The Cleveland Browns enter coach Kevin Stefanski's fifth season looking for a third playoff appearance since 2020.
Cleveland finished 11-6 last year – an impressive win total that resulted in a second-place finish in the AFC North. The Browns lost to Houston, 45-14, in a wild-card game, however, which rekindled the quarterback question heading into 2024.
Deshaun Watson is in the third year of a five-year, $230 million contract. Watson has played in 12 games the past two seasons. He served an 11-game suspension in 2022 and battled a shoulder injury for most of last season. This is a pivotal year for the veteran quarterback.
Cleveland led the NFL in total defense (270.3 ypg) with the help of AP Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett last season. That unit was the difference in several close games and will be counted against a tough schedule in 2024.
Here is a complete breakdown of the Browns' 2024 schedule, including dates, start times, and analysis for their slate of games.
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Browns schedule 2024
The Browns' full schedule was announced Wednesday. A look at Cleveland's opponents, game times and TV for the 2024 NFL season:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV | Tickets |
| 1 | Sept. 8 | vs. Cowboys | 4:25 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 2 | Sept. 15 | at Jaguars | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 3 | Sept. 22 | vs. Giants | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 4 | Sept. 29 | at Raiders | 4:25 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 5 | Oct. 6 | at Commanders | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 6 | Oct. 13 | at Eagles | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 7 | Oct. 20 | vs. Bengals | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 8 | Oct. 27 | vs. Ravens | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 9 | Nov. 3 | vs. Chargers | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 10 | Nov. 10 | Bye | Buy now | ||
| 11 | Nov. 17 | at Saints | 1 p.m. | Fox | Buy now |
| 12 | Nov. 21 (Thu.) | vs. Steelers | 8:15 p.m. | Prime Video | Buy now |
| 13 | Dec. 2 (Mon.) | at Broncos | 8:15 p.m. | ESPN | Buy now |
| 14 | Dec. 8 | at Steelers | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 15 | Dec. 15 | vs. Chiefs | 1 p.m. | CBS | Buy now |
| 16 | Dec. 19 (Thu.) | at Bengals | 8:15 p.m. | Prime Video | Buy now |
| 17 | Dec. 29 | vs. Dolphins | 8:20 p.m. | NBC | Buy now |
| 18 | Jan. 5 | at Ravens | TBD | TBD | Buy now |
The Browns have a second-place schedule, which means the Jaguars and Dolphins are on the schedule. Cleveland also will face the AFC East and NFC East and has a tough home schedule this season.
This season, Cleveland has an extra road game. That matchup is at New Orleans. The schedule features eight total games against teams that made the playoffs last year. Outside the AFC North, those teams are Dallas, Philadelphia, Miami and Kansas City.
Browns strength of schedule
The Browns rank 30th in strength of schedule for the 2024 season, per Sharp Football Analysis. That means they project to have the third-toughest schedule in the NFL.
This analysis is based on the projected win totals for each of Cleveland's opponents for the upcoming season rather than their records in 2023.
The Bengals (6th easiest) have an easier schedule, while the Steelers (1st hardest) and Ravens (4th hardest) will have tough schedules. Every AFC North team had a winning record in 2023, so this should not be a surprise.
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Browns prediction 2024
Browns Super Bowl odds courtesy BetMGM (+4000)
Toughest tests: Five of Cleveland's home games are against playoff teams from last season, and none will be tougher than Kansas City. Patrick Mahomes is 3-0 against the Browns, including the AFC divisional playoff game in 2020. Mahomes averages 322.3 passing yards with seven TDs and one interception in those games.
The Browns are 1-7 in their last eight visits to Denver, and that includes a 29-12 last season. Philadelphia (6-2), Las Vegas (6-3), and New Orleans (5-3) were tough to beat at home last season. That will be a tricky part of the schedule.
Biggest breaks: The Cowboys and Dolphins were 15-3 at home last season, so getting those teams to travel to Cleveland is a huge break in the schedule. The Browns were 8-1 at home last season.
Conversely, the Jaguars and Commanders were just 4-12 at home. Those are opportunities for Cleveland to steal road games that could give them a leg up in what is going to be a tight AFC North race.
Cleveland is 6-4 in prime-time games under Stefanski, including a 4-0 record on Thursday Night Football. That is something to consider depending on the opponent.
The Saints and Raiders also are the only indoor games on the schedule.
Bottom line: Close games were a difference-maker for Cleveland in 2023. The Browns were 6-2 in games decided by seven points or less, and that included victories against San Francisco, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh. Will that closer mentality carry over into this season?
It is a limited sample with Watson, but he is 8-4 as a starter with Cleveland the last two seasons. Cleveland will take a conservative approach with Nick Chubb, who suffered a gruesome leg injury in Week 2 at Pittsburgh.
A third playoff run in five years will largely be determined by success within the division. Cleveland is 12-12 in the regular season against AFC North division opponents under Stefanski, and the Browns also beat Pittsburgh in the 2020 AFC Wild Card. In those regular-season games, Cleveland is 9-3 at home and 3-9 on the road. Can they go .500 or better in those games? That was the formula in 2020 and 2023.
Record prediction: 9-8