Is Cleveland going to be THAT good?

[Brees#1]

I targeted trequan smith round is hut only if Dante Pettis was there in 5 and kittle there in 2 otherwise I took josh Allen round 8

Smith won't make enough impact with Ginn still around and the addition of Cook.

 

[Brees#1]

I originally didn't have the Browns taking the AFCN until 2020. I thought the Steelers would keep it at least one more year with the Ravens right up there as well. I'm still not quite ready to declare the Browns as this year's division champs, but they definitely improved over the offseason, with the Steelers and Ravens either looking worse or at most going sideways. It should be one of the best divisional races in the NFL this year.

What will determine the AFC North is who beats the Jets. Both the Browns and Steelers are going on the road and they are not both winning. The Jets Steelers rivalry is like the Raiders Steelers. The 1-8 Jets upset the 6-3 Steelers in 2014. Records go out the door when they play. The Jets are also at home back to back when playing the Browns. Both games should be primetime. Week 2 the Jets should still be pretty healthy and they have weapons.

 

[Hank Kingsley]

I still haven't gotten a Browns freezer mug, but my beach towel is superb.

I think they win the AFC Norris.

 

[Brees#1]

Did op provide any rationale why or why not browns will be any good
In the jumble

I had Cleveland as a 9-7 or 10-6 team before the ODB trade. Then it looked like they could go 12-4 or 13-3. Then the schedule gave them their best games in a short radius like Jets/Rams, 49ers/Seahawks, Pats/Broncos/Bills/Steelers, and having to go to Arizona on their third straight home game. No matter what they face tough challenges but they are good enough to win most games on their schedule.

As someone said, Cleveland would have been a playoff team had they had a kicker and fired Hue earlier. Given that my Saints lost as a 1 seed it didn't even matter.

 

[Brees#1]

How did that offense work without Fitzpatrick? I remember it being awful in the second half. I’m still not sold on him after 1 good, but wildly inconsistent year. This team will take at least a year to gel before they truly contend, IMO.

Bucs fans did not care for Fitzpatrick. They thought the HC was messing with Jameis's mentality. The Bucs weren't getting blown out in the remaining games where Jameis had to be in a position to catch up. However, Fitz was dropped to third before the season was over. Clearly something was up.

 

[Brees#1]

I listen to Baltimore's sports talk radio and they were going over the Browns' schedule and predicting their records (which is always entertaining for me to listen to when people do that). They had them at 14-2, with their only losses to Baltimore and Pittsburgh. They were going through the individual games like, "Then, they play the Rams. A lot will have to go right for them during that game, but if it does, it's not impossible for them to win, so let's put that as a W." I have never heard such blind homerism for a division rival in all my life.

That's how most people even make these predictions anyway. It's been that way for a long time. I don't do that. They don't take other things into factor like rest or home and road situations.

 

[Oldschool739]

Cleveland is obviously going to be improved. I'm thinking they will win 11 games, but if they are going to be record breaking good like the 07 Pats (they're not going 16-0) or 2013 Seahawks, then they will win more.

I currently see NE, Seattle, Arizona, Baltimore, and Pittsburgh as losses. Seattle and Arizona are not better, but Seattle's rest ratio is better than Cleveland's for that matchup, and Arizona is at home three straight weeks and someone is going to get unlucky between Pittsburgh and Cleveland. However, it could be SF they lose to instead. That's a back to back road game on primetime with the opponent coming off of a bye and previous home game against Pittsburgh. I think it's a matter of if Pittsburgh strikes first or not in either road games.

Houston lost three straight home games in 2013, but I don't think Arizona is going to be that bad.

But the Browns will win more than 11 if they are going to be dominant team. But I cannot go past 13-3.

Slap, Slap....Snap out of it Man, "IT'S CLEVELAND"....

 

[ATL96Steeler]

What will determine the AFC North is who beats the Jets. Both the Browns and Steelers are going on the road and they are not both winning. The Jets Steelers rivalry is like the Raiders Steelers. The 1-8 Jets upset the 6-3 Steelers in 2014. Records go out the door when they play. The Jets are also at home back to back when playing the Browns. Both games should be primetime. Week 2 the Jets should still be pretty healthy and they have weapons.

The Jet vs Steelers don't really have a rivalry, but you make a good point here and doing so you point out the obvious...Mike Tomlin has a penchant for losing at least 1 game every year to a team they are favored to beat.

Games @ SF, @ AZ, and @ NYJ are all pitfall games for the Steelers.

I would feel much better if it was primetime, but PIT @ NYJ is currently projected to be a 1p game and one I don't expect will be on anywhere but PIT and the metro NY area, maybe a few spot markets in the northeast.

 

[bksballer89]

I got them at 19-0

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

VASTLY overrated. Let's see another season out of Baker before we crown the Browns as SBOWL favorites, and Odell 'please just shave your hair' Beckham will likely cause locker room issues because 'he's not getting the ball.' I actually thought the Beckham trade+sign was stupid... last thing you want for a young QB and coaching staff is a diva WR... who commands forcing balls his way because... 'reasons'.

 

[Wamu]

Slap, Slap....Snap out of it Man, "IT'S CLEVELAND"....

 

[Wamu]

VASTLY overrated. Let's see another season out of Baker before we crown the Browns as SBOWL favorites, and Odell 'please just shave your hair' Beckham will likely cause locker room issues because 'he's not getting the ball.' I actually thought the Beckham trade+sign was stupid... last thing you want for a young QB and coaching staff is a diva WR... who commands forcing balls his way because... 'reasons'.

You're on a short list of people that think the OBJ trade was stupid.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

You're on a short list of people that think the OBJ trade was stupid.

Yep, fine with that (even WalterFootball gave it an A+ grade for the Browns). Let's see how it pans out. Happy to eat crow - expect everyone NOT on that short list to do the same.

 

[Wamu]

Yep, fine with that (even WalterFootball gave it an A+ grade for the Browns). Let's see how it pans out. Happy to eat crow - expect everyone NOT on that short list to do the same.

I forgot to ask you other than you who exactly has crowned them SB favorites? Because that made me laugh. Haven't heard that one before.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

I forgot to ask you other than you who exactly has crowned them SB favorites? Because that made me laugh. Haven't heard that one before.

Dude I can't recall.. I think it was some dude at work named Steve and your wife. Steve is questionable but your wife definitely called it out.

 

[Shanemansj13]

I got them at 19-0

Thank you for not joining in on the Browns hype

 

[Wamu]

Dude I can't recall.. I think it was some dude at work named Steve and your wife. Steve is questionable but your wife definitely called it out.

So you're just talking directly outta your ass. Got it.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

So you're just talking directly outta your ass. Got it.

lol was meant to be a joke - some sites/analysts/forum folks said the Browns could be Super Bowl favorites. It's a fairly harmless comment/prediction to make and a justified one given the Super Bowl Vegas odds for them to win aren't terribly low. They've added a # of pieces that COULD get them there... and their line is pretty good. I just don't think the Browns will make it but it's not hard to see why many will call them favorites (I think the question even came up during the draft).

Stop getting so bitchy. And undo that facepalm or I'm sending Steve after you.

 

[Wamu]

lol was meant to be a joke - some sites/analysts/forum folks said the Browns could be Super Bowl favorites. It's a fairly harmless comment/prediction to make and a justified one given the Super Bowl Vegas odds for them to win aren't terribly low. They've added a # of pieces that COULD get them there... and their line is pretty good. I just don't think the Browns will make it but it's not hard to see why many will call them favorites (I think the question even came up during the draft).

Stop getting so bitchy. And undo that facepalm or I'm sending Steve after you.

You're a clown. I was trying to have a legit conversation w/ you. Obviously you want none of that. And exactly which sites? Odd you won't mention one of them.

But if anyone is saying the Browns are some kinda S.B. favorite they're crazy.

 

[Sharkonabicycle]

You're a clown. I was trying to have a legit conversation w/ you. Obviously you want none of that. And exactly which sites? Odd you won't mention one of them.

But if anyone is saying the Browns are some kinda S.B. favorite they're crazy.

I seem to recall the question coming up a few times when the Odell trade happened. Apologies if I misspoke, I should've said the question came up when I watched the draft or just Google it (various sites posed the same question), not necessarily that people were saying the Browns were favorites.

Anyway.... sorry for the run around dialogue.