The Cleveland Browns are officially on the clock. With their loss to the Bears in Week 16, the Browns officially clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. What a glorious day.
It should be no surprise to see Cleveland at the top spot. They are, after all, winless this season, having managed an 0-15 year with the Steelers on the road looming as the only remaining opportunity to pick up a victory.
The NFL cancelled "Sunday Night Football" in Week 17 because there is no compelling game and it would be a competitive disadvantage for at least one team. I believe they should put the Browns-Steelers game on Sunday night so everyone can celebrate New Year's Eve with the Browns completing a winless season. Some people just like to watch the world burn.
At the very least, we need to make sure we get a livestream of Hue Jackson jumping into Lake Erie, which is something the Browns coach has to do now if he's a man of his word.
Before the season, Jackson promised the team would not go 1-15 and said he would jump in Lake Erie if they did.
"I can't do that. I can't do that. We're not going to do that," Jackson said before the season began. "We're not going 1-5. I'll be swimming in the lake over there or somewhere. That's not happening. I just know me too well. I know me and I know these guys too well. We put out this front where we are -- we're not going 1-15 next year. You can write it, Hue Jackson said it, if you like."
A man of his word -- and we assume Hue is one -- will jump into that dang lake after his team managed to lose 15 games in back-to-back seasons. It's the least he can do for the fanbase and ownership. And it's not like he can be anymore embarrassed than he is after being 1-31 as Browns coach.
The Browns have clinched the No. 1 seed regardless of whether they win or lose, and certainly it would be better to not lose, therefore becoming the second-ever team to go 0-16. The Browns would be on the wrong side of history with a loss against the Steelers on Sunday.
But it won't affect their draft slot. In fact, with the No. 1 pick for 2018 now secure, the Browns become just the fifth team in NFL history to net the first pick in back-to-back seasons. They are the first team since .....
wait for it ...
the Browns, who also did it in 1999 and 2000 when they returned to the NFL after the original team left to become the Baltimore Ravens.
Cleveland is, by far, the worst team in the NFL, although many would argue there are some inherent issues with the coaching. On the bright side for Jackson, if he loses against the Steelers, he can argue he shouldn't have to jump into the lake, what with his team managing to not go 1-15 again.
