Once again, the NFL dominated the week with no games scheduled or played. The league will always find ways to get fans attention. This week and the previous two weeks, it was the 2024 NFL schedule. Now begins the endless analysis of projected win and loss records. Frankly, I’ve never participated in this way too early endeavor. To much can happen between now and the season openers in September. Also, like a vast majority of NFL fans, I’m very surreptitious and consider it bad karma. Laugh if you want, that’s just the way I think. What I will do is look at the Browns schedule as a whole.

At first glance, I anticipated the Browns opening the season at home. What I didn’t expect was the opponent to be the Dallas Cowboys with former quarterback Tom Brady making his announcing debut. Talk about biggest game on Sunday September 8. The Browns have won their last two openers and under head coach Kevin Stefanski, are 24-10 at home and in 2023 went 8-1. Get past the Cowboys and the schedule plays out nicely, at the Jaguars and home against the Giants. Then comes the quirky part of the schedule, three straight road games (Raiders, Commanders & Eagles), followed by three straight home games (Bengals, Ravens & Chargers). The Browns, Bears and Vikings are the only three teams with this schedule quirk. In that six-game stretch, the toughest games right now appear to be at the Eagles and home against the Ravens. At the Raiders and home against the Chargers could also be games to watch.

The league did the Browns a favor with a week ten Bye week, after last year when it was week five. The next eight games will define the 2024 Browns season. Four primetime games and four divisional games. Three home games (Steelers, Chiefs & Dolphins) and five road games (Saints, Steelers, Broncos, Bengals & Ravens). There is good and bad in the two Thursday night games (Steelers & Bengals). The Browns get what’s referred to as “mini byes.” After the Steeler game on November 21, their next game is eleven days later on December 2 at the Broncos. After the Bengals game on December 19, their next game is ten days later on December 29 at home against the Dolphins. Conversely, on the bad side, the Browns will have two short weeks prior to the Thursday night games, playing at the Saints and at home against the Chiefs.

The most important factors to the Browns schedule is the health of quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb. The answer to Watson’s health should be provided by training camp in July. As for Chubb, if he’s placed on the PUP list to begin the season as everyone expects, that means he’ll miss the first four games of the season. If all goes well, his scheduled return could be the beginning of the three game homestand starting against the Bengals. Finally, if the Browns want to have a long run in the playoffs, they have to win the division. No more wildcard games. This schedule has the potential to achieve that goal.