Browns fans are being accused of thinking last year's playoff appearance was a fluke

Cleveland Browns fans haven't had a whole heck of a lot to cheer about since the team re-joined the NFL world in 1999. They've made the playoffs just three times since then and have won one playoff game.

That said, it shouldn't shock anyone that Browns fans scored low on The Athletic's Hope-O-Meter for the 2024 season. The Browns came in at 28th, making them the fifth-most pessimistic fanbase entering 2024.

While it's true that the Browns haven't been a top-notch franchise since coming back to Cleveland, they are coming off one of their best years. The Browns went 11-6 in 2023 and made the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 season. You'd think that might have some Browns fans drinking the Kool-Aid but that is clearly not the case.

Why are Browns fans so pessimistic about the 2024 season?

The article was kind enough to supply optimists' takes and pessismists' takes. One Browns pessimist noted that he's been a fan of the team long enough to be too optimistic about anything. He also said that Deshaun Watson hasn't accomplished anything since coming to Cleveland (and he's not wrong about that). The other pessimist simply said "God hates the Browns".

On the topic of Watson, he hasn't done anything meaningful since the Browns traded for him in 2022. Watson led the league in passing yards for Houston during the 2020 season but since arriving in Cleveland, he's started 12 games and has been underwhelming during those starts. Considering what the Browns gave up to land him (and what they're paying him), he needs to be better.

It's not all doom-and-gloom from Browns fans though. One optimist points out that the roster has a ton of talent, especially on the defensive side. That same fan does note that the team isn't going to win a Super Bowl with Watson at the helm and is bummed that the Browns are wasting an excellent defense. The other optimist mentions that the expectations for the team are low and that makes him excited for the season because the roster is stacked.

Something that isn't mentioned in any of these comments is that the Browns happen to reside in the toughest division in the NFL. All four teams finished with winning records in 2023 and only the Bengals were on the outside looking in when playoff time rolled around. Well, this year, the Bengals will play a last place schedule and have Joe Burrow back and healthy.

The AFC North is the reason why Browns fans should be pessimistic about the season but the same could be said for last year and look how well they did. This is clearly a case of the team underwhelming for most of their existence and hopefully, the Browns outperform what is expected of them.