Cleveland Browns predicted to finish last in their division in 2022

In a recent subscriber piece, USA Today predicted the Cleveland Browns would finish last in the AFC North, winning just six games in 2022

Better get used to it Cleveland Browns fans, this team is no longer getting the love.

As soon as general manager Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski signed off on the trade for the controversial Deshaun Watson, the criticism started rolling in — and it’s not going to stop simply at Watson.

Since Cleveland gave Watson a shot despite his off-field allegations, their entire organization is now under more scrutiny. Berry and Stefanski are no longer seen as the brilliant men they were a couple of years ago and the rest of the players no longer get the attention they deserve.

This is why when USA Today predicted every record in the NFL this season, they had Cleveland finishing fourth in the AFC North, with a record of 6-11.

The reasoning behind this prediction is the expectation that Watson will be suspended for a big part of the 2022 season. That might very well be the case, but even with Jacoby Brissett starting in his place, that feels like a low spot.

Sure, if Brissett starts all year, the Browns will have a hard time keeping up with the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals. This isn’t a hot take, because even with Watson, those teams will be a problem.

However, the Pittsburgh Steelers have quarterback concerns of their own. They’re trying to decide between Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett this season, which isn’t desirable for them. To act as though they will have a winning season despite those questions but the Browns will be 6-11 feels odd.

Cleveland has a deep roster well beyond their quarterback, which includes Nick Chubb, Amari Cooper, David Njoku, Kareem Hunt, Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.

Even if Brissett starts all 17 games, this should be a team hovering around 500, not 6-11.