On January 5th, 2025, the Cleveland Browns will wrap up their 2024 season with a divisional matchup in Baltimore to face the infamous Ravens. This game is speculated to be meaningful with AFC North Championship implications. The game is not yet scheduled for a 1pm Sunday afternoon kickoff. This means the game could be flexed for a Sunday night primetime matchup. Playing meaningful games at the end of the season is what is expected for the Cleveland Browns in 2024.

As someone who has watched the Cleveland Browns since they came back in 1999, the final game of the season was usually the last game for the current coach and general manager. The impatient owner would clean house again after another disappointing season. But that narrative has changed since 2020. The Cleveland Browns have made the playoffs twice in the last four years. They have a combined record in those years of 38-31 including the playoffs. The 2024 Cleveland Browns have expectations of winning with a deep playoff run.

Back in early May the NFL released the schedule. And this game on week 18 was immediately circled by many Cleveland Browns fans. Each of us understand the importance of a divisional game especially late in the season. This road divisional game in Baltimore could have playoff berth, playoff seeding, and division championship implications. In the AFC North any of the four teams could win the division. The last time the Cleveland Browns won a division championship was 1989 in Houston. And that was the old AFC Central Division. 1989 was also the last year the Cleveland Browns reached the AFC Championship game. That’s right, it has been 35 years since a division title and or a championship game appearance. That shows 3 ½ decades of futility and hard times for Cleveland Browns fans. But times are changing, and the new times will be clear come week 18 in Baltimore.