The Browns are back after an 11-6 season in 2023 despite having one of the most depleted teams in the NFL. Cleveland will look to finally get a full season out of their $230 million quarterback, Deshaun Watson.
Watson played in a total of six games last season for the Browns, and in his two seasons with Cleveland, he has played a combined twelve games. The Browns were lead by the fairy tale story of Joe Flacco last season, who eventually lead them to a playoff berth and an 11 win season. With Flacco's departure to Indianapolis this offseason, Watson's health will be crucial towards this team's success.
One of the premier running backs in the league, Nick Chubb, also suffered a major injury that limited him to play in only two games last season. Before last season, Chubb rushed for at least 1000 yards in four consecutive seasons and was also named to four Pro Bowls. We have yet to really see how lethal the duo of Chubb and Watson can be because of their inability to stay on the field.
Despite Flacco's heroics last season, the Browns still ranked 19th in total offense. With Watson and Chubb back this number should certainly improve. Other players have emerged on this offense as serious threats such as tight end David Njoku. Njoku had the best season of his career in 2023 with 882 receiving yards and was named to the Pro Bowl as well.
Cleveland traded for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy this offseason to takeover as their WR2. Jeudy did not break out as well as people thought he would in Denver, but with a more stable and better offense in Cleveland, he is poised for success. The Browns surely believe in him a lot because they gave him a three-year extension this offseason as well. Jeudy and Amari Cooper will now headline this Browns receiving core in 2024.
Now let's talk about arguably the best defense in the NFL. The numbers speak for themselves, the Browns were ranked the number one team in total defensive rankings in the league. Led by Myles Garrett and his 14 sacks, the Browns were a hard team to score on last season.
For the most part, the defense is very similar to what they had in 2023 despite some new additions to the linebacker core. The Browns added Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush in free agency to add to an already stacked linebacker room.
We can talk all we want about Myles Garrett and the defensive line, but it was Cleveland's secondary that really stood out last season. They were statistically the best passing defense, limiting opposing quarterbacks to under 165 passing yards per game. The secondary is lead by Denzel Ward, who has emerged as one of the game's top cornerbacks.
It is easier said than done, but if the Browns stay healthy this season, then the sky is the limit for this team. The AFC North is always a bloodbath, so they will need to take care of both their health and the rest of the division in 2024.
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