Back-to-back winning seasons, something other fan bases may take for granted, has been elusive for the Browns for nearly 25 seasons.
The franchise hopes to check that and other goals off the list in 2024.
How did the Browns get here?
Cleveland’s 2023 season was filled with unexpected twists and turns.
The Browns dominated against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in their opening game. Everything changed one week later in Pittsburgh when Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb tore ligaments in his left knee, requiring season-ending surgery.
After two games the Browns were forced into life without one of their most indispensable pieces. Their fortunes seemingly turned worse eight weeks later when starting quarterback Deshaun Watson was ruled out for the season with a fracture in his throwing shoulder after a thrilling second half comeback to beat the Ravens in Baltimore.
Watson has played in just 12 of a possible 34 games since he was traded to Cleveland in 2022. Along with his shoulder surgery, Watson also missed his first 11 games as a Brown in 2022 because of a suspension for violating the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy.
Cleveland found hope in quarterback Joe Flacco, who had not taken a snap since January 2023 and signed with the Browns practice squad in late November.
Flacco threw 13 touchdown passes and propelled the Browns into the NFL playoffs with an 11-6 overall record. It ended in the first round with a 31-point drubbing to the Houston Texans. Regardless of the success, the Browns moved on from Flacco.
New faces in town
Cleveland started five different quarterbacks last season. Two of them, P.J. Walker and Dorian Thompson-Robinson, completed less than 54% of their passes.
Watson was one of many starting quarterbacks to see his season end early. In 2023, six other NFL teams were forced to regroup after their starting quarterback suffered a season-ending injury. 66 different quarterbacks started in an NFL game last season.
During free agency in March, Flacco signed with the Indianapolis Colts.
General Manager Andrew Berry addressed Flacco’s loss by replacing him with two experienced backup quarterbacks – Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley, who previously played for New Orleans and Baltimore, respectively.
Winston and Huntley have combined for three total appearances as starting quarterbacks in playoff games.
Berry, now in his fifth year as general manager, also brought additional support for starting wide receiver Amari Cooper, acquiring Jerry Jeudy from the Denver Broncos.
The Browns added two running backs as Nick Chubb continues to recover from his injury – Nyheim Hines (Buffalo Bills) and D’Onta Foreman (Chicago Bears). On Aug. 1, Foreman suffered a head injury during a punt drill in training camp, but returned to the practice field Aug. 8.
But the highest concern is still Chubb’s health.
Berry spoke to the media during the first week of training camp and highlighted Chubb's progress but is still on the mend.
“We are incredibly pleased with the work that he’s put in [and] the progress that he’s made,” Berry said. “He still has a little ways to go, but we’re really happy to see where he is as we enter camp and look forward to him [continuing] to improve the health of the [his] knee.”
Chubb is not expected to play in the Browns’ first regular season game against Dallas on Sept. 8.
The Browns also resigned key defensive players such as defensive tackle Maurice Hurst II and Za’Darius Smith, who finished last season with 49 combined tackles. Cleveland finished 2023 with one of the league’s best defensive units under first year coordinator Jim Schwartz. The defense was particularly dominant at home.
For Schwartz, that success is something he doesn’t want to reminisce about.
“The only thing we can really work on right now is working [on] our craft and our technique,” Schwartz highlighted on Monday. “I sort of try to keep my eyes on what’s right in front of us right now.”
Can Watson answer the call?
Despite key roster moves, questions still loom for the franchise – most notably with its primary signal-caller.
Cleveland acquired Deshaun Watson in March, 2022 from Houston, sacrificing six draft picks and a $230 million fully guaranteed paycheck in the process.
Watson’s performance has not yet justified that decision. In the 12 games he’s played over two years, Watson has thrown for 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
One major concern of the Watson trade is how it mirrors what the Denver Broncos gave up to add Russell Wilson (now with the Pittsburgh Steelers). It was a trade with disastrous long-term consequences.
There is pressure on Watson to validate his massive contract as he continues to deal with the repercussions of his 11-game suspension in 2022.
Watson addressed the media during training camp about his mindset moving forward.
“At the end of the day, [I’m] two years in and if you don’t like me or you have your own opinions, then, yeah, it is what it is,” Watson stated. “I think blocking out all the noise and focusing on me and focusing on what I need to do to be the best Deshaun Watson I [can] be for myself, my family and my teammates.”
The Browns hired former Buffalo Bills Offensive Coordinator Ken Dorsey in February to work with Watson.
Dorsey is known to get the most out of “dual threat” quarterbacks, those who can run with the football just as effectively as they can pass it. Dorsey’s previous work with past pro-bowlers like Cam Newton and Josh Allen have the Browns hoping he can unlock similar success out of Watson.
Dorsey told the media that he has not seen issues with Watson’s ability to throw the football in training camp, adding he will continue to ensure that the team’s four quarterbacks are on the same page.
“[I] don’t want to mess around with a quarterback’s shoulder or elbow or anything like that,” Dorsey said Monday. “We’re going to continue to be smart with them and continue to evaluate day-by-day to make sure we’re doing the right things.”
A daunting journey ahead
Watson and his teammates will need to be as healthy as possible as they embark on a difficult regular season schedule.
It starts with Cleveland’s own division, the AFC North, in which all four teams finished with a winning record last year.
The other three teams in the division employ high-production quarterbacks – Joe Burrow (Cincinnati) and two-time league MVP Lamar Jackson (Baltimore). Pittsburgh signed Russell Wilson and former Ohio State star Justin Fields.
Along with six annual games against the AFC North, the Browns face four other teams who made the playoffs last season – including the defending two-time Super Bowl champion, Kansas City Chiefs.
The Browns’ regular season opponents for 2024 combined to win about 55% of their games last year. Statistically, the Browns have the hardest schedule in the NFL this season.
Despite the challenges his team will face, Head Coach Kevin Stefanski told the media that everything associated with the team’s game plan is still a “work in progress” and that it is just as much of a mental hurdle as it is physical.
“I think [we] can cover a lot of ground without being in pads,” Stefanski said Monday. “All the walkthroughs that we’ve had going back to the spring, all those [team-related] periods – they all count equally.”
Berry and Stefanski recently signed contract extensions with the Browns, providing the fans and organization with hope that stability has arrived for the first time since 1999. That unified approach figures to help the team handle inevitable adversity of an NFL season.
What’s coming up?
The Browns first preseason game against the Green Bay Packers is Saturday in Cleveland.
Stefanski discussed the importance of the preseason not just for the players, but also for the coaching staff.
“We feel pretty good about how we ramp our team up for Week 1 of the season and in the meantime, get them ready for some [preseason] games where we hope that they can go show what they can do on the field. We utilize those [games] as great tools for evaluation more than anything.”
The Week 1 showdown with Dallas at Cleveland Browns Stadium is one of the NFL’s marquee games of the opening weekend.
It's a fast start to a season that could reassure fans of the front office's plans and major sacrifice for a starting quarterback, or rekindle the doubt that has plagued the franchise since their return.
