The Cleveland Browns have scratched and clawed to 11 wins twice in the past four seasons under head coach Kevin Stefanski. If they can find a way to do that again in 2024, there will be little doubt that this franchise has become a beacon of continuity.
How crazy would that be for a team that routinely found themselves hiring new head coaches and picking within the top five of the NFL draft?
We now have a schedule to work off of as well for the Browns, who have four primetime football games and the bulk of their AFC North schedule backloaded to the end of the season. Can they win their first-ever AFC North title in 2024?
Here is a 2024 schedule prediction for the Browns as they look to get back into the playoffs and even further under Stefanski.
Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Browns have won their season-opener two straight seasons now, so why disrupt that? The Browns will host Dak Prescott and the Cowboys, who feature a rebuilt offensive line with two rookies going against Myles Garrett and the veteran-laden defensive line led by defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
This will prove to be the difference.
Prediction: Win
Week 2: September 15th at 1:00 pm vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (Away)
Trevor Lawrence is the wildcard here. I do expect that he and the Jaguars offense will rebound, but after losing Calvin Ridley, asking rookie Brian Thomas Jr. and overrated free agent Gabe Davis to cover that much ground of production is too tough of an ask this early in the season.
Especially against the likes of Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr., and Greg Newsome II.
Prediction: Win
Week 3: September 22nd at 1:00 pm vs. New York Giants (Home)
The Giants will be in contention for the first overall pick next season.
Prediction: Win
Week 4: September 29th at 4:25 pm vs. Los Vegas Raiders (Away)
The Raiders opted to pass on moving up for a quarterback and will be starting Gardner Minshew with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. They have Davante Adams, but interim head coaching hires rarely pan out long-term. The Raiders are not ready to compete in 2024.
Prediction: Win
Week 5: October 6th at 1:00 pm vs. Washington Commanders (Away)
A rookie quarterback (who shouldn’t have been drafted above Drake Maye) paired with Kliff Kingsbury is not necessarily a recipe for success—especially this early in the season. The Browns’ defense should feast in this game.
Prediction: Win
Week 6: October 13th at 1:00 pm vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Away)
Playing in Philadelphia will be tough, and they have the weapons offensively to make impact plays. This comes down to how much you respect Kellen Moore as a play-caller vs. Jim Schwartz. This also depends on what kind of quarterback the Eagles get in Jalen Hurts after a down season coming off of an extension. This game is winnable for the Browns, but I have to pencil in a loss some time, right?
Prediction: Loss
Week 7: October 20th at 1:00 pm vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Home)
I always split AFC North divisional games. The Bengals are the home team here, so they’ll get the win in this prediction.
Prediction: Loss
Week 8: October 27th at 1:00 pm vs. Baltimore Ravens (Home)
Similarly to above, the Browns will split with the Ravens in my prediction, but they are the home team in this one.
Prediction: Win
Week 9: November 3rd at 1:00 pm vs. Los Angeles Chargers (Home)
The Los Angeles Chargers are no longer a soul-less football team and still have an elite quarterback in Justin Herbert. However, the talent is just not there offensively for them to threaten many defenses with a ton of points. Now putting them up against the NFL’s best defense and it gets even more difficult.
Prediction: Win
Week 10: Bye Week
Time for that 1:00 PM nap time.
Week 11: November 17th at 1:00 pm vs. New Orleans Saints (Away)
The NFC South is the worst division in football, the Saints continue to bleed talent with their backs against the cap wall, and their offensive line has seen some overhaul. It’s hard to see the Browns coming away with a loss against Derek Carr and the Saints in this one.
Prediction: Win
Week 12: Novermber 21st at 8:15 pm vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Home)
Primetime football baby! The Browns host the Steelers here. No need for too much analysis in this AFC North showdown as they’ll split the series in this prediction. The AFC North is truly unpredictable.
Prediction: Win
Week 13: December 2nd at 8:15 pm vs. Denver Broncos (Away)
The Broncos, led by 90-year-old rookie quarterback Bo Nix, lack offensive firepower and did little to address their bleeding offensive line. While they beat the Browns at home a year ago (led by Dorian Thompson-Robinson and PJ Walker), Cleveland gets their revenge this year.
Prediction: Win
Week 14: December 8th at 1:00 pm vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Away)
The other side of the AFC North split has hit.
Prediction: Loss
Week 15: December 15th at 1:00 pm vs. Kansas City Chiefs (Home)
To be the best you have to beat the best, but I’d be clinically insane to project the Browns to beat the juggernaut Chiefs as we sit here in mid-May.
Prediction: Loss
Week 16: December 19th at 8:15 pm vs. Cincinnati Bengals (Away)
(Insert AFC North split in my predictions line again)
Prediction: Loss
Week 17: December 29th at 8:20 pm vs. Miami Dolphins (Home)
The cold weather Dolphins have proven to become a trend. How do you slow down Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and company? Play them in December.
Prediction: Win
Week 18: Jan. 5 (TBD) vs. Baltimore Ravens (Away)
The Browns, with a playoff spot already locked in at this point in these predictions, could be playing for an AFC North title in Week 18. What a time that would be.
Prediction: Loss
Final season predictions
In these predictions, the Browns will win 11 games for the third time in five years. For a team that could not find a way out of the top-five of the NFL draft for so many years, that would be quite the outcome. Looking at their schedule, anything less than a 10-win season would be a disappointment and if they can find a way to even go 4-2 in the AFC North, then they are a serious threat to win their first AFC North title.
