The 2020 schedule dropped Thursday night and Cleveland Browns fans immediately began playing the schedule game.
That game consists of picking the wins and losses throughout the year and usually settling on a win total of 9-7 or 10-6.
There is nothing better than optimism this time of year.
So let’s join in on the predictions and figure out which games the Browns will win and which ones they will unfortunately lose.
Games the Browns Win
Should we say 16-0 and leave it at that?
The Browns have one of the “easiest” schedules based on projections.
The #Browns 2020 schedule is here! pic.twitter.com/uEqWVzp6EL
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 7, 2020
Fans of the team know that these projections don’t often mean much once the season begins.
Let’s begin by predicting the Browns win both games over the Cincinnati Bengals.
That includes the home opener, which will be played on a Thursday night.
The other team in Ohio is still rebuilding and Joe Burrow should struggle as a rookie.
The Browns should take both contests and if not, Kevin Stefanski is in trouble.
When we see our home opener is on primetime … pic.twitter.com/zVVWHqHrhI
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 7, 2020
It should also be safe to say the Browns take down the Washington Redskins in Week 3 and the Indianapolis Colts in Week 5.
Nothing is “safe” when it comes to the Browns.
However, we are still talking about a team stacked with talent that just had some horrendous coaching in 2019.
Chase Young can’t save the Redskins and a Colts team with Philip Rivers at quarterback is nowhere near as deadly as one piloted by Andrew Luck or Peyton Manning.
That sets us at four right now.
Games against the Las Vegas Raiders and the Jacksonville Jaguars are where we find our next two wins.
The Raiders game being in Cleveland helps, along with the fact it is tough to believe that Derek Carr has much of a future with the team.
The Jaguars are still a bit of a disaster and should not drastically improve with Gardner Minshew in a full-time role with no veteran presence mentoring him.
Now we are at six.
WAY-TOO-EARLY SCHEDULE GAME! CC: @KenCarman
@ Ravens- L
vs. Bengals- W
vs. Redskins- W
@ Cowboys- L
vs. Colts- W
@ Steelers- L
@ Bengals- W
vs. Raiders- L
vs. Texans- W
vs. Eagles- L
@ Jaguars- W
@ Titans- L
vs. Ravens- L
@ Giants- W
@ Jets- W
vs. Steelers- L8-8. #Browns
— Hayden Grove (@H_Grove) May 8, 2020
That matches the win total from the entire 2019 season.
The bold prediction in this schedule game is that the Browns finish the year on a three-game win streak against the New York Giants, New York Jets, and Pittsburgh Steelers.
The boldest part of that is the Browns taking down the Steelers at home in Week 17.
Maybe this is the year the team actually found a competent coach who can prevent a terrible slide at the end of the season.
We can hope.
Such a streak would take the Browns from 6-7 to 9-7 and possibly into the postseason for the first time since 2002.
Games the Browns Lose
This projection has the Browns losing both games to the Baltimore Ravens and the game at Pittsburgh.
There are your easy first three.
Even though the Browns did take down the Ravens in 2019 it is difficult to project the same happening in 2020.
As for Pittsburgh, the Browns winning there has remained elusive.
Skips to 1:05.. L O L! #KeepSleeping https://t.co/IRxxVRze3N
— Mack Wilson (@5mackwilson1) May 8, 2020
The other four projected losses come against tough teams.
The first two are against NFC East foes in the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
The next two come against AFC South teams in the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans.
All these outcomes leaves the Browns with a record of 9-7.
What is this based on?
Nothing, to be honest.
The Browns have finished with at least nine wins exactly twice since 1999 and have made the postseason once.
Season-to-season projections are tough to make in general and predicting three divisional losses is taking the conservative approach.
The Browns could easily be 10-6 and 11-5 if the team lives up to its potential.
Then again, 4-12 and 5-11 are all too familiar marks for Browns fans.
What is your record prediction for the season?
Referring to the Browns prediction of beating the Bengals twice. If it doesn’t happen please don’t say that Kevin Stefanski is in trouble. We don’t need another another reboot, as in another one and done coach if he stumbles a little in his first year as a head coach.
The key to the CV playoffs would be beating the Steelers once and then beating either Houston or Tenn. One or both with the other projected wins would be a playoff wildcard. They likely will need to beat out one of those two teams for a wildcard.