The Cleveland Browns are 2-1 and fans are feeling the hype, but they might need to temper expectations for these three reasons
Heading into Week 4, the Cleveland Browns are 2-1 and tied for first place in the AFC North. This has naturally led to a lot of excitement among the fan base, but it’s probably wise to keep expectations in check.
This doesn’t mean fans shouldn’t enjoy the wins, but the 2-1 start (which was supposed to be 3-0 given the schedule) has led to some wild takes including those who want Jacoby Brissett to remain the starter even when Deshaun Watson returns.
With that being said, let’s look at why we should enjoy the early success while not pretending a Super Bowl berth is around the corner.
3 reasons to pump the brakes on Cleveland Browns hype
3. Injuries are mounting
Year after year, the Browns have one of the most extensive injury lists in the NFL and that’s been the case once again in 2022.
Their latest in-game injury was Anthony Walker, who was placed on the IR where he joins Chase Winovich, Nick Harris, Greedy Williams, and Jakeem Grant.
Cleveland is fortunate to have some depth behind Walker with Jacob Phillips stepping in but he too has had some injury concerns throughout his career. But they’re not as fortunate at other spots, such as defensive end, where they’re already without Winovich, had Jadeveon Clowney miss Week 3 and are waiting to see if Myles Garrett can return from a car accident to play this weekend.
They’ve managed this far but eventually, the injuries could be a major issue.
2. Early opponents are a combined 3-6
When the schedule was released, Cleveland was being penciled in as 4-0 for the month of September.
The expectation was for them to handle Baker Mayfield and the Carolina Panthers easily but they needed a 15-yard penalty and 58-yard kick from Cade York to escape with a win. Then they were supposed to shore up their concerns against the New York Jets but they suffered a shocking loss in the final minutes as the defense struggled to close the game out.
Their first complete win came against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football but it was still far from perfect. T.J. Watt — the NFL Defensive Player of the Year from 2021 — was out and Mitch Trubisky missed several passes to open players that aided the victory. This is without even discussing how Diontae Johnson had his way with Denzel Ward all night.
Even with the issues the opponents have had, Cleveland has had two games come down to the wire, which isn’t what’s expected from a team ready to contend for the title in a tough division.
Again, this doesn’t mean not to enjoy the ride. Jacoby Brissett and the Browns are doing what they have to. They’re staying on the right side of 500 as they try to stay in the race for a Wild Card spot when Watson returns.
1. The schedule get immensely tougher after October
As mentioned earlier, the Browns had four games they were supposed to win out of the gate. So far, they dropped one which means they’re going to be 3-1 at best in September. Then, things get tough for them.
After Atlanta, they play the Los Angeles Chargers, New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before Watson comes back to face the Texans.
It’s likely they find a couple of wins in there, especially with Brian Hoyer starting for the Pats and Justin Herbert playing with a rib injury, but Cleveland will surely be the underdog in almost every one of those games.
In that stretch, they play the defending AFC Champions (who are better than their record indicates even if we don’t want them to be), as well as the Super Bowl winner from the 2020 season in Tampa Bay. There’s also the Bills led by Josh Allen who is one of the early favorites for MVP while the team is a popular pick for the Super Bowl this year.
Throw in the undefeated Dolphins and the Ravens — who have always been an issue with Lamar Jackson under center — and this will be a massive test. Again, enjoy the early success but don’t buy the hype that this team is ready to compete for a title just yet — and Brissett isn’t taking a job from their $230 million quarterback that could turn them into contenders.