Cleveland Browns record prediction ahead of Week 1 contest

The Cleveland Browns, one of the league’s best all-around teams, are bound for greatness with a loaded roster and the coach of the year to lead the way.

The Cleveland Browns are no longer looking to sneak into the playoffs this year. They already achieved that goal last season when they beat the Steelers in the Wild Card round by a score of 48-37.

Cleveland then got beat at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City the next weekend which ended their historic campaign. It was the first time the Browns had made the postseason in 18 years, and the first time they won a playoff game since 1994.

The Browns are only looking to build off of last season but head coach Kevin Stefanski and company are not worried about expectations. Rather the reigning coach of the year will just be taking it one game at a time.

The Browns are getting wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr back this season and he is expected to have himself a nice bounce-back season this year after suffering a season-ending knee injury in his 2020 campaign.

On October 25th, Beckham went down on one of the first plays of the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. After an MRI, it was later revealed that he had torn his ACL and would require surgery, therefore, ending his season. He has been working extremely hard in attacking his rehab this offseason and is ready to get back at it.

Beckham has yet to consistently produce on the field for the Browns. In his first season in Cleveland, he finished with 74 receptions for 1,035 yards and 4 touchdowns. After a down year for Beckham Jr, in 2020, there were signs pointing towards improvement.

There was a growing belief that for the first time in Cleveland, he and Baker Mayfield had finally developed a natural chemistry with each other. That was quickly brought to a halt when Beckham Jr went down with a torn ACL.

As long as the Browns offense picks up exactly where it left off last year, there should be no concerns from that side of the ball and quarterback Baker Mayfield should be able to successfully lead the team to another winning season.

The key that will be the difference-maker this season is the defense. Andrew Berry went out of his way this offseason to stack the defense.

Here are some of the key defensive players that Berry brought to Cleveland: John Johnson, Jadeveon Clowney, Troy Hill, Anthony Walker, Takkarist McKinley, Greg Newsome (rookie), and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (rookie).

Final Record Prediction: 12-5

As long as the defensive talent can turn into production on the field, the Browns are going to be a scary team to play. If a well-above-average defense can complement an elite offense, Browns fans should get used to the words “Browns” and “Super Bowl” being used in the same sentence.