Breaking Down the Browns 2019 Schedule

Photo Credit: neosportsinsiders.com

Cleveland Browns’ fans favorite offseason pastime is here!

Wednesday, the NFL released the full 256 game slate for the 2019 season, which means it’s time to make way-too-early season predictions on how many wins the Browns will end up with in 2019.

Hardish September:

The new-look Browns will kick off at home on Sept. 8 at 1 on CBS against the Tennessee Titans. The Titans arguably were a Marcus Mariota injury away from making the postseason last year. It will be critical for the Browns to get off to a good start on the season with all the heavy personalities in the locker room, and so new head coach Freddie Kitchens can gain respect around the league. This game will be tough, but with the Dawg Pound in full force, I believe the Browns win their first game of the season since 2004.

In week 2, the Browns get to see an old friend: Gregg Williams. Williams, the new defensive coordinator of the Jets, led the Browns to a 5-3 record as interim coach last season after Hue Jackson was fired. Many people(including myself) thought Williams should have been hired as the perimant head coach at season’s end. Not only do the Browns face off against Williams, but the top two quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft square off as well when Baker Mayfield goes head-to-head with Sam Darnold. Not to mention this game is on Monday Night Football, and both teams are improved; this should be a great game, but I think the Browns lose. I think Williams gets revenge on his former team, and the Browns go back to Cleveland 1-1.

In week 3, the Browns will play their first Sunday Night Football game in 11 years when the NFC Champion LA Rams come to town. I know the Rams are good, but I would pick the Browns to win this game even in LA. I’m not the biggest fan of Sean McVay or Jared Goff. I think they both got exposed in the Super Bowl, and the Dawg Pound will be as loud as ever, and the Rams will be dealing with the time change. Not only do teams winning the Super Bowl usually deal with a hangover, but the losing team does as well, so it also works in the Browns favor this game is in September and not December.

The Browns end the month by taking a trip to Baltimore for their first division game of the year. The Browns should win this game. I do not think Lamar Jackson is going to last in the NFL if he does not learn how to throw the ball, and the Ravens lost a lot of pieces on defense such as C.J. Mosley, Terrell Suggs and Eric Weddle. If the Browns are who we think they are, they will end September with an above .500 record.

Record at the end of September: 3–1. First Place in AFC North.

Toss-Up October:

The Browns begin the second month of the season back on Monday Night Football for the second time in three weeks, and their third primetime game already in the season when they travel to Santa Clara to take on the Niners. I think this game is one of the toughest games on the docket for the Browns. The Niners should be much approved with quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo healthy and adding guys like Kwon Alexander, Tevin Coleman and Jason Verrett. The Browns will also be traveling from the east coast to the west coast, and that is never a good thing. I got the Browns dropping both their Monday night games in 2019, but they could win it if they play solid football for four quarters because they have the better talent. I just don’t see it.

Once they get back from San Francisco, the Browns will begin preparing for a week 6 showdown with the Seahawks at Firstenergy Stadium. The only negative here for the Browns is they will be playing on short rest. Besides that, there at home, they have the better team, and it’s a 1 p.m. start for a west coast team. Unless Russell Wilson plays out of his mind, I got the Browns staying perfect at home after six weeks.

After their week 7 bye, the Browns will head up to New England and take an L from Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patriots. I just do not see how Freddie Kitchens outcoaches the greatest coach in the history of the game in Foxborough, and I do not think the Browns will be ready. This will be the game the Browns lose by it least double digits. .

Record at the end of October: 1-2.

Record so far: 5-3. First Place in AFC North.

Getting on a Roll November:

The Browns November calendar is good news for them and fans. They kick it off by going to Denver, and I believe getting a win. I know it’s hard to play in Denver with the condensed oxygen, but the Broncos should be a worse team than what they were a year ago, and the Browns beat them last year with a worse team. Joe Flacco is no upgrade over Case Keenum, and if the Browns can keep stud halfback Phillip Lindsey in check, the Broncos won’t be able to score. New head coach Vic Fangio wants the Broncos to travel back in time to 1960, so I think the Browns should dispose Denver with ease.

Week 10 brings an improved Bills team into town, but I still think the Browns can win. Buffalo is used to the cold weather, and Josh Allen should be a much improved quarterback, but at the end of the day, the Browns have the better team, and Buffalo is not ready to hang with the Browns yet.

Week 11 will be the Browns’ toughest November game: At home on a Thursday night against Pittsburgh. A lot of people in the Cleveland media thinks Pittsburgh will take a step back in 2019 after losing Le’veon Bell and Antonio Brown, but I disagree with them. They still have Ben Roethlisberger, JuJu Smith-Schuster and James Connor. Pittsburgh will be fine, and they will win 10 games in 2019, but one of those 10 will not be here. The Browns have the edge because they are at home, and them and the Dawg Pound will be out to prove they are the new kings of the AFC North in primetime.

By Week 12, the Dolphins will either have a rookie quarterback under center, or they will be tanking, and Ryan Fitzpatrick will be leading the league in turnovers. Either way, the Browns should not lose this game. If they do, they should be embarrassed, especially considering it is their third straight home game.

Record at the end of November: 4-0.

Record so far: 9-3. First Place in AFC North.

Easy December:

The Browns toughest game in December is on the first when they travel to the Steel City to take on the Steelers for the second time in three weeks. The Steelers will be out for revenge after losing to the Browns in week 11, and Roethlisberger has never lost to the Browns at home, and I think the streak continues this year, but I think it’s a close game.

The rest of the Browns 2019 campaign should result in wins. They finish the season with the following games: versus Cincinnati, at Arizona, versus Baltimore and at Cincinnati. I’m not scared of Cincinnati. While their new head coach Zac Taylor is a wildcard, there not on the same level as the Browns. Browns should sweep them. Baker Mayfield will want to get revenge on his former college coach Kliff Kingsbury in week 15, and even if Arizona does draft Kyler Murray with the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, Arizona will not be a good team. The Browns front seven should dominate Arizona’s putride offensive line and force Murray to run for his life. As for Baltimore in week 16, like I mentioned earlier, I do not think Lamar Jackson makes it through the season, and I think the Browns will go undefeated at home in 2019.

If my predictions are correct, the Browns will go the following:

12-4. First Place in AFC North. No. 3 seed in the AFC.

8-0 at home. 5-3 on the road.

5-1 against division. 2-2 against AFC East. 3-1 against NFC West. 2–0 against Broncos and Titans.

Let me know your predictions for Cleveland’s favorite sports team below!

Brandon Lewis is a sports coordinator for blacksquirrelradio. He hosts a show on blacksquirrelradio.com called Brandon’s World on Saturdays from 10 am-12 pm.