The Cleveland Browns went from making the playoffs to winning three games last season.
Three-win teams usually don’t get the toughest schedules, as the league always wants to pair the best with the best.
Unfortunately, there’s no other way around that when you play in the tough and competitive AFC North.
That, combined with a brutal stretch against the NFC North that includes a trip overseas, has set the table for the Browns to have a less-than-encouraging start to the season.
The Browns will kick off the season hosting the Cincinnati Bengals before traveling to play the Baltimore Ravens.
Then, they will host the Green Bay Packers, play away against the Detroit Lions, host the Minnesota Vikings in London, and close out the stretch in Pittsburgh.
With that in mind, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com believes that this season could be over before it even starts:
“So by the time they get through that grueling, grueling road stretch, they might not be relevant anymore in the NFL. It could be over by then,” warned Mary Kay Cabot on the podcast. “And that’s not going to be good for anybody if they’ve got veteran Pro Bowl players who don’t have much to play for in the second half of the season.”
As pessimistic as this may sound, it might actually be true.
Even if the Browns are better than they were last season, which they should be, they could have an unproven rookie behind center.
Players need time to learn the ropes of a new system and get used to the ebbs and flows of the National Football League, and playing against high-end competition will only make things more difficult.
Of course, anything can happen, and they have a defense that’s good enough to hold down the fort.
Still, schedule makers didn’t do this team any favors unless you’re thinking about draft positioning and securing another top-three selection in 2026.
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