The Cleveland Browns may be coming off a 1-15 season, but the 2017 schedule allows for an improved record in the second year of the rebuild.
Cleveland Browns fans are an optimistic bunch. So much so, it shouldn’t be too hard to find some fans who believe this team is playoff bound in 2017. Sounds crazy, but there are some hardcore believers out there.
Looking at the schedule has become an annual practice of boosting optimism, even though it is an impossible game to play.
Will the Browns win any division games? Can they win on the road? The questions are tough to answer given how inconsistent this team has been over the past two decades. Even when the team is bad, they usually find ways to pick up some surprising victories.
But the guessing game will continue in 2017 with yet another new team and new set of opponents to take on in the fall.
And since it is a slow June, I will join in on the fun and look at five games the Browns should win during the upcoming season. As you will notice, there are no division games on the list. So if they win all five and pick up some division wins, it could be a fun season.
Sorry, my optimism is showing.
Week 5: Browns vs. Jets
The Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets is not exactly a high-profile matchup. The Jets are openly tanking, while the Browns are coming off a 1-15 season. How intriguing!
The Jets may even be led by Josh McCown, which would give some sort of storyline to make this game interesting. However, this should be a game in which the Browns are favorites to win.
The Jets have been shedding talent this offseason in an apparent attempt to secure the number one overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. And while the Browns aren’t contenders this year, they got that horrible season out of the way in 2016. Now it’s the Jets’ turn.
This game is being played in Cleveland for the second season in a row, although the Jets come in with much less talent this year. If you recall, the Browns held a 20-7 halftime lead over the Jets in 2016, only to lose by the score of 31-28 to remain winless.
But the Jets won’t have Ryan Fitzpatrick and Brandon Marshall this year to save them. This game is going to be won by the Browns, and may be the first victory of the season.
Week 8: Browns vs. Vikings in London
Like a famous rock band, the Browns are heading to London to play against the Minnesota Vikings at Wembley. Should be the same sort of reaction.
The Vikings are an interesting team, starting the season 5-0 in 2016 only to finish 8-8 with Sam Bradford at the helm. Add in the loss of Adrian Peterson to the New Orleans Saints and it is tough to forecast how the Vikings will do this year.
But let’s talk about why the Browns will win this game. The team will be in the spotlight for the only time all season, for those who wake up to watch, and will play up to the occasion. Hue Jackson will prepare the team for the big moment and the players will respond with a big win.
The athletic, young defense will get to Bradford all game, with Myles Garrett showing off his abilities on a major stage. That is, if he can stay healthy.
A win in London may not mean the Browns are going to finish with a winning record, but it would do well for the franchise’s overall brand and could lead to picking up some fans in England.
Week 11: Browns vs. Jaguars
A Browns game against the Jacksonville Jaguars is another matchup that won’t draw much interest outside the two fanbases. Yet while it won’t be a primetime game, it will be a win for the Browns.
The Jaguars are in a similar spot as the Browns, with both teams seemingly on the upswing every few years, only to bottom out and start over when things go bad.
The Jaguars added Leonard Fournette in the NFL Draft, but a 3-13 season one year ago doesn’t set this team up for too much success in 2017. Blake Bortles may be receiving his final chance, and a loss against the Browns may be enough for him to lose his job for good.
The team did add Tom Coughlin to the front office this offseason, but it will take some time for his expertise to lead to victories. The Browns are one step ahead of the Jaguars in the process of turning around, which will give the Browns another victory in 2017.
The Browns defense will force Bortles to turn the ball over several times, while the group will make a statement by shutting down Fournette in front of the home fans.
Week 13: Browns at Chargers
Two weeks after beating the Jaguars, the Browns will head to take on the Los Angeles Chargers in the soccer stadium they will call home for several years.
While it may be embarrassing to admit, the Chargers will be looking for some redemption after going down as the only team to lose to the Browns in 2016.
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Both teams will be out of playoff contention by this point, setting up a similar situation seen a year ago. And if the 0-14 Browns from a year ago could beat a competent Chargers team, expect this talent-infused Browns team to make another statement.
The fact this game is being played in Week 13 means the Browns may be on a second or third starting quarterback, but hopefully any such move is done to improve the team’s chances of winning as opposed to being made out of necessity due to injuries. Perhaps DeShone Kizer makes a name for himself in Los Angeles.
Just imagine, Kizer shows up Philip Rivers who proceeds to stomp around and whine at his own offense. It will truly be a sight to behold.
Week 16: Browns at Bears
Christmas Eve will feature football in 2017 as the Browns head to Chicago to take on the Bears. This game likely won’t be important in terms of either team fighting for the playoffs, but it will receive a high TV rating in Cleveland if Mitch Trubisky starts for the Bears.
The Mentor, Ohio native isn’t projected to be the team’s Week 1 starter, but it will be hard to imagine the Bears sticking with Mike Glennon all season unless he leads a miraculous playoff run. Given he does not, Trubisky will get to play against his hometown team.
Unfortunately for him, the Bears may be playing for draft position by Week 16, meaning a hopefully healthy Browns team can head to Chicago and pick up an easy win.
This game, for once, will be won by the Browns due to having better talent, while the Bears are headed for a rebuild of their own.
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So given the Browns win at least four of these five games, along with some others, fans should be in for a tolerable season of watching Browns football. One win against the Pittsburgh Steelers would be nice. One can dream.