The Cleveland Browns entered last season with high expectations.
They looked like a team that could build on making the playoffs and stay competitive.
That wasn’t the case at all, and while most of that was due to their offensive inefficiency, their defense also took a step back.
Now, with coordinator Jim Schwartz about to enter his third year in charge, and the team looking to improve overall, things could be better on that side of the ball.
Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports recently said that the Browns can win the AFC North if they return to their defensive dominance and head coach Kevin Stefanski’s offense does just enough to keep the chains moving.
“Jim Schwartz’s defense could be among the NFL’s best. Let’s get one thing out of the way: If the Browns are going to make a surprise leap in 2025, it’s unlikely to come from Kevin Stefanski’s side of the ball,” Benjamin wrote. “All that said, if Stefanski is just able to play conservative ball, he could also have suffocating defensive support to slow even the most dangerous of NFL contenders. Schwartz is a proven and aggressive leader on that side, and he’s got nasty blue-collar pieces at every level, from the ever-fearsome Myles Garrett and first-round interior man Mason Graham to rookie linebacker Carson Schwesinger and No. 1 cover man Denzel Ward.”
That seems about right, especially considering all the questions the team still has at quarterback.
The Browns’ offense has been at its best when it has tried to control time of possession with a run-heavy approach, and all signs point to Stefanski returning to that strategy this season.
They have a couple of promising rookie running backs in Dylan Sampson and Quinshon Judkins, and with the offensive line back to full strength, it could bounce back.
Yet, all eyes will be on the defense, and if it gets back to its old ways, the Browns could shock a lot of people.
NEXT: Browns WR Spotted Training At Chad Johnson's Workshop
