Last season, the Cleveland Browns were without their QB1 or RB1 for most of the season, and yet still managed to win eleven games. Cleveland has a lot of talent, and they look to expand on it and become scary contenders. Welcome back to another edition of ‘The Super Bowl Race In The Perspective of Chase’, a today we will see what the dog pound in Cleveland can achieve this coming year.
2023 Season
Last season, if you would’ve told me the Browns would win eleven games with the top wildcard position in the AFC with a backfield of Joe Flacco and Jerome Ford, I would’ve check your pulse. But here we are. Cleveland got to where they were with toughness, depth and the next-man-up mentality. Behind a great offensive line and a bolstering defense, Cleveland saw production from Flacco, Ford, Amari Cooper and many others defensively. As for Myles Garrett, the Defensive Player of the Year wasn’t horrible, leading most edge rusher statistics in 2023. Kevin Stefanski at head coach, at you have the perfect combination of physicality and talent. And when you look at the injuries they faced and the circumstances they were put in, Cleveland more than overachieved last year.
Offseason Additions and Losses:
Cleveland has a pretty productive offseason. The major loss was Joe Flacco signing with Indianapolis (link), but they actually replaced the reigning Comeback Player of the Year with many other options. The Browns added former No. 1 pick Jameis Winston and 2022 Pro Bowler Tyler Huntley to back up Deshaun Watson. Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who started two games last season, may also contribute in the quarterback room. Now, those accomplishments are deceiving. Winston hasn’t been a QB 1 since 2019, and Huntley was a backup who was no where near what a Pro Bowl season may sound like. Nonetheless, they’re respectable backups to have behind a QB in Watson who hasn’t played a full season since 2020. The only other huge moves were Cleveland replacing linebackers Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki with Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush, which is an improvement in my eyes. They also added running back depth for a recovering Nick Chubb.
Outside of that, Cleveland just made sure they retained the same core, extending their GM and head coach Kevin Stefanski while also resigning star pass rusher Z’Darius Smith. One trade they made, though, was acquiring Jerry Jeudy for late-found draft capital. A quiet but yet productive offseason from the Dawg Pound.
X-Factor: Jerry Jeudy
I mentioned how Cleveland acquired Jeudy this offseason, and I think he is a key addition. Jeudy will come in and easily be the No. 2 pass catching option on this squad. A former first round pick out of Alabama, Jeudy did not eclipse 1,000 yards or seven touchdowns in each of his first four seasons. Though his lack of quarterback play probably has something to do with it. A change of scenery and better offensive talent around him may be all he needs to break out. Plus, this is a contract year for him, so he’s going to have to prove himself if he wants a big second contract. And if he does, he could expand this Browns offense. If Jeudy produces, this Browns offense will run at a high level, a higher one than maybe most are anticipating.
Reason for Concern: Deshaun Watson
This is not to supposed to be a section talking about Watson’s off the field controversy. But it still is not comprehensible that Watson was given a fully-guaranteed contact worth $230 million with everyone that was going on at the time. And especially for what we’ve seen from him on the field. After an 11-game suspension to begin 2022, Watson threw for seven touchdowns to five interceptions with a 79.1 rating and a 3-3 record. Last season, he again only played six games due to injury…and played very similarly. He threw for the same touchdown rate and total, the same yards/attempt and just 13 more yards. He just happened to go 5-1 that time around. So Watson really hasn’t played at a high level, and only played 12 games in two seasons. With all of the talent this team has, it may actually be their highest paid player at the most important position that is the weak spot of this football team, and the thing that could them back from success.
Reason for Promise: The Defense
There is a very good argument that Cleveland has the best defense in the league. And they really aren’t far off. Last season, the Browns had the best yardage defense in the NFL, along with the first ranked pass-defense. Their run-defense and scoring totals weren’t amongst the best of the NFL, but yet still managed to star 2023 Defensive Player of the Year, Myles Garrett, consensus top-3 cornerback Denzel Ward, Z’Darius Smith and others. They also forced 28 turnovers last season, the fifth most of any defense in the NFL. It’s safe to say they’re going to be a juggernaut and a force on that side of the ball, again, and it will make them a hard team to beat throughout the season.
Prediction
It’s weird. Because last season Cleveland won eleven games without their starting quarterback or running back, but yet no one expects them to reach that level again, me included. Nick Chubb will come back and be a monster, the defense will stay consistent and strong…but there are so many question marks on offense that still haven’t been answered. They also find themselves in one to the toughest divisions and with one of the more challenging schedules in the NFL this season. They will once again be in contention for a postseason spot. But there is no guarantee they will get it.
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