More than anyone else, the Cleveland Browns have to be very happy that Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh don’t work in the AFC North anymore. With the two men as the head coaches of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, the Browns had very little success against them during their almost two decades in charge.
Now, what was once the most stable head coaching division in football has the most turnover, with three new ones, including Todd Monken of the Browns. Cleveland has struggled to compete despite fielding one of the best defenses in the league over the past three seasons, and Monken was brought in to add some innovation to the offense after serving as the Ravens’ coordinator.
CBS Sports analyst John Breech recently revealed two reasons the Browns could surprise the NFL in 2026, including Monken’s recent familiarity with their rivals and the chance that the defense may actually improve despite trading Myles Garrett.
“The first reason is Todd Monken. With three new head coaches in the division, being familiar with your opponents can certainly be an advantage, so that’s one thing that Monken has over both Jesse Minter (Ravens) and Mike McCarthy (Steelers). The other reason the Browns are here is because of their defense. As a matter of fact, I could see a situation where the Browns’ defense is actually better than it was last season,” Breech wrote.
Tomlin left Pittsburgh after 19 seasons, during which the Browns were 9-28-1 against the Steelers in the regular season, including 1-19 on the road. Cleveland did win the only playoff meeting, in the AFC Wild Card Round during the 2020 season.
Baltimore let Harbaugh go after 18 seasons, during which the Browns were 8-28 against the Ravens, including 3-15 on the road. The Browns will face Harbaugh again this season as the head coach of the New York Giants.
Even with this possible reason for optimism, oddsmakers are not convinced things will be very different for the Browns. They are a considerable long shot to win the AFC North behind the favored Ravens, Steelers, and Cincinnati Bengals, and are projected to be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Cleveland will get its first chance to find out what might be in store when it hosts Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football in Week 4. The Browns host the Ravens in Week 6, and then visit the Steelers in Week 8.
Winning any of those games could be a good sign of things to come for the Browns this season and in the years ahead.
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