Do You Think The Browns Can Win The AFC North In 2019?

[50-yard-line]

I am on the record as saying I don't like Mayfield and his antics, but the dude can legit play.



For these reasons, I say yes. Pencil me in, but their schedule is brutal.

Home:
Ravens
Bengals
Steelers
Dolphins
Bills
Seahawks
Rams
Titans

Away:
Ravens
Bengals
Steelers
Jets
Patriots
Cardinals
49ers
Broncos

9-7 would be successful, and might be enough in that division. 10-6 would be a winnah!

Substitute the Broncos and Titans for the Chiefs and Texans and you have the Baltimore schedule.

Substitute the Broncos and Titans for the Chargers and Colts and you have the Steelers' schedule.

Since we're talking IN the division, Cleveland has an easier schedule than their principle rivals who finished ahead of them last year.

 

[SamusAranX]

Edit: didn’t meant to double post

 

[dustcover]

Dolphins, Bills, Seahawks, Rams, and Titans home games, 3-2
Jets, Patriots, Cardinals, 49ers, and Broncos away games, 2-3
Ravens, Bengals, and Steelers, Divisional rivals, 3-3
Season record, 8-8, with a little luck, 9-7

If, however, they can manage to win 3 out of 5 on the road, we could be looking at a whole different scenario.

 

[Dragda]

Not likely. I mean they could, but bringing in coaches piecemeal like that doesn’t work. It just creates division in the lockeroom. They bring in guys like Hunt. It shows that they’re still making moves like the Browns.

 

[SammyBlueCat]

19-0

 

[law241]

Since they signed Hunt I am rooting for then to go 0-16 again. They fired Hugh Jackson too soon.

 

[IllegalContact]

Maybe

 

[PATSYLICIOUS]

Possibly, that division is very winnable, lately it seems 10 games would be enough for whoever won the division.

That said, the browns have shown promise before and fallen right back into the gutter. I would not bet on them personally, id go with bmore or pitt

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

I have a feeling the fat, mean drama queen’s time is coming to a surprising halt. The team must be tired of his horrible lack of leadership in the locker room, and in today’s NFL replacing his production isn’t that far off when you consider how average he makes that offense despite all pro weapons and a great o-line. He forces 10+ terrible interceptions each year and plays so terribly on the road against bad teams (overconfident, hungover?) that’s 3-4 automatic losses right there. The team knows it’s time for a total facelift, and it begins with its rotten, sagging face of the franchise.

Mason Rudolph is the starter by 2020. The locker room will rally around the guy who isn’t a prima dona blaming everyone else publicly.

 

[NormZauchin]

The Browns played in four overtime games last season, losing two, winning one, and tieing one. They also lost a 21-18 game to the Saints and a 26-24 game to the Ravens. If they learn how to win the close ones, they may take the division.

 

[Joey007]

Possibly, that division is very winnable, lately it seems 10 games would be enough for whoever won the division.

That said, the browns have shown promise before and fallen right back into the gutter. I would not bet on them personally, id go with bmore or pitt

It could definitely happen again. But I don’t think they’ve had anywhere near this level of talent since coming back in 99. Mayfield, all their RB’s, Garrett, Ward... they’ve never had close to this talent.

Any time they’ve shown promise was either like back in 2002 when they just had a bunch of scrappy overachieving players, or in 2014 when they had aging underachieving players and that Manziel guy.

Maybe in 07? But even then it was just Braylon Edwards and a fluke year from Derek Anderson.

 

[Ochmed Jones]

The browns have a boatload of cap space. I think they sign some significant free agents, have an impactful draft and win the afc north with a 10 and 6 record.

 

[maust]

It largely comes down to whether or not you think 9-7 or 10-6 wins that division outright. They could be looking at tiebreakers determining who takes it.

 

[Deus Irae]

... and that would 10-6 and good enough.

Possibly, that division is very winnable, lately it seems 10 games would be enough for whoever won the division.

That said, the browns have shown promise before and fallen right back into the gutter. I would not bet on them personally, id go with bmore or pitt

This year was the first time since 2012 that 10 wins was enough for the AFCN.

 

[Deus Irae]

I have a feeling the fat, mean drama queen’s time is coming to a surprising halt. The team must be tired of his horrible lack of leadership in the locker room, and in today’s NFL replacing his production isn’t that far off when you consider how average he makes that offense despite all pro weapons and a great o-line. He forces 10+ terrible interceptions each year and plays so terribly on the road against bad teams (overconfident, hungover?) that’s 3-4 automatic losses right there. The team knows it’s time for a total facelift, and it begins with its rotten, sagging face of the franchise.

Mason Rudolph is the starter by 2020. The locker room will rally around the guy who isn’t a prima dona blaming everyone else publicly.

The Steelers were 13-3 in 2017.

 

[Ice_Ice_Brady]

The Steelers were 13-3 in 2017.

Sorry, forgot to mention that in the exception year, he decided to be the hero in the final seconds of the season’s make-or-break game, needlessly forcing an interception with six Patriots and one Steeler in the end zone, leading to a back breaking loss. It appears this team did not recover on many levels.

 

[Flash]

I mean the possibility is there for sure. They have two franchise players to build around in Mayfield and Garrett, some solid complementary pieces in Ward, Peppers, Chubb/Hunt, etc. I'd say the only reason keeping them from winning their division is head coach. They had a clown as their head coach for far too long and no one knows if Freddie Kitchens is going to be good for them or not. That's what is going to make-or-break the Browns next season.

 

[Deus Irae]

Sorry, forgot to mention that in the exception year, he decided to be the hero in the final seconds of the season’s make-or-break game, needlessly forcing an interception with six Patriots and one Steeler in the end zone, leading to a back breaking loss. It appears this team did not recover on many levels.

The Steelers have never had a losing season in the Roethlisberger era. They've won double digit games in 10 of the 15 seasons. Leading up to last season, the Steelers had won 11, 10, 11 and 13 games, with the 10 win season coming in a year that Roethlisberger missed 5 starts and went 7-4 as the starter. The idea that the Steelers are in some kind of terrible straits because of the QB is simply not reflected in the game results.

 

[italian pat patriot]

Yes they can

 

[Simpelton]

Dunno about the division, but they have the horses to be in the playoff hunt. They are more talented than any Browns team in recent history but from a leaguewide standpoint they only have the horses to be competitive rather than dominant.

It comes down to what the new HC can do to get his team all pulling in the same direction. If Kitchens and Mayfield can get on the same page and bring the rest of the team with them, you never know what could happen. They could dominate, they could regress, but at the very least, they appear to have a fighting chance at above .500 and a playoff slot.

As for Kitchens himself, he's the X factor, but he's experienced, seems likeable and he got them moving in the right direction in the second half. It really comes down to him more than anything.