The NFL released the regular season schedule for all 32 teams last night. The Browns have the easiest schedule in the entire league (based on last season win percentage), a new coaching staff, and a completely revamped offense, so let’s dive into what this upcoming season is going to look like.

Full Schedule

Week 1: @ Jaguars (1PM, CBS)

Week 2: @ Buccaneers (1PM, CBS)

Week 3: vs Panthers (1PM, FOX)

Week 4: Thursday Night vs Steelers (8:15PM, Amazon Prime)

Week 5: @ Jets (1PM, CBS)

Week 6: vs Ravens (1PM, FOX)

Week 7: @ Titans (1PM, CBS)

Week 8: @ Steelers (1PM, CBS)

Week 9: @ Saints (1PM, CBS)

Week 10: vs Texans (1PM, FOX)

Week 11: Bye

Week 12: vs Raiders (1PM, CBS)

Week 13: vs Bengals (1PM, CBS)

Week 14: vs Falcons (1PM, CBS)

Week 15: @ Giants (1PM, CBS)

Week 16: @ Ravens (1PM, CBS)

Week 17: vs Colts (1PM, FOX)

Week 18: @ Bengals (TBD)

Notable Matchups

The first game that really stands out on this schedule is week 2 in Tampa Bay. Playing the first two games of the season in the Florida heat is going to be brutal for the Browns, but that’s not what makes this game interesting. This will be the second time that Baker Mayfield matches up against the team that drafted him, and if the Browns actually do make Deshaun Watson the starter, then it will be Baker vs the guy they got rid of him for. I wouldn’t expect the Browns to win this game, but the quarterback storyline is very fun.

The next game that jumps out is the only primetime game, which is week 4 against the Steelers. Pittsburgh has never won a Thursday night game in Cleveland, and they haven’t won any games in Cleveland since 2021. The two road games at the beginning of the season will be very challenging, but getting two games at home after that, including one against a team they’ve owned in Cleveland is a big break.

The last game I want to highlight is week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons. This will be Kevin Stefanski’s return to Cleveland with his new team. There was a lot of mixed feelings about Stefanski during his time with the Browns, including some people who didn’t think he should’ve been fired last year. We’ll get to see our old coach and our new coach go head to head in this late season matchup.

Record Prediction

While it is true that this is the easiest schedule in the league based on last season, a lot of these teams will be much better. The Raiders added the number 1 pick in the draft in Fernando Mendoza at quarterback, the Saints were one of the hottest teams at the end of last season once they started Tyler Shough, the Titans added weapons for Cam Ward, and the Giants will have a healthy Jaxson Dart with John Harbaugh coaching them. The Browns are also an improved roster on the offensive side of the ball, but with an entirely new offensive line and coaching staff, I would expect a slow start while those guys build up some chemistry. A lot of the Browns more difficult games happen before the bye week, so the team should be positioned for a late season run. My record prediction for this team is 8-9. I believe the Browns do actually have a good roster across the board after this offseason, but it’s hard to make the playoffs with bad quarterback play. As of right now, it seems like Deshaun Watson is the favorite to start week 1, and I simply can’t trust a guy who was already playing terribly to come back from two achilles tears and magically be a quality starter. I’m not a huge Shedeur Sanders believer either, but I at least believe that he has a chance to be a good quarterback. Either way, this team’s fatal flaw will be quarterback, as it was the only issue that they couldn’t address in this offseason. Despite that, the Browns should be a competitive team this year that has a chance to play meaningful games late in the season, and that’s much better than what we’ve had to put up with the last two years.