'TNF' takeaways: Joe Flacco's historic night vs. Jets sends Browns to the postseason

Joe Flacco-mania has officially hit Cleveland. 

The 38-year-old signed off the couch had another impressive outing, helping the Cleveland Browns clinch a playoff spot in a 37-20 win over the New York Jets on "Thursday Night Football." 

Here are three takeaways from the Browns' massive win: 

Joe Flacco's stunning re-emergence continues: On Thursday night, the veteran led the Browns to a fourth straight victory and helped the franchise clinch only its second playoff berth since 2003. Under the bright lights on "Thursday Night Football," Flacco impressed the home crowd, finishing 19-of-29 for 309 yards (10.7 YPC) with three touchdowns and an interception. 

According to Stathead, Flacco is only the ninth QB in NFL history, 38 years or older, to throw for 300 or more yards off 30 or fewer pass attempts. He's the first to accomplish the feat since Tom Brady in 2020. 

Meanwhile, Flacco had his big night without No. 1 wideout Amari Cooper, who missed the game with a heel injury. He connected with seven different receivers, with tight end David Njoku leading the way, catching six of eight targets for 134 yards. 

Flacco surpassed 300 yards passing for the fourth consecutive game, passing Josh McCown (2015) for the most in Browns history. 

Browns have a turnover issue: While the result against the Jets was never really in doubt, untimely turnovers by the Browns kept things interesting for far too long. Perhaps even more bothersome is that it's becoming a trend at the wrong time. 

The Jets forced three Browns turnovers in Week 17 (two fumbles and a pick-six), leading to 10 points. The Browns have turned the football over three or more times in three of the last four games, 11 in total. 

Taking on a Jets team led by Trevor Siemian, the Browns defense made up for the offense's mistakes, forcing two turnovers. However, taking care of the football is paramount for any team looking to succeed in the postseason. If the Browns continue to put their defense in advantageous positions, the team's joyous trip to the playoffs will be extremely short-lived. 

Future stars were a silver lining for the Jets: Lost in the one-sided affair was the performance from two of the Jets' young stars, wideout Garrett Wilson and running back Breece Hall. 

Coming off arguably his best performance of the year in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders, Hall ran hard against the No. 1-ranked defense in the league and was a factor in the passing game. Hall rushed for 84 yards off 13 carries (6.5 YPA) while securing six of six targets through the air for 42 yards and a touchdown. 

Meanwhile, Wilson finished with five catches for 50 yards, becoming only the eighth wideout in Jets history to have two or more 1,000-yard seasons. He trails only George Sauer (3) and Hall of Famer Don Maynard (4) for the most in franchise history. Furthermore, he's the 16th WR in NFL history to begin a career with two straight 1,000-yard seasons and the second this season alone, joining New Orleans Saints' Chris Olave. Not bad for a second-year WR who has caught passes from the likes of Flacco, Zach Wilson, Mike White, Tim Boyle, and Siemian.