5 Bold Cleveland Browns predictions after bye week
By Leon West
2. The team will finish the season 9-1, 11-5 overall, and win the division
The Browns have had a rough start, but their schedule has been brutal. Their encounters with the NFC West have done them no favors. The combined record of their three opponents from the division is 12-4, and they’ve gone winless against them.
They lost to a Tennessee Titans team that was motivated to dispel the offseason hype during the home opener. But their remaining schedule seems much more manageable.
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The Browns come out of the bye to face the defending Super Bowl champions New England Patriots. After that, they have winnable games against the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills before heading into a stretch against teams with a combined record of 4-18-1.
Four of those games are against winless division rival the Cincinnati Bengals and another division mate in the Pittsburgh Steelers that are down to their third-string quarterback.
The Browns will be favored in most of the games after the bye week and will be able to capitalize on some lowly teams. Mayfield will bounce back, and Garrett will lead the charge for the defense to be one of the most dominant units in the league. The team will get hot and start clicking on all cylinders heading into their first playoff game since 2002.