Are the 2021 Cleveland Browns make or break?

Stakes are higher than ever for the Cleveland Browns ahead of the 2021 NFL season. The Browns and Baker Mayfield face a make or break season.

Think back to the 2019 offseason, the Cleveland Browns were the talk of the league, for good reasons. Baker Mayfield was coming off of a record-breaking rookie season and the franchise was making seemingly good free agent moves.

Yet, the buzz of the Browns being “all that” and Super Bowl contenders died quickly when the team was overwhelmed with losses and drama while being led by newly hired head coach Freddie Kitchens. Now, 2 years later, the talk about the Browns being “that team” has returned, and may be more warranted than ever before.

If you’ve turned on any sports talk show, radio show, podcast, etc. during this off season you’ve likely heard everyone talking about Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns. Rightfully so, the Browns have one of the most talented rosters in the league.

That is on paper though. Many would argue that flashy stats don’t always win football games. Yet, the Browns remain the talk of the league, especially after coming off of the team’s first winning season since 2007 and the first playoff appearance since 2002.

A large majority of the talk around the league centers around the recent and continued success of the Browns’ starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield. Baker has arguably one of the most loaded up offensives which includes a slue of weapons at wide receiver, tight end, and most importantly the best “one-two punch” in the league at running back.

The defense in the 2020 season was the major area of concern for the team, and was one thing they knew needed fix during the offseason. So what did Andrew Berry and the team do to strengthen their biggest weakness?

They went out and got after several defense players to load up and fill the gaping holes. By adding players like Damion Square, Jadevon Clowney, and Troy Hill, as well as drafting several defensive players, the Browns tried their hand at fixing the holes that were extremely noticeable in the 2020 season.

So what do the Browns need to do in order to meet the expectations that are building leading up to the start of the season?

After ending the playoff drought and then spending the offseason patching nearly every weakness on both sides of the ball, all that is expected of the Browns is to win games. Fans and the media aren’t asking much. With one of the most talented rosters in the league and a pretty solid coaching staff, asking the Browns to win games is a pretty basic expectation.

Just winning games isn’t going to be enough to please fans or the media, and quite frankly the expectations shouldn’t end there. The Cleveland Browns have no reason not to more than just a playoff spot contender in 2021. By no means is it appropriate to assume that the Browns will win a Super Bowl, but it is absolutely appropriate to assume that they should be no less than AFC Championship contenders.

Frankly, if the Cleveland Browns and Baker Mayfield are anything less than the Kansas City Chief’s biggest threat, the season will be a letdown to everyone involved.

The 2021 NFL season will be make or break for Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns.