Preseason predictions have a short shelf life in the NFL. A month of football is usually enough to expose the teams that were overrated and reward the ones nobody believed in. When a national analyst openly admits his view has shifted, it says something about how convincing that start has been. The Browns have earned that kind of reversal from at least one corner of the national media.
Ben Arthur of FOX Sports believes the Browns will be a playoff-caliber team.
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but … yes, I see the Browns returning to the playoffs this season. And it’s not because I think they’re a top AFC contender. But Cleveland has given itself a great cushion with a 3-1 start, and veteran NFL offensive coordinator Todd Monken is apparently the kind of head coach the franchise needed. The Browns are in the always-tough AFC North, but don’t be surprised to see them in position to control their destiny down the stretch,” Arthur wrote.
He listed the Bills, Ravens, Bengals, Jaguars, Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders as teams that look more formidable over the long haul, so his prediction is less about the Browns being elite and more about the head start they have built.
That cushion matters in a league where 7 teams from each conference reach the postseason. Banking 3 wins in the first month means Cleveland does not need to be dominant the rest of the way, only consistent.
His point about controlling their destiny ties to the schedule. The Browns already own a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they still have 2 games apiece against Baltimore and Cincinnati. Winning those head-to-head matchups would go a long way toward deciding the division.
Todd Monken has been the steadying force. The former Ravens offensive coordinator is no stranger to Cleveland after holding the same role with the Browns in 2019, and his first season as a head coach has been defined by how his team responded to the Week 1 blowout.
The Ravens game on October 18 will carry extra meaning for him. Monken will be facing Lamar Jackson and an offense he knows inside and out.
The quarterback play is a reason for optimism. Deshaun Watson ranks 6th in the league with a 69.6% completion rate, and his 3 straight game-winning drives are the longest such streak of his career.
The supporting cast is young but productive. Denzel Boston leads the team with 284 receiving yards, while 2nd-year tight end Harold Fannin Jr. has 153 and first-round pick KC Concepcion has added 144.
A trip to face the New York Jets this Sunday is the next opportunity, and with Baltimore arriving a week later, the Browns have a chance to turn a hot start into a firm grip on their own fate.
NEXT: Jared Verse Sends Clear Message About Deshaun Watson
