The Cleveland Browns are thought to have one of the easiest schedules in the NFL this season. Their opponents had the lowest combined winning percentage last season, and as a group, they are projected to be below the .500 mark again this year.
But considering the Browns have won eight games combined over the past two seasons, nothing should be taken for granted. Even though some observers believe the Browns can be a playoff contender in the AFC North, they are more commonly projected to wind up with just six or seven victories.
While they cannot afford to overlook anyone, analyst Tim Bielik is warning the Browns about an underrated opponent they will face early in the 2026 season, cautioning them about their Week 3 matchup against the Carolina Panthers.
“Carolina was the surprise team of the NFC last season, winning the NFC South at 8-9 and giving the Rams quite the challenge in the NFC Wild Card game. Bryce Young took a nice step forward in 2025, but he’ll be in for a tough test against a Browns defense that even without Myles Garrett should still be very good. The battle between receiver Tetairoa McMillan, who had a great rookie season, and either Denzel Ward or Tyson Campbell should be fun to watch,” Bielik wrote.
Carolina finished below .500 last season, which is contributing to the Browns’ favorable metric in that regard. However, the Panthers did win their division and then threatened to upset the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card Round before losing 34-31. The Rams then went all the way to the NFC Championship Game, which they lost to the Seattle Seahawks.
After opening the 2026 season with challenging road games at the Jacksonville Jaguars and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Browns will host the Panthers in their home opener at Huntington Bank Field. The atmosphere should give Cleveland an edge against Young, Carolina’s middling quarterback.
The Browns may not have an advantage at that important position, with either Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders as their potential starter, but their defense should be among the NFL’s best, even with Garrett traded away. Cleveland needs to take advantage of the favorable matchup with Carolina and the following short-week game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, as it will play just three of its first nine games at home.
New head coach Todd Monken has stated an “ultimate goal” of late-season contention for the Browns, but they won’t be able to get there if they don’t stack some early wins.
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