Running back Jerome Ford played a lead role in the Joe Flacco revival on Thursday night as the Cleveland Browns secured a playoff berth with a 37-20 victory over the New York Jets.

The Browns’ fourth starting quarterback this season, Flacco has started the past five games, his high mark since the 2019 season. Cleveland has won the past four of those games with Flacco throwing for 1,362 yards and nine touchdowns in the four victories.

Against the Jets, Flacco had 296 passing yards and three TD passes in the first half as the Browns built a 34-14 lead. He had only 13 more passing yards in the second half, but he didn’t need to pad his stats with the Cleveland defense at No. 1 in the NFL in fewest yards allowed.

Flacco cooked New York without 1,000-yard receiver Amari Cooper. The former Alabama All-American set a franchise single-game record with 265 receiving yards in the Browns’ 36-22 victory over the Houston Texans on Sunday. But a heel injury caused Cooper to miss a game for the fifth time in his nine NFL seasons.

Ford had three touchdown receptions and one two-TD game in his career before Thursday night’s game. But the former Alabama running back scored the game’s first touchdown on a 7-yard reception with 11:10 left in the first quarter and last touchdown on a 50-yard reception with 1:24 left in the first half.

The longest reception of Ford’s career more than doubled his previous long of 24 yards. Flacco shook off a blow to the head from defensive tackle Quinnen Williams and threw to Ford while running to his left. After catching the football, Ford covered the final 37 yards to the end zone with a tackle-breaking run.

Ford also gained 64 yards on 12 rushing attempts in the game.

In addition to Ford, nine players from Alabama high schools and colleges got on the field during the New York-Cleveland game:

· Browns linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (Auburn High) made one tackle on special teams.

· Jets cornerback Tae Hayes (Decatur) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Jets defensive end Bryce Huff (St. Paul’s Episcopal) did not record any stats.

· Jets defensive end Carl Lawson (Auburn) was designated as a game-day inactive.

· Browns offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood (Alabama) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· C.J. Mosley (Theodore, Alabama) started at linebacker for the Jets. Mosley tied for the team lead with eight tackles. On one of those tackles, Mosley made Cleveland tight end David Njoku fumble after a reception, and the linebacker recovered the football, too, at the New York 35-yard line in the second quarter.

· Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood (Auburn) made three tackles.

· Za’Darius Smith (Greenville) started at defensive end for the Browns. Smith made one tackle.

· Dalvin Tomlinson (Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Browns. Tomlinson did not record any stats.

· Jets tight end C.J. Uzomah (Auburn) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Browns wide receiver Austin Watkins (UAB) is on the practice squad and not eligible to play.

· Quincy Williams (Wenonah) started at linebacker for the Jets. Williams made seven tackles and forced a fumble. New York recovered the loose football at the Cleveland 35-yard line in the fourth quarter and got a field goal out of the turnover.

· Quinnen Williams (Wenonah, Alabama) started at defensive tackle for the Jets. Williams made three tackles and recorded one tackle for loss.

· Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (Alabama) is on injured reserve and not eligible to play.

· Browns defensive end Alex Wright (Elba, UAB) recorded one sack and broke up one pass. Wright has four sacks in his NFL career, getting one in each of the past three games.

Cleveland improved to 11-5 but still trails the 12-3 Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North standings. But the Browns locked up at least a wild-card spot in the AFC postseason field by beating New York.

The Jets slipped to 6-10 with their fourth quarterback of 2023, Trevor Siemian, starting for the second time.

New York closes its season by visiting the New England Patriots on Jan. 7. The Browns finish their regular-season slate on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 7.

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.