Browns? In Playoffs? Oh, What A Glorious Time It Is

Last time the Cleveland Browns made the playoffs, I was 4-years old. Not really. Not even close. But man, it sure feels that way.

What's it like to be a Browns fan? Well, I know the doctors will blame an overabundance of fast food, but it's the Browns who have actually taken five years off my life. But here they are, back in the playoffs, for the first time since the 2002 season.

It came courtesy of a 24-22 nail-biter of a win over a shell of the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Last time the Browns made the playoffs, 18 long years ago, it also took a win in the final week of the regular season to qualify.

And guess who the Browns' first-round playoff opponent was that season? Yep, the Steelers. And guess who it will be this season? Yep, the Steelers. I've been a Browns fan long enough to know -- too long, if you ask me -- that a playoff game against the Steelers, in Pittsburgh, doesn't bode well. Not when the Steelers play their actual starters and want to win.

But enough about all that. Right now is a time for Browns fans to celebrate. The NFL's longest playoff drought now belongs to someone else. The Browns have Nick Chubb, Baker Mayfield, Kareem Hunt, Jarvis Landry and an offense that can generally put up no less than 20-26 points a game. (The horrid defensive backfield is a different matter entirely, but hey, let's keep it positive for another minute or two.)

Along with that, first-year man Kevin Stefanski is far and away the best coach the Browns have hired since they returned in 1999. Nobody else even comes close. For the first time since 1999, the Browns have resembled an actual professional football organization in most games. That's coaching.

Yes, I know. The Browns should look like that, given that they are a professional football organization. But until this year, that hasn't been the case. In fact, it's too often looked as if the other teams were playing an entirely different sport. The Browns, on the other hand, were the freshmen team, the kids trying out for the Pass, Punt and Kick competition -- and finishing, like, 29th.

Well, guess what? That's over. Those days are history. These are the new Browns. This is just the beginning. They belong in the NFL. They belong in the playoffs. They took care of business (yes, barely, but still) on a day when the entire season hung in the balance.

Will they beat Pittsburgh next week? Let's talk about that Tuesday or Wednesday. For now, the answer is who knows, who cares and ain't it great we finally get to watch them try?

The Browns. In the playoffs. For the first time since 2002, that sentence alone is worth our entire focus.