3 big questions about Cleveland Browns 2023 schedule

The release of the 2023 NFL schedule is for Thursday at 8 pm and the event has seemed to draw more and more interest every year. We've known for months who the Cleveland Browns opponents will be, but the release of the schedule sends fans across the globe and here in Cleveland into a frenzy.

Maybe it's wanting to know when the team is playing a certain rival and whether it will be at the beginning or end of the season. More and more often sports analysts and fans alike enjoy breaking down these schedules once they are released. It can be a lot of fun. However, the hype can be a little too extreme at times.

Browns fans, maybe because the team has struggled a lot also like to give you their instant reactions and record predictions. Most of the time we like to think the team will roll through the season with an impressive 11 or 12 wins. That type of season for Cleveland has only happened once over the past 24 seasons. The 2020 Browns won 11 games and won a playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While the temptation to predict a great season shouldn't be thrown to the side, a reality check should be in order, as we build toward the 2023 campaign. With that as the back story, let's look at three questions that most Cleveland fans have in their minds today as we approach the schedule release.

3. How many primetime games will the Browns get?

Last season the Browns had two primetime games, including a Monday Night Football contest against the Cincinnati Bengals that was played on Halloween. The year before that, they made four appearances on national television. Much of that 2021 season's hype was based on the results from 2020, where they were coming off an 11-5 record.

The last two seasons, Cleveland has struggled and been a sub .500 team, so I won't expect the NFL to do much in the way of putting the Browns out there for all to see. The league doesn't seem to like the signing of quarterback Deshaun Watson either, so that may make this schedule release more of a downer than the previous couple of seasons.

I do think the Browns will get one or maybe two prime games this season. The Browns and New York Jets originally played in the first Monday Night Game back on September 21, 1970, and the two squads are set to play a game in Cleveland again this season, so the chances are good that they match up again on the big stage.

There are also some very good quarterbacks that the Browns will be facing this season that could have a bearing on some of this. The team will face the likes of Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers, and Trevor Lawrence so any one of these games against Cleveland and their quarterback Deshaun Watson could be some "made-for-television" moments.