Browns' record in December the last 5 years reveals Joe Flacco's clutch gene

The Cleveland Browns haven't played much meaningful December football over the last few years. Specifically, over the last five, just two of those seasons saw the team balling for postseason positioning - 2023, and 2020.

In both of those seasons, the team had quarterbacks not named Deshaun Watson under center playing for them. In 2020, that honor went to Baker Mayfield. In 2023, it was Joe Flacco running the offense and the show as he took the Browns to an 11-6 season despite a season ending injury to Watson earlier in the year.

December record for the Browns over the last 5 years

In December, players and teams across the NFL are bound to be a bit distracted. While football is their full time job, they obviously have familial obligations to uphold - holiday dinners, travelling to see family, and properly celebrating the holidays.

For some teams, that holiday celebration involves a Christmas Day game. But for the Browns over the last five years, they've had just one Christmas game - a loss to the Green Bay Packers in 2021.

Over the last five seasons, December has seen some major stumbling to the finish line for the Kevin Stefanski-led Browns. Hired in 2020, Stefanski is responsible for a 9-9 record from 2020 up to 2024 in December games, with 2023 being the best stretch of games the Browns played in that stretch.

Flacco was truly balling in 2023 as the Browns were fighting for postseason positioning and after it felt like a forgone conclusion that they'd miss the playoffs altogether given the injury to Watson. But, Flacco led a 4-1 stretch to end that month against teams Cleveland should have beaten easily and did - the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets, and the Chicago Bears were just a few of those clubs.

Flacco and the Browns even managed to beat the Houston Texans last season on the road in a crucial AFC matchup, thanks to two interceptions on C.J. Stroud and an offensive explosion between Flacco and Amari Cooper, who finished up with two touchdowns during that game.

Flacco was a revelation for the Browns in 2023, and it was because of Watson that he ironically couldn't be retained - the contract hit that Watson continues to have on the team prevented Cleveland from being able to hold onto the back up that became their best chance on offense. That, however, didn't stop them from signing Jameis Winston over Flacco in the offseason.

Regardless, over the last five years, Flacco is still the best quarterback to close out a season with the Browns.