It has been a great offseason for Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns adding talent to both sides of the ball. The early Week 5 bye for the Browns will present an interesting challenge for the late playoff push dealing with injuries.
The AFC North might be the best division in football with both Cincinnati and Baltimore returning great teams and Pittsburgh having a great draft and always playing hard under Mike Tomlin. The Browns will face all three of their division rivals in the season’s first four games. The team plays four of their first five in Cleveland Browns stadium, let’s look at the five toughest matchups on the team’s schedule.
Week 1 vs Bengals
The Browns have the luxury of opening the season at home but against the Bengals; the team will be tested right out of the gate. Joe Burrow finally got the monkey off his back last year, beating the Browns, and you know he wants to make it two straight. With the upgraded offensive line, the Browns will need their pass rush to get home and slow down Joe Burrow.
Week 6 vs 49ers
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan is one of the best in the league, regardless of who is playing quarterback. The offensive line will need to be on top of their game as the 49ers have plenty of people to make it a long day for Deshaun Watson if his protection isn’t good. Coming off a bye and playing at home against a west coast team will help the Browns in this tough early-season matchup.
Week 8 vs. Seahawks
Playing on the road in Seattle has always been a difficult thing to do with the home-field advantage the Seahawks enjoy. Geno Smith shocked the world with his comeback last season, and he has the best wide receiver in this year’s class now in Jaxson Smith-Njigba. The Seahawks will be another early season test for the Browns as they make their way to the west coast.
Week 10 vs Ravens
It seemed for a while that Lamar Jackson wouldn’t return to the Ravens in 2023, but a long-term contract was finally able to happen. The signing of Odell Beckham Jr and the drafting of Zay Flowers will help the passing offense take a massive step forward under new offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Harbaugh will always have the Ravens ready to play and this year’s trip to Baltimore will be a tough one.
Week 14 vs Jaguars
Trevor Lawrence needed to show why he was taken with the number one pick in the draft. Adding Tank Bigsby and Parker Washington through the draft will make this offense an ever bigger challenge to slow down. The second year in the system with head coach Doug Pederson for Lawrence will likely lead to better play with more comfortability in the offense.
