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Browns WR Amari Cooper (heel) inactive Thursday night vs. Jets

Amari Cooper won't have a chance to follow up on the greatest game by a wide receiver in Cleveland Browns history.

Cooper will surprisingly be inactive for the Browns' Thursday night tilt against the visiting New York Jets due to a heel injury.

A non-participant all week in practice who drew a questionable designation, Cooper will be held out of Week 17 action just four days after a historic showing in Week 16.

Cooper turned in a Browns single-game record of 265 receiving yards during a win over the Houston Texans. He had 11 receptions and a pair of touchdowns, leading to him being lauded as the  AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

However, quarterback Joe Flacco will have to look for an interim WR1 now with Cooper unavailable.

Cooper, who will miss his first game with the Browns after starting 32 straight since being traded to Cleveland, leads his team with 1,250 yards receiving -- his seventh career 1,000-yard campaign. He's hauled in 72 receptions and five TDs this season, as well.

Tight end  David Njoku is the team's leading receiver with 75 catches and also has a Browns-best six TD catches. However, in the WR corps, only Elijah Moore (54 receptions, 579 yards) and Cedric Tillman (17/173) have double-digit catches or north of 100 yards.

Moore and Tillman will likely be looked upon to step up in Cooper's absence as the Browns aim for a win to clinch a playoff spot.

Browns vs. Jets instant analysis: Jeremaine Johnson pick 6 gives Jets life

CLEVELAND — The last time  the Browns clinched a playoff spot, there were about 12,000 fans inside Cleveland Browns Stadium.

It was 2020, and all the Browns needed to do — and did — was to beat the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers in the season finale to clinch an AFC wild card spot. That was the COVID season, which meant there was a significantly-reduced number of fans in the stands.

Thursday night, the stadium was full when the Browns took on the 

New York Jets. All they needed to do was to win the game to clinch a spot in the playoffs, which would be the third time they have qualified since returning to the league in 1999.

The Browns (10-5) came into the game holding the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoff race. A win over the Jets would all but assure them they couldn't fall lower than that spot, even with a loss in Week 18 at the  Cincinnati Bengals.

A win Thursday, at least for a few more days, would keep the Browns' hopes alive for an AFC North title and the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs. Those hopes would ride with whether or not the Baltimore Ravens (12-3) lose to the Miami Dolphins (11-4) in a Sunday 1 p.m. game.

The Browns have no control over what the Ravens do on Sunday. They had full control over what they could do on Thursday night.

Follow along here for updates throughout the Browns' push to clinch the playoffs.

Jermaine Johnson pick 6 off Joe Flacco gives Jets life

The Browns appeared ready to bury the Jets as the second quarter neared its conclusion. However,  New York's Jeremaine Johnson stuck with quarterback Joe Flacco despite a pump fake, tipping the ball up in the air and to himself.

Johnson returned the interception 37 yards for the Jets touchdown. That pulled New York within 27-14 with 2:02 remaining in the second quarter.

Myles Garrett finally snaps his 'official' sack-less streak

Browns defensive end Myles Garrett last got credited for an official sack with about nine minutes remaining in their Week 11 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 19. He took down Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett to give him sack No. 13 on the season, which led the league at the time.

With 6:15 remaining in the second quarter on Thursday, Garrett picked up sack No. 14. He took down New York's Trevor Siemian for a 7-yard loss, snapping a five-game streak without an official sack.

Garrett did have a sack on a 2-point conversion in the Browns' Week 14 win over the  Jacksonville Jaguars. That does not count as an official sack.

Ex-Jets receiver Elijah Moore gets in the act against former team

Elijah Moore was one of the big Browns acquisitions in the offseason. They picked up the receiver in a March trade with the New York Jets, with whom he had grown disgruntled.

Moore made his presence known on the Browns fifth possession. In fact, it both started and ended with the third-year pro out of Ole Miss, including an 8-yard touchdown catch from quarterback Joe Flacco with 6:15 left in the second quarter to make it 27-7 Browns.

Moore had three consecutive catches netting 31 yards to open the drive. That included a 24-yard gain on third and 1 from the Cleveland 28 in which the pass looked to be intercepted by New York's Michael Carter II, only that Moore ripped the ball out of his hands and came down with it himself.

David Njoku fumbles after big gain to give Jets ball, but defense stands

David Njoku had a big first quarter. His first catch of the second quarter looked like it was going for a big gain.

However, Jets linebacker C.J. Mosley managed to not only strip the ball from Njoku after a 19-yard gain, but also recovered the ball at the New York 35. The Jets, though, went three and out on the offensive possession.

End 1st quarter: Cleveland Browns 20, New York Jets 7

The Browns will start at their own 25 yard line after a punt from Jets punter  Thomas Morstead rolled just across the goal line for a touchback to end the first quarter. They have a 166-98 edge in total yards, but the Jets have turned the ball over twice.

Ronnie Hickman with the pick 6 for Browns to extend lead in first quarter

The failed fourth-down try didn't bite the Browns because their defense saved the day. Safety Ronnie Hickman stepped in front of a pass from Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian intended for Hickman's former Ohio State teammate, Garrett Wilson, and intercepted the pass.

Hickman returned the pick 30 yards for the Browns touchdown.  Riley Patterson made his PAT this time, giving the Browns a 20-7 lead with 2:01 left in the first quarter.

Browns show lack of confidence in kicking game going for fourth and 4

The Browns got nothing out of the special teams takeaway because, on fourth and 4 from the Jets 6, they decided to go for it. They could've tried a 23-yard field goal, but didn't.

Instead, quarterback Joe Flacco threw into the end zone to Cedric Tillman on a ball Tillman had no chance to catch.

Matthew Adams and Mike Ford Jr. combine for special teams takeaway

The Browns got the ball right back after special-teams star Matthew Adams stripped Jets kickoff return man Israel Abandikanda on the return. Mike Ford Jr. recovered the ball for the Browns at the Jets 12 with 4:37 remaining in the first quarter.

Riley Patterson misses point-after kick on second try

Riley Patterson was signed to the practice squad on Christmas Day due to Dustin Hopkins' hamstring injury. He was elevated to the gameday roster on Thursday when Hopkins was ruled out.

After making his first point-after kick, Patterson missed his second one to keep the Browns lead at 13-7 with 4:43 left in the first quarter.

David Njoku's 1-handed catch for 43 yards sets up Kareem Hunt TD run

David Njoku once again played a big role in the Browns scoring a touchdown. He had a 6-yard catch to make it third and 12 midfield.

On the next play, Njoku ran a crossing pattern and snared quarterback Joe Flacco's pass with his left hand only and turned upfield for a 43-yard gain to the Jets 7. Kareem Hunt scored from there on the next play to make it 13-7 Browns with 4:43 left in the first quarter.

Jets march down field to answer TD with Trevor Siemian to Breece Hall TD pass

The Browns didn't hold the lead for very long. The Jets marched right down the field to answer with a 21-yard Trevor Siemian to Breece Hall touchdown to square the game at 7-7 with 8:06 remaining in the first quarter.

Siemian was 2 of 2 for 43 yards on the drive. Hall had 32 yards on 3 rushing attempts to go with the touchdown catch.

The Jets did so against a starting defensive group that went with three cornerbacks.

• DE: Myles Garrett

• DT: Shelby Harris

• DT: Dalvin Tomlinson

• DE: Za'Darius Smith

• LB: Sione Takitaki

• LB: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

• S: D’Anthony Bell

• Nickel: Greg Newsome III

• CB: Martin Emerson Jr.

• CB: Denzel Ward

• S: Juan Thornhill

Big connections between Joe Flacco and David Njoku lead to Jerome Ford TD

The Browns were in a third and 15 hole at their own 20 thanks to an offensive pass interference call against Elijah Moore. Didn't matter, though, as quarterback Joe Flacco stepped back and found a wide-open David Njoku for a 36-yard gain to the Jets 44.

That was one of two big plays to Njoku on the Browns' opening drive, which ended with Jerome Ford catching a 7-yard touchdown pass from Flacco. The play before that, Flacco and Njoku connected for a 28-yard gain.

Flacco was 3 of 4 for 71 yards and a touchdown on the drive, which gave the Browns a 7-0 lead with 11:10 left in the first quarter.

Cedric Tillman, David Bell start at receiver in place of Amari Cooper

The Browns got the ball to start the game after the Jets won the toss. With no Amari Cooper, rookie Cedric Tillman and second-year pro David Bell started at receiver along with Elijah Moore.

Here's the starting lineup on offense:

• QB: Joe Flacco

• RB: Jerome Ford

• TE: David Njoku

• WR: Cedric Tillman

• WR: Elijah Moore

• WR: David Bell

• LT: Geron Christian

• LG: Joel Bitonio

• C: Ethan Pocic

• RG: Wyatt Teller

• RT: James Hudson III

Amari Cooper scratched less than two hours before kickoff due to heel injury

Amari Cooper was a last-minute scratch for the Browns after trying to go through warmups less than two hours before kickoff Thursday night against the New York Jets.

Cooper was listed as questionable due to a heel injury. He started to go through early warmups before taking himself out of the line.

Cooper hadn't missed a full game since Nov. 25, 2021, while he was with the Dallas Cowboys. Thursday's scratch snaps a streak of 39 consecutive games played, including a playoff game in January, 2022, with Dallas.

Since coming into the league as the No. 4 overall pick by the Oakland Raiders, Cooper had only missed five regular-season games in his career. That's despite having dealt with a litany of injuries, including his two seasons with the Browns.

Injuries have bothered Cooper throughout the season, but he hadn't missed a full game due to any of them. He departed both of the Browns' back-to-back losses at the Denver Broncos and the Los Angeles Rams with a rib injury and a concussion, but started the next week both times.

In Week 2, Cooper was questionable to play at the Pittsburgh Steelers with a groin injury. He played, catching seven passes for 90 yards in a loss to the Steelers.

The ninth-year veteran was coming off a franchise-record 265 yards on 11 catches in this Sunday's 36-22 win over the Houston Texans. He won AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the performance.

How to watch, stream and listen to the Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets

• TV channel: WEWS-TV (Channel 5).

• Stream: Amazon Prime

• Announcers: Al Michaels (play-by-play), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) and Kaylee Hartung (sideline reporter).

How to listen to the Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets on the radio

• The Cleveland Browns Radio Network will carry the game, with Jim Donovan (play-by-play), Nathan Zegura (analyst) and Je'Rod Cherry (sideline reporter) on the call. Among the affiliates in the Akron-Canton area are WAKR-AM 1590, WONE-FM 97.5, WHBC-AM 1480, WQKT-FM 104.5, WKRK-FM 92.3, WKNR-AM 850 and WNCX-FM 98.5. It can also be heard on Sirius/XM, either on channel 138 or 381.

• Westwood One Sports will carry the game nationally on various outlets. Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and former Browns left tackle and Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Thomas (analyst) will be on the call.

• The Browns have also started a Spanish-language broadcast, with Rafael “Rafa” Hernández-Brito (play-by-play) and Octavio Sequera (analyst) on the call. Games will be streamed on La Mega Cleveland, as well as heard on WNZN-FM 89.1 in Lorain and WVKO-FM 103.1 in Columbus.

Browns-Jets odds, money line, over/under

• Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10 a.m. ET, Thursday.

• Moneyline (ML): Browns -360 (bet $360 to win $100) | Jets +290 (bet $100 to win $290)

• Against the spread: Browns -7.5 (-110) | Jets +7.5 (-110)

• Over/Under (O/U): 34.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

Cleveland Browns, New York Jets injury report

• Browns: Linebacker  Anthony Walker Jr. (knee), out; safety Juan Thornhill (calf), questionable; defensive end Ogbo Okoronhwo (pectoral muscle), out; kicker Dustin Hopkins (left hamstring), out; punter Corey Bojorquez (left quad), doubtful; receiver Amari Cooper (heel), questionable; receiver Marquise Goodwin (knee), questionable

• Jets: Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (Achilles), out; quarterback Zach Wilson (concussion), out; tight end Jeremy Rucker (concussion), out; kicker Greg Zuerlein (right quad), questionable; receiver Allen Lazard (illness), questionable; running back Israel Abanikanda (ankle), questionable

Cleveland Browns, New York Jets in Week 16

The Browns improved to 10-5 on the season with a 36-22 win on Christmas Eve over the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston. Browns receiver Amari Cooper set a franchise record for receiving yards in a game with 265 yards on 11 catches. Quarterback Joe Flacco was 27 of 42 for 368 yards with 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. It was Flacco's third consecutive 300-yard passing game, a first in his career.

The Jets improved to 6-9 on the season after rallying for a 30-28 win over the Washington Commanders at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. The Jets won the game with a 54-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal with 5 seconds remaining. New York, though, led the game 27-7 at halftime, but found itself in a 28-27 hole with 4:52 remaining. Trevor Siemien, starting in place of the concussed Zach Wilson at quarterback for the Jets, was 27 of 49 for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Breece Hall rushed for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns and had 96 receiving yards for New York.

Cleveland Browns vs. New York Jets series history

Thursday's game will be the 30th meeting between the Browns and the New York Jets, including the playoffs. The series dates back to 1970.

• Overall: Browns 15-14

• In regular season: Tied 14-14

• In playoffs: Browns 1-0

• In Cleveland: Browns 10-9

• In New York/New Jersey: Jets 5-5

• Streak: Jets have won the last two meetings

• Last meeting: Jets won 31-30 in Cleveland on Sept. 18, 2022

Burning questions for the Browns ahead of their Week 16 matchup against the Texans

With only three games left in the regular season, the Browns stand at 9-5 and are currently the fifth seed in the AFC. This week, they take on the Texans, who are 8-6 and battling to get in the playoffs.

Here are three questions the Browns must answer on Sunday.

Will the defense stop the Texans pass offense?

If the Browns were playing at home, this wouldn't be such a burning question. However, this season, the defense hasn't performed up to their usual standards on the road.

In six road games this season, the Browns defense allows an average of 236.17 yards per game. While at Cleveland Browns Stadium, they hold teams to an average of 135.5 yards.

The defense will go against a Texans offense that averages 328.4 passing yards at home. Overall, this season, they have thrown 3,890 passing yards – the second-best in the league – and have the fewest interceptions with six.

This week, there's potential for QB Case Keenum to get the start, as QB C.J. Stroud is still in concussion protocol and was officially ruled out on Friday. Keenum is a veteran quarterback who can continue the success the Texans have this season in passing the ball. In Week 15, he completed 23 of 36 passes, throwing for 229 yards, a touchdown and an interception. This helped the Texans secure a victory against the Titans, winning 19-16 in overtime.

"A true vet that has seen everything," DC Jim Schwartz said. "Very accurate passer. He does it a little bit differently than C.J. Stroud but led him to a win last week. And when it's all said and done, head coaches and quarterbacks are judged on wins, and Case Keenum is a winner. So, we're going to have to play our very best against him."

Will the Browns throw an interception?

QB Joe Flacco threw three interceptions against the Bears in Week 15, and it took a great fourth quarter from both sides of the ball to win the game. In Week 16, the Browns will face a Texans defense that has picked off passes all season. 

The Texans have forced 12 interceptions, and seven out of their eight wins came when they picked off a pass. In the five games where Houston didn't cause an interception, they lost four and won a close game against the Buccaneers in the other.

The Texans are also a team that capitalizes off turnovers. According to the NFL Football Database, the Texans are fourth in the league in turnover differential at plus eight.

Despite Flacco throwing four interceptions in the last two games, the Browns still managed to win on Sunday. Mistakes happen, and the Browns say they do not get worried as much since Flacco is a veteran.

"If that's a younger player, you start to get a little frazzled; but the older you get, the more interceptions you throw in your time," OC Alex Van Pelt said. "You just got to keep fighting. Go back to the guys like (Dan) Marino, you got to keep swinging."

Will there be opportunities to run the ball?

The Browns' run numbers have been down in the past two weeks due to facing defenses that are good at stopping the run. In Week 14 against the Jaguars, they averaged 2.9 yards per carry, and against the Bears in Week 15, the Browns rushed for a season-low 29 yards on 18 attempts.

At NRG Stadium, they will play a Texans defense ranked second in the league in holding opposing runners to 3.4 yards per carry. Houston's run defense is good, but they are currently missing two significant pieces in their operation. LB Blake Cashman and rookie DE Will Anderson Jr. missed Week 15 with injuries and did not practice this week. Both Anderson and Cashman were officially ruled out for Sunday's game, neither practiced throughout the week. Cashman leads the Texans in tackles with 85 in 12 games played. Anderson Jr. has 42 tackles and five sacks in 13 games.

If they can't go, the Browns shouldn't shy away from running the ball in a hostile environment. It will be beneficial to have some consistency in the run game on Sunday because the Texans have given up 16 rushing touchdowns, the sixth worst in the league. 

"Stay balanced, man," RB Kareem Hunt said. "We need to run the ball when we have to. Just because those guys are out doesn't mean other guys off the bench won't be hungry to get some action. We need to run hard and keep the same mentality no matter who is out there. We should run the ball to keep them on their toes."