Ranking the opposing head coaches on the Browns 2024 schedule

No. 10: Sean Payton, Denver Broncos

The Denver Broncos have had a couple of crazy years in a row. First, they failed to land Aaron Rodgers in 2022, and then pivoted to trade for Russell Wilson and sign him to a massive contract. Then, after an abysmal 2022, the Broncos traded a first round pick in 2023 as well as a second round pick in 2024 for the rights to head coach Sean Payton.

To finish up the Broncos’ insane two-year saga, Payton then decided to move on from Russell Wilson and the franchise ate a staggering $85 million in the process. But with Payton no longer in the Russell Wilson business, he can move forward with the Broncos first-round selection, Bo Nix, as his on-field avatar. However, the larger question remains, has the NFL passed Payton’s offensive scheme by and, if so, can the former NFL coach of the year and former Super Bowl winner figure out how to win in 2024?

No. 9: Mike McCarthy, Dallas Cowboys

Mike McCarthy essentially has the same resume as the aforementioned Sean Payton but with more recent success and none of the quarterback woes. With Dak Prescott facing a contract year, expect the Cowboys offense to put up serious points in 2024. The biggest questions facing McCarthy this season are: will replacing Dan Quinn with Mike Zimmer allow the defense to continue to ascend, and can McCarthy block out the noise that owner Jerry Jones continues to create?

No. 8: Doug Pederson, Jacksonville Jaguars

When Doug Pederson took over as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, it was for one reason and one reason only… to get Trevor Lawrence to reach his upper bound limits as an NFL quarterback. Pederson was able to do just that in the second half of the 2022 season and Jacksonville made a run in the playoffs as a consequence. However, in 2023, the Jaguars collapsed in the second half of the season. Now the team is at a crossroads, and Pederson could find himself in the crosshairs at season’s end if the Jaguars and Lawrence continue on a downward trajectory.

No. 7: Zac Taylor, Cincinnati Bengals

There is no other way to say it, so here it is. Zac Taylor got the head coaching job with the Cincinnati Bengals because of his brief stint coaching for the Rams under Sean McVay. But, as is often the case, it is not about how you got an opportunity but what you do with the opportunity once you get it.

Taylor’s first year in Cincinnati was bad, but more importantly the Bengals were bad in the right year. That disastrous 2019 season landed Taylor the number one overall pick which ended up being Joe Burrow. Now the Bengals are viewed as a legitimate contender and, while Taylor may not be the driving force behind the perception, he is the orchestrator of one of the league’s most explosive offenses.