Excitement is building in Cleveland as the Browns open their season at home against division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. Last year ended with a difficult 3-14 record, but there is increased optimism among fans this season. Joe Flacco has returned, there is strong rookie talent on the roster, and Kevin Stefanski is reinstating the offensive scheme that previously brought success.
A win in the home opener would provide a significant boost to both the locker room and the fans. While week 1 is not considered a must-win, since 2020, the outcome of the Browns' home opener has often foreshadowed the season as a whole.
Browns season openers tend to foreshadow upcoming year
In 2020, rookie head coach Kevin Stefanski hosted the Bengals after a difficult loss in Baltimore. The Browns responded by rushing for over 200 yards in a high-scoring 35-30 victory, establishing an offense centered around a powerful running game.
However, the defense often struggled, allowing points unless key players like Myles Garrett or Denzel Ward made significant plays. Ultimately, the season ended in the divisional round after Chad Henne rushed for 13 yards on a critical third down and then converted a pivotal fourth down to secure the win.
The following year, in the 2021 home opener vs the Houston Texans, the Browns came out with a win, but some would ask, “at what cost?” Cleveland would leave the game with two major injuries: Jarvis Landry spraining his MCL to which he missed four games, and Baker Mayfield tearing his labrum, separating his shoulder.
The Browns would then finish the season 8-9, and you could heavily argue it was because of injuries. 19 players that were starters or heavy contributors would end up missing at least one game. Especially finishing two games out of a wild card spot, it's hard not to believe that with a bit better injury luck, they could have reached the playoffs
2022 might be the biggest omens of them all. Cleveland faced the New York Jets in what was supposed to be a great day for the orange and brown. The Browns inducted Joe Thomas into their Ring of Honor and were up by 13 points with 1:55 left in the 4th quarter.
No fan could have predicted New York would score 14 unanswered points with zero timeouts, but it left everyone stunned. The offense had an amazing rushing attack and played clean football, but when your defense is a liability it's hard to win games. The Browns would go on to have a 6-10 record with a defense that recorded 10 games with negative EPA.
2023 was the complete opposite of the prior year. The Browns blew out the Cincinnati Bengals 24-3 on a wet and rainy day. Despite what the scoreboard showed, Cleveland struggled offensively. The offense ended with less than 150 passing yards and two turnovers. The defense carrying a struggling offense was the theme all year.
Cleveland’s defense led the NFL in fewest total yards, first downs, and passing yards. This would make up for an offensive unit that recorded two or more turnovers in 14 games, including the blowout loss in the wildcard to the Houston Texans. The league's best defense carried the team to an impressive 11 wins, but in the playoffs, both sides of the ball have to play winning football.
Not many people expected a team that led the league in offensive turnovers would somehow get worse, but that's exactly what happened in the 2024 home opener. Deshaun Watson returned from his shoulder injury, but he clearly wasn’t ready to play football. Somehow, he passed for fewer yards (137) than he did in the home opener a year prior.
Cleveland would lose in a 33-17 bashing to the Dallas Cowboys and would put up the fewest points in a home opener since 2019. Lack of points would be the theme of the season as the Browns would only score over 20 points in three games all year. It's hard to win in this league when you can’t score, and their record reflected that as they ended with a 3-14 record.
This article isn’t to say “the fate of the 2025 Cleveland Browns will be decided by week 1”. It’s the NFL, and everything changes from week to week. These games will ultimately be decided by play on the field, and truly anything can happen.
That being said, the home openers since Kevin Stefanski took over in 2020 have encapsulated how the season has ended. My advice to all the fans and analysts out there, the Browns will tell you what kind of team they are on Sunday, so watch and listen.