Cleveland Browns named No. 1 dark horse Super Bowl contender

Cody Williams of NFL Spin Zone named five teams that could be dark-horse Super Bowl contenders and the Cleveland Browns came in at No. 1.

This past season, the Cleveland Browns found plenty of success. They finished with a record of 11-5 and then even knocked off the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Wild Card Round despite their coach being at home due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Cleveland was unable to win their next game, falling to the Kansas City Chiefs by five points. Of course, the Chiefs were the defending NFL champions and also made it back to the big game this season, so a win there would have meant anything is possible for the Browns.

Having said that, it’s not surprising that they find themselves being talked about as a possible contender in 2021. In fact, NFL Spin Zone site expert Cody Williams listed five dark-horse Super Bowl contenders and had Cleveland as the No. 1 team on his list.

Williams touted their solid season in 2020 and pointed out that they could be even better this season with Odell Beckham, Jr. set to return while also saying they have the ability to improve their defense.

"“For starters, the offense should get wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. back in the 2021 season. While his role in the gameplan was heavily criticized prior to his torn ACL, with a full offseason and a positive culture in the locker room, he could be a great boost for the offense. Moreover, the team has the draft capital and some cap space to be aggressive in improving their defense.” — Williams, NFL Spin Zone"

After that, Williams hit on the strides Baker Mayfield made as a starting quarterback in the NFL. The former No. 1 overall pick was fantastic as a rookie but struggled mightily in 2019. A slow start to the 2020 season had some tapping out on him, but the light bulb came on in Week 5 and he was one of the best in the game from then on.

For the first time in Mayfield’s career, he will also be entering camp with the same coach and offensive coordinator that he finished the prior season with. That’s going to be huge for his development.

In the end, there are plenty of reasons to believe the Browns will be contenders.