The Cleveland Browns are back in the playoffs, and they boast one of the best defenses out of all 14 qualifying teams. They also boast one of the hottest offenses in the league, thanks to the revival of veteran journeyman Joe Flacco, who has been absolutely filling up the stat sheet since becoming a Brown.
Although it's nice to make the playoffs and just be included in the postseason in general, there are expectations that get heaped upon you as a franchise when you get to the dance. And that trickles down to greater expectations on individual players and coaches as well.
Which players and coaches are on the hot seat entering this weekend's game against the Texans?
1. Elijah Moore, WR
After all of the offseason hype, what we saw from Elijah Moore in the 2023 regular season was a disappointment at best, and a bust at worst. I'm not willing to call it a "bust" at this point, because Moore still had over 600 receiving yards, but it was tough sledding for him for most of the season.
But we saw in Moore's most recent game against his former team -- the New York Jets -- the type of substantial impact he's capable of making consistently. He caught five passes in that game for 61 yards and a touchdown on six targets.
A lackluster regular season can be forgiven and forgotten with a bonkers performance in the playoffs. Elijah Moore could be a hero for the Browns, but I would say he's on the hot seat because now that the stakes are high, you're going to expect even more out of your top playmakers.
2. Joe Flacco, QB
Yes, the Joe Flacco story has been really cool for the Cleveland Browns. How wild would it be if the Browns traveled to face off against the Baltimore Ravens in Round 2 of the playoffs? Joe Flacco against his former team, a rubber match between two division rivals with two of the best defenses in the league...
As great as that would be to see on paper, the cuteness of the story is lost as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Flacco and what he's been doing since becoming QB of the Browns. Averaging nearly 325 passing yards per game, Flacco has been slinging the ball around the yard unlike any other time in his NFL career. But getting to the postseason is just part of the battle.
The Browns and their fans will now be looking to Flacco to keep that pace, to help carry the team in the posteason, and for his veteran experience -- his playoff experience -- to be a difference-maker.
3. Wyatt Teller, OG
With the Browns throwing the ball a lot more these days, guard Wyatt Teller has come under the microscope a little bit for his pass pass protection. Pro Football Focus credits Telle with having allowed six sacks this season, and Houston has done a good job under DeMeco Ryans of getting pressure on the quarterback.
Teller is going to need to be on top of his game to help keep Joe Flacco's pocket clean, because if that happens, I think the Browns could run away with this one.
4. Jim Schwartz, defensive coordinator
Just like a bad regular season can be forgotten with an epic playoff performance, so too can a great regular season performance be wiped out by an epic playoff collapse.
Jim Schwartz has been an outstanding addition to the Cleveland Browns organization and the defense has responded to the way he runs things exceptionally well. The Browns had the No. 1 overall defense in the NFL in terms of yards allowed in 2023. They were the best pass defense in the league.
Nobody has been better as a unit at getting off the field on third downs. But the Browns do have a major area of weakness, and it's their red zone defense. If Jim Schwartz's unit allows CJ Stroud and the Texans to move the ball down the field, we've seen this team susceptible in a number of games this year.
Now is not the time for Schwartz's defense to have a bad day at the office.
5. Running backs
No Nick Chubb for the Cleveland Browns, so others are obviously going to have to step up in the playoffs. And the seat is going to be hot.
Both Kareem Hunt and Jerome Ford did a solid job this season at filling in for Chubb, but the Browns are going to need these guys to go on a bit of a playoff tear in order to close out games and be road warriors. That's what you have to do this time of year to win.
These two combined for an impressive 18 touchdowns in 2023, but they also averaged just 3.5 yards per rush between them. The Browns are going to need better efficiency out of these guys in the postseason, starting against one of the league's toughest run defenses (6th in rushing yards allowed, 2nd in yards per carry allowed). Cleveland's running backs need to find a way.