Fair is a funny concept in professional sports. Weather, luck, ownership, injuries and a variety of other variables lead to a level of unfairness. In the NFL, which division and conference you play in, specifically if you have to go through Patrick Mahomes, leads to a level of unfairness.
For the Cleveland Browns, the 2023 NFL season was a combination of luck and unfairness. Injuries robbed Nick Chubb, Jack Conklin, Deshaun Watson and many others from a large number of games. On the other hand, facing fading teams late in the season like Jacksonville, Chicago and New York along with Houston without CJ Stroud allowed the Browns to run their record to an impressive 11-6 and a playoff birth.