The final Thursday night game of this NFL season and the only weekday primetime game in Week 17 -- because the NFL is ceding Monday to the College Football Playoff national semifinals on New Year's Day -- features the eliminated New York Jets (6-9) visiting the wild-card hopeful Cleveland Browns (10-5). The Browns are -7.5 on the SportsLine consensus with a minuscule total of 34.5.

If the Jets were entering this game at 9-6 and chasing a playoff spot instead of 6-9, Aaron Rodgers would likely be the starting quarterback. He's been back with the team for a couple of weeks and recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in Week 1, but Jets fans will have to wait until next September to see Rodgers in a game that counts. Rodgers said this week he was content to finish out the season on injured reserve, but New York activated him to the 53-man roster so he could keep practicing. There are some out there calling Rodgers selfish for taking the roster spot of a fringe player. The 21-day practice window for the four-time MVP closed on Dec. 20 and the Jets had to make a decision. They could leave him on IR (no practice allowed) or activate him to the roster. 

"I assumed I was going to go on IR," said Rodgers, who announced Dec. 19 that his comeback bid was over. "I asked to be put on IR, but then there was a conversation, 'Do you want to practice?' I said not at the expense of somebody getting cut. I know how this works. I didn't feel like I needed to practice to continue my rehab. I could do on-the-field stuff on the side, but, obviously, I got overruled there. It is what it is. This was an interesting situation."

With former No. 2 overall pick Zach Wilson still in the concussion protocol, journeyman Trevor Siemian will make his second straight start after leading the Jets to a 30-28 win on Sunday over Washington. Siemian completed 27 of 49 passes for 217 yards with a touchdown and an interception, but getting New York to 30 points this season is parade-worthy as Gang Green averages just 15.4 per game. Even though the team largely face-planted in 2023, head coach Robert Saleh and GM Joe Douglas will be back next season per owner Woody Johnson. Whether offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett is back depends on Saleh, but he has said he expects his entire staff to return. Hackett is a good friend of Rodgers.

Cleveland currently holds the AFC's top wild card spot, which is pretty impressive considering the team has started four quarterbacks in Deshaun Watson (out for season), Dorian Thompson-Robinson (out for season), PJ Walker (the current No. 2) and Joe Flacco, who has been so good of late that he's now the +400 second favorite for NFL Comeback Player of the Year behind Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin, who is all but a lock to win. 

Flacco was sitting home as a free agent this season until Cleveland signed him to the practice squad on Nov. 20 following Watson's season-ending surgery. For whatever reason, the Jets never called the former Super Bowl MVP even though he played there from 2020-22 (granted with a 1-8 record as a starter) and New York clearly had a need.

"I enjoyed my time while I was there, and it is what it is," said Flacco about not hearing from the Jets. "There's 32 teams in the NFL. They're just another one. I got a lot of guys over there I really respect and had an awesome few years in that locker room. So a lot of respect for those guys."  

The Browns will clinch a playoff spot with a win. They'd also get in with a Pittsburgh loss or tie Sunday in Seattle; a Buffalo loss at home to New England; a Jacksonville loss or tie vs. Carolina; or a Houston loss or tie vs. Tennessee plus an Indianapolis loss or tie vs. Las Vegas. 

We'll take you through every aspect of the Jets-Browns game that you need to know before you lock in your bets, including SportsLine expert picks, props, trends, injury information and everything else that will help you know which plays are worth making for the primetime matchup.

Who wins Jets vs. Browns in the Week 17 Thursday night game, and what critical X-factor makes one side of the spread hit HARD? Join SportsLine right now to see everything you need to know about the game in the Thursday night matchup to kick off Week 17 of the 2023 season!!