The Cleveland Browns were in line for an easier schedule in 2025 coming off a last-place finish in the AFC North.
Cleveland’s start to this season is anything but easy, however.
The Browns open with back-to-back division rivals, facing the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens to open the campaign.
Cleveland will follow that with three straight games against NFC North opponents who made the playoffs last season: the Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings.
In particular, analyst Tim Bielik believes Cleveland will struggle with the middle game during that difficult stretch, pointing to the Week 4 matchup at Detroit.
“This might be the one game on the schedule where the Browns have the worst odds of winning. They just don’t have the proven offensive firepower to keep up with Detroit in a track meet, although most teams don’t either,” Bielik wrote. “The best hope the Browns might have is that their game is a short turnaround for Detroit because it travels to Baltimore in Week 3 on a Monday night. It might make the game closer, but the Browns might have to play a perfect game to pull off a shocker and win in Ford Field.”
Last season, Detroit was the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs, but the Lions were upset by the Washington Commanders in the Divisional Round.
Cleveland’s offense in 2024 was nowhere near as potent as Washington’s, finishing with the worst scoring average in the NFL.
The Browns fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey in the offseason, and head coach Kevin Stefanski will revert to play-calling duties as first-year coordinator Tommy Rees implements a run-oriented scheme.
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