ESPN analyst Peter Schrager said what all fans of the Cleveland Browns were thinking following the announcement of their 2026 schedule. The Browns may be good enough to win some games, Schrager said, but they should be careful not to win so many games that it affects their chances to land a franchise quarterback early in the 2027 NFL Draft.
“Let’s be competitive,” Schrager framed as the team’s perceived mindset, “let’s give our fans reason for optimism, and let’s not be too good this year — because our future quarterback might be playing college football on Saturdays.”
Let’s be real — the Browns aren’t yet strategizing for a draft that’s 340 days away. That would be a major slap in the face to new head coach Todd Monken, who certainly didn’t wait his whole life to be an NFL head coach just to sit back and accept mediocrity.
Given their improvements this offseason, the Browns should be a much better football team this year. And while their 2026 schedule looks a lot more difficult now than originally expected, it’s riddled with opportunity — and that could lead to Cleveland being the league’s biggest surprise teams of the 2026 season.
It’s still May, but why not? Here’s a game-by-game prediction for the Browns, and why fans might not have to wait long to see their team return to playoff contention.
Despite the national narratives, the Browns have a legitimate path to 10 wins in 2026
Week 1: at Jacksonville Jaguars (2025 record: 13-4)
This might’ve been the Browns’ worst-case Week 1 scenario. From the Florida heat, to Jacksonville’s home opener, to Monken’s first game as an NFL head coach, this one feels like a scheduled loss. No argument here.
Verdict: Loss
(Projected record: 0-1)
Week 2: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2025 record: 8-9)
Well, so much for that “easy” schedule everyone was yammering on about before the official dates and times were finalized and announced. Browns fans knew a date with Baker Mayfield was coming in 2026. They just didn’t want it to come in Week 2. Back-to-back road trips to Florida in September? Gross.
Verdict: Loss
(Projected record: 0-2)
Week 3: vs. Carolina Panthers (2025 record: 8-9)
The Panthers pulled off quite the feat last season, qualifying for the NFC playoffs despite finishing with a losing record and a negative-69 point differential. They were also 3-6 on the road last year. The Browns should be hungry for some home cooking in what could easily be a matchup of 0-2 teams. Cleveland should be favored in this one.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 1-2)
Week 4: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (2025 record: 10-7)
A primetime game in Cleveland! It hasn’t happened since 2024 — when the Browns, quarterbacked by Jameis Winston, defeated the Steelers, 24-19, on a late 2-yard plunge by Nick Chubb in heavy snow.
The Dawg Pound should be rocking on Thursday Night Football, and for good reason. The Browns are the younger football team right now with arguably better talent. Getting the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers at home on a short week feels like a gift, and it’s one the NFL owed Cleveland after sending them to Florida for two weeks.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 2-2)
Week 5: at New York Jets (2025 record: 3-14)
This is a much-needed rematch for Cleveland. The Browns traveled to MetLife Stadium last year to play the 1-7 Jets and promptly surrendered punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns — in the first quarter. Three teams should be vying for the top-three picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Browns aren’t one of them. The Jets definitely are. Cleveland rolls off a mini-bye week.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 3-2)
Week 6: at Baltimore Ravens (2025 record: 8-9)
The NFL has 10 teams breaking in new head coaches this season. Jesse Minter isn’t being treated like one, though. The national media seems to believe that Baltimore, minus John Harbaugh and some key 2025 starters like center Tyler Linderbaum, tight end Isaiah Likely, and edge Dre’Mont Jones, will continue to occupy their perch on or around the top spot in the AFC North.
Will Baltimore’s dominance over the Browns continue in the post-Harbaugh era? Probably, but this could be a closer-than-expected game that starts to shift the narrative around the Browns.
Verdict: Loss
(Projected record: 3-3)
Week 7: at Tennessee Titans (2025 record: 3-14)
The Browns dropped a frustrating home game to the Titans in 2025, surrendering over 160 rushing yards to Tony Pollard. They were probably the better team then. This year, they could feasibly enter this one as road favorites in Nashville.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 4-3)
Week 8: at Pittsburgh Steelers (2025 record: 10-7)
This will be another great spot for the Browns, as they’ll head to Pittsburgh with the Steelers fresh off a trip to Paris to play the Saints in Week 7. Cleveland hasn’t swept a regular-season series with the Steelers in the expansion era of its franchise. You better believe that streak could end in 2026.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 5-3)
Week 9: at New Orleans Saints (2025 record: 6-11)
The Saints aren’t getting enough buzz as a sneaky threat to win the NFC South this year. They fell two points shy of closing last season with five consecutive wins. They also added some new weapons for head coach Kellen Moore’s offense in tantalizing rookie wide receiver Jordyn Tyson and veteran running back Travis Etienne. This game will be played indoors at Caesars Superdome with the Saints coming off a bye. Tough spot for Cleveland.
Verdict: Loss
(Projected record: 5-4)
Week 10: vs. Houston Texans (2025 record: 12-5)
The Browns opted not to address the top of their quarterback depth chart this offseason. This is the kind of matchup that could exploit that puzzling decision. It definitely helps to face Houston outdoors in Cleveland, but this game would look a lot better on the schedule in mid-December than mid-November. Houston will be comfortable playing a defensive slog.
Verdict: Loss
(Projected record: 5-5)
Week 11: Bye
This bye week could not be timed more perfectly, as three straight road games, followed by Houston at home, could be a make-or-break stretch for the Browns. If they can be at or around .500 through the first 10 games, they’ll be firmly in the playoff hunt down the stretch. At 5-5 in this hypothetical, they’re living in a best-case scenario.
Week 12: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (2025 record: 3-14)
Will it be Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza at quarterback for the Raiders in this game? It shouldn’t matter with the Browns coming off extended rest. Defensively, they match up extremely well with the Raiders’ personnel.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 6-5)
Week 13: vs. Cincinnati Bengals (2025 record: 6-11)
Are the Bengals for real entering 2026? It’s fair to have serious doubts, but their moves to improve the defense are impossible to ignore. If their key additions like Dexter Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Bryan Cook can make life difficult for opposing offenses, Cincinnati could be as good as any team in the league (as long as Joe Burrow stays healthy).
Verdict: Loss
(Projected record: 6-6)
Week 14: vs. Atlanta Falcons (2025 record: 8-9)
Browns fans could not have drawn this one up any better. The dream scenario was for Kevin Stefanski to have to bring his team to Cleveland late in the season, and the schedule gods came through. The Browns will host the Falcons on Dec. 13.
It should be an extremely tough spot for Stefanski’s team that plays its home games in a dome. The atmosphere inside Huntington Bank Stadium should be awesome for this one.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 7-6)
Week 15: at New York Giants (2025 record: 4-13)
The Monken-Harbaugh Bowl actually comes at an excellent time for Cleveland. The Browns will be fresh off a five-week stretch where they play four home games sandwiched around a bye. The Giants? They drew a brutal gauntlet starting around the season's midpoint. Prior to Cleveland, they’ll be at the Eagles, home vs. both the Commanders and Jaguars, at Indianapolis, home vs. the 49ers, and then back on the road cross-country to play the Seahawks. The Browns could be right in the thick of the AFC playoff hunt. The Giants could already be cooked by this point of their schedule.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 8-6)
Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens (2025 record: 8-9)
Are the Ravens being overrated? Yes, that’s probably true. But they’ve owned the Browns and still have the superior roster at this point. A trip to Baltimore two days after Christmas Day won't be a picnic.
Verdict: Loss
(Projected record: 8-7)
Week 17: vs. Indianapolis Colts (2025 record: 8-9)
This was a nice draw for the Browns, getting Indianapolis at home in early January. Cleveland should be able to win this one on defense. They shouldn’t need many sacks from Myles Garrett, either. They just need to contain Jonathan Taylor and the Colts’ rushing attack.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 9-7)
Week 18: at Cincinnati Bengals (2025 record: 6-11)
The Browns were able to win at Cincinnati in Week 18 last year, and their chances of repeating that feat could hinge on a number of factors. Like Cleveland, the Bengals will face one of the NFL’s easiest schedules based on their opponents’ combined 2025 win percentages. They have an early Week 6 bye, however, and could be looking to rest starters in the final week of the regular season if a playoff spot has already been secured.
Either way, the Browns should be able to split with Cincinnati this year as they’ve proven to be a tough matchup for Zac Taylor and the Bengals over the years.
Verdict: Win
(Projected record: 10-7)
The Browns may be much closer to playoff contention than the NFL realizes
The NFL world doesn't have Cleveland on its radar right now. The Browns are expected to struggle behind poor quarterback play and ultimately land another premium, top-five draft pick for 2027.
The reality is that the Browns have a clear path to the AFC playoffs, as long as Monken can get average quarterback play, and the team can find four or five wins over its rough 10-game stretch to start the season.
Cleveland has a number of home games and good spots down the stretch to make some serious noise. If the Browns can carry over the momentum from their strong offseason into September, they have a chance to surprise some people right out of the gate.
Even if they start 0-2, it’s not far-fetched to say that the Browns could finish 10-7 in the regular season and qualify for the playoffs in 2026.
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