navigate, and for the Browns, they end up with this in Week 17.

After playing the Houston Texans on the road on Christmas Eve, they then head back to Cleveland where they will host the New York Jets just a couple of days later. Trying to stop Aaron Rodgers is tough enough as it is, and to do so on a short week is an incredibly difficult ask for any team.

What makes it even more frustrating is that this could be a huge game when it comes to playoff positioning. Both the Browns and Jets are expected to be in contention for a postseason berth — and they each have tough divisions which means they could be fighting for seeding in the AFC.

Of course, there are no excuses, and in the end, this could help the Browns since they would have 10 days to prepare for a Week 18 outing against the Bengals (which could also be a very important game). Even so, it's less than ideal to have a game that could be so crucial come on just three days' rest.