It's finally here. The Cleveland Browns had another epic video release to unveil their 2024 schedule, which means we're that much closer to football coming back.
Cleveland made light of Lamar Jackson's bathroom usage and even brought us back to Big Ben crying on the sideline as they went through their opponents in 2024. Now, we take an early look with a game-by-game score prediction.
Week 1: Browns vs Cowboys, Sep. 8
The last time these two teams faced off, it was full of highlight-reel plays. Cleveland jumped out to a 41-14 lead heading into the fourth quarter but the Cowboys made it interesting when they scored 24 points in the final 15 minutes. It wasn’t enough as the Browns won in Dallas by a score of 49-38.
Playing in Cleveland should be different and both teams come in boasting impressive defensive units. Dallas was incredibly quiet in free agency but knocked the draft out of the park. They also could look wise for bringing back Ezekiel Elliott, who finished 2023 strong with the New England Patriots.
Cleveland should be able to get pressure on Dak Prescott throughout the day but they’re not going to be able to slow down Micah Parsons. Deshaun Watson also has a knack for ill-timed picks which plays into the hands of Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland. Dallas wins a nail-biter.
Final score: Cowboys 27, Browns 24
Week 2: Browns at Jaguars, Sept. 15
The Browns went to Jacksonville in Week 14 and knocked off the Jaguars, 31-27. It was just the second start for Joe Flacco and his first of four wins in a row. It also continued the free fall for the Jags who missed the playoffs despite a strong start.
In this rematch, Trevor Lawrence will be looking for some revenge but it’s becoming increasingly difficult to believe in this team. They'll be on a roller coaster again in 2024 and the Browns catch them on one of the lows and steal another close game.
Final Score: Browns 33, Jaguars 31
Week 3: Browns vs. Giants, Sep. 22
Daniel Jones struggled to win when he had Saquon Barkley doing the heavy lifting in 2023. Now, he has Devin Singletary. This won't be a recipe for success and the Browns make it look easy.
Final Score: Browns 27, Giants 9
Week 4: Browns at Raiders, Sept. 29
Gardner Minshew was under center for the Colts in 2023 when the Browns handed Indy a loss in an exciting shootout. That one came down to the final seconds but that’s not likely to be the case this time.
Minshew is now leading the Las Vegas Raiders who don’t boast a lot of talent outside of Davante Adams on offense. This appears to be one of those games where Myles Garrett will rack up a couple of sacks and the secondary will record multiple interceptions. This one should see the starters resting by the fourth quarter.
Final score: Browns 38, Raiders 17
December Record: 3-1
Overall Record: 3-1
Week 5: Browns at Commanders, Oct. 6
The Washington Commanders are ushering in a new era under head coach Dan Quinn. He added several free agents, including Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler, Jr., who played for him in Dallas.
Under center, Quinn turns to rookie Jayden Daniels, who had a great finish at LSU. He could wind up finally being their answer at quarterback but there will be growing pains as a rookie. Look for the Commanders to keep it close for a while thanks to their pass rush but eventually, the Cleveland defense forces a couple of mistakes and this one becomes a track meet by the fourth quarter.
Final Score: Browns 37, Commanders 20
Week 6: Browns at Eagles, Oct. 13
There was a time when it appeared the Cleveland Browns and Philadelphia Eagles would start the season against one another in the first-ever game played in Brazil. That’s not what happened, however, as it ended up being the Eagles and Green Bay Packers facing off in the historic matchup.
Cleveland instead takes on the Eagles in Philly, which is a tough place to play. This was the No. 1 team in the league at one point in 2023 but they had a free-fall to close out the season. Don’t bet on that remaining the case this year as they get back on track. In this one, Jalen Hurts proves to be able to do too much with his legs as he leads his team to a win.
Final score: Eagles 31, Browns 23
Week 7: Browns vs. Bengals, Oct. 20
Last year, Cincinnati Bengals fans ripped on Cleveland fans relentlessly. As soon as it was announced the two teams would square off in Week 1, the trash talk hit an all-time high. They ignored the fact that Joe Burrow was 1-4 against the Browns coming into the game and had excuses for every loss.
Once the game took place, their tune changed. Suddenly, that contest meant nothing because the Browns won and Burrow’s bum calf was the latest reason to shrug it off.
Hopefully, Burrow will be 100 percent this time because when he falls to 1-6, the fans won’t be able to explain it away. They can still say it was Cleveland’s “Super Bowl” and act like it doesn’t matter — but it’s going to eat away at them in the worst way.
Final score: Browns 23, Bengals 19
Week 8: Browns vs Ravens, Oct. 27
The final time we saw Deshaun Watson in 2023 was easily his best game with the Browns. He had a dominant second-half performance, leading Cleveland to a come-from-behind win. That was the last meaningful loss in the regular season for the Ravens, who won six in a row before resting starters in Week 18.
Still favored to win the AFC North, they're going to want to enact some revenge on the Browns and they're able to do that in their first meeting of the year. Baltimore walks away with the win but as we saw in 2023, things don't always go as planned in the re-match.
Final score: Ravens 31, Browns 20
October Record: 2-2
Overall Record: 5-3
Week 9: Browns vs Chargers, Nov. 13
Jim Harbaugh is done tormenting Ohio State fans but now, the Browns will have to deal with him. We can say what we want about the coach, but he wins everywhere he goes — and the Los Angeles Chargers need a shot in the arm.
Cleveland is up to the task in this one though as linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has the ability to shut down their ground game (which is led by two former Jon Harbaugh running backs in J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards). Denzel Ward and the Browns secondary should have no issues with this receiving corps either, keeping the Bolts under 20.
Final score: Browns 21, Chargers 16
Week 10: BYE
This is an excellent time for a week off. Nine games behind them, eight ahead. Plus the final stretch is tough, so they'll be glad they had this time to rest.
Week 11: Browns at Saints, Nov. 17
The last time the Browns took on the New Orleans Saints was on Christmas Eve in 2022. It was the coldest regular-season home game in Cleveland history and they were defeated 17-10 by the Saints. Those who claim the idea of a dome eliminates the home-field advantage provided by the cold climate need to re-watch this contest where a team from the south that plays in a dome was more physical and impressive.
This time, they'll be in New Orleans where both teams can take advantage of the fast turf. The Saints were 9-8 last season and didn't do much to improve their roster. They're especially questionable at receiver, so the Browns secondary should be able to shut them down. On the other side, Cleveland’s trio of wideouts will be too much for New Orleans to handle.
Final score: Browns 24, Saints 14
Week 12: Browns vs Steelers (TNF), Nov. 21
Nick Chubb should be back by now, which is bad news for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look for him to steamroll the team that ended his 2023 campaign with at least 150 yards.
On the other side, Myles Garrett will remind everyone why he was the NFL Defensive Player of the Year while T.J. Watt pretends this game is an award show honoring someone other than him and disappears. Throw in a couple of picks from Russell Wilson and this will be a fun game. For Cleveland.
Final score: Browns 27, Steelers 10
November Record: 3-0
Overall Record: 8-3
Week 13: Browns at Broncos (MNF), Dec. 2
After moving on from Russell Wilson — and eating more than $80 million to do so — the Denver Broncos will be turning to Bo Nix. The former Oregon signal-caller has his work cut out for him at the NFL level. He’s taking over a team that doesn’t have the deepest roster and while everyone loves to praise Sean Payton as a genius, it’s been a long time since he had a good team.
Cleveland should have no problem heading into Denver and running all over this team. Nix could be a solid pro but this isn’t the defense a rookie wants to face.
Final score: Browns 31, Broncos 9
Week 14: Browns at Steelers, Dec. 8
Cleveland plays the Steelers twice in a three-week period, which means they can hand them two losses as the season winds down. Chubb should again run wild while the Cleveland defense forces a couple of picks — perhaps from Justin Fields since Russell Wilson might be benched now. Browns win easily and sweep the Steelers.
Final score: Browns 31, Steelers 13
Week 15: Browns vs Chiefs, Dec. 15
Patrick Mahomes has been a thorn in the side of the Cleveland Browns — and every other team in the NFL since he took over as the Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback. He’s just 28 years old but already has three Super Bowls (with three Super Bowl MVPs) and two MVP awards. Kansas City is coming off their second-straight Super Bowl win and looking to be the first team to ever three-peat in the NFL.
Cleveland will have issues slowing Mahomes down and he should be able to take advantage of the aggressive style Jim Schwartz brings to the table. On the other side of the ball, Kansas City has a vastly underrated defense which leaves the Browns scratching their heads.
Final score: Chiefs 36, Browns 17
Week 16: Browns at Bengals (TNF), Dec. 19
It would be nice to sweep the Bengals but that’s not an easy thing to do. The AFC North continues to be the toughest division in the NFL and while the Bengals missed out on the postseason in 2023, they were still 9-8.
This year, we have them finishing ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers but they still don’t pass the Browns in the standings. This game makes it close, however, as they sneak past their in-state rivals with a one-score win. Still, Joe Burrow will be 2-6 all-time against Cleveland should they split the series — so they still own him. Maybe now, they can go and knock them out of the playoffs to give their fans one more thing to be mad about.
Plus, it would be hilarious to see Ja’Marr Chase start freaking out about elves after being bounced from the postseason
Final score: Bengals 21, Browns 20
Week 17: Browns vs Dolphins (SNF), Dec. 29
It’s hard to figure out the Miami Dolphins. They have one of the most explosive offenses in the entire NFL under Mike McDaniel but they also have moments where they can’t seem to get out of their own way. With the high-profile players they have on offense, they should have been able to win the AFC East last year but wound up in second after losing a tiebreaker to the Buffalo Bills.
This year, they’re likely to once again battle bouts of inconsistency, especially on the road. That’s the case as they struggle in Cleveland to put up as many points as they would like. Having said that, they still do just enough to steal a win from the Browns who will likely have trouble with the Miami rushing attack.
Final score: Dolphins 23, Browns 21
Week 18: Browns at Ravens (TBD)
The Browns won the second meeting between them and the Ravens last year and they look to do that once again in 2024. They needed Deshaun Watson to go 14-of-14 for 139 yards to pull out the 33-31 win, but this time, they start with a lead and keep it throughout the game.
Nick Chubb leads the way with more than 100 yards and Myles Garrett shows up with multiple sacks in the second half. This one could be the for the AFC North but even if they don't take the division, Cleveland makes the playoffs with 11 wins.
Final score: Browns 24, Ravens 12
December/January Record: 3-3
Overall Record: 11-6