The Cleveland Browns should be better next season.
They should have won more than three games, but a series of unfortunate events plagued them last season.
That’s why the front office still gave Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry a vote of confidence and brought them back for another season.
However, their work will be cut out for them from day one.
While the Browns should be better next year, so will the rest of the AFC.
At least, that’s how NFL analyst Jeff Phelps feels.
Talking on 92.3 The Fan, he argued that as exciting as this AFC Championship Game playoff matchup is, it also reminds us of how difficult it will be to win the conference in the years to come.
"I'm left sitting here, looking at the AFC and thinking, 'great, that's going to be a phenomenal matchup' and 'man is this just nasty for the #Browns. Those teams aren't going away." 🏈
🎙️Jeff Phelps to @Thesportsfeller on @CLETalkingHeads
🔊Full audio: https://t.co/f6rjdzpiqC pic.twitter.com/iz1rC67T8N
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) January 20, 2025
He believes that the Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs won’t go away anytime soon, and the same goes for the Baltimore Ravens.
That’s one way to look at it.
But the fact is that you have to beat the best to be the best, and while the Browns are still a tier or two below some of the best teams in the NFL, we’ve seen teams turn things around after just a couple of moves.
The Washington Commanders won four games last season.
Now, they’re in the NFC Championship Game after winning two road games in the playoffs.
It’s not going to be easy; there will be bumps in the road, but there’s no reason to believe this team can’t go through a similar turnaround.
NEXT: Browns Insider Reveals Kevin Stefanski's Biggest Challenge This Offseason