How the 2021 Browns stack up against the rest of the AFC North

CLEVELAND — Coaching camp is formally underway in Berea, and Browns followers and gamers alike are daring to dream large.

However with a view to attain soccer’s final mountaintop of a Tremendous Bowl, Cleveland is aware of it should study to beat the brutal AFC North.

The crew largely did that in 2020 with a 4-3 report towards its division rivals, together with an emotional wild card playoff win over the hated Pittsburgh Steelers. However the Browns additionally endured some shut calls and a few blowout losses and nonetheless completed third within the standings attributable to tiebreakers.

Be mindful, you do not essentially need to win your division with a view to win a Tremendous Bowl (simply ask the Tampa Bay Buccaneers). Nonetheless, it definitely makes the highway somewhat simpler and while you play six mixed video games a yr towards your divisional foes, these contests could make or break your season.

So how do the Browns measure as much as the remainder of the North? Properly, after years of wallowing within the cellar, the hole has lastly been closed. Let’s break it down, team-by-team:

For those who ask most observers, that is the Browns’ greatest competitor for the division. The Ravens are coming off an 11-5 season through which they superior to the divisional spherical of the playoffs and beat Cleveland twice (as soon as through blowout, as soon as in a basic Monday Evening showdown), and nonetheless boast playmakers like quarterback Lamar Jackson and a protection led by nook Marlon Humphrey.

Baltimore made it a degree to re-tool the supporting solid round Jackson this offseason, including Alejandro Villanueva and former Browns guard Kevin Zeitler on the offensive line whereas additionally signing receiver Sammy Watkins and drafting wideout Rashod Bateman out of Minnesota. Cleveland had bother containing Jackson in each of final yr’s video games (as most groups do), however will hope to a minimum of soften the blow with the acquisition of gamers like Jadeveon Clowney, Anthony Walker Jr., and John Johnson III on protection.

On paper, the Browns seem to have the benefit offensively (with the probably exception at quarterback) and confirmed simply how nicely they might transfer the ball throughout final season’s 47-42 shootout loss in prime time. On the opposite facet, the Ravens look to have downgraded considerably on protection after shedding former Professional Bowlers Matt Judon and Yannick Ngakoue to free company. To attempt to fill the void, the crew signed veteran move rusher Justin Houston and in addition used a first-round choose on Penn State linebacker Odafe Oweh.

The Browns will play the Ravens in back-to-back video games in 2021 (with a bye week in between), together with a Nov. 28 showdown in Baltimore on NBC’s “Sunday Evening Soccer.” Anticipate each of these matchups to play a vital position within the AFC playoff image, if not the North division itself.

As soon as once more a near-unanimous selection to complete final within the AFC North, however do not sleep on them. The Bengals are at all times a tricky out, and though the Browns beat them twice final yr, each video games have been determined by only a single possession.

Younger star quarterback Joe Burrow returns after tearing his ACL in his tenth profession sport, and to assist him out, Cincy used its fifth general choose on former LSU teammate Ja’Marr Chase. Nonetheless, their greatest drawback in 2020 was the offensive line and whereas they did draft Jackson Carman out of Clemson within the second spherical and signed regular veteran Riley Reiff, there’s nonetheless a lot to be desired from that unit.

Cincinnati wasn’t a lot better on protection final season, in order that they determined to spend large there in free company, bringing in defensive finish Trey Hendrickson in addition to corners Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton on multi-year contracts. Former Cleveland defensive deal with Larry Ogunjobi additionally joins the fray, together with former All-American Joseph Ossai out of Texas.

The Bengals doubled their win complete from two in 2019 to 4 in 2020, together with a pair of victories over playoff-bound groups (Tennessee and Pittsburgh). There have been loads of different shut calls and whereas they might nonetheless be headed for an additional double-digit-loss season, anticipate them to a minimum of attempt to play spoiler to the contenders. The Browns will face them Week 9 in Cincinnati and once more Week 18 in Cleveland, hoping to a minimum of have the postseason clinched earlier than that remaining sport.

Lengthy the category of the division and some of the profitable groups in NFL historical past, the Steelers are coming off a 12-4 marketing campaign that noticed them win their ninth AFC North title since realignment in 2002. So why do most prognosticators not have them repeating?

It could have one thing to do with how 2020 ended. Following an 11-0 begin (together with a blowout win over the Browns in Week 6), Pittsburgh dumped 4 of its final 5 regular-season video games to limp into the postseason. That included a 24-22 Week 17 loss in FirstEnergy Stadium that noticed Cleveland clinch a playoff berth towards the Steelers’ second string.

Simply seven days later, the 2 archrivals met for a wild card rematch at Heinz Discipline. Regardless of lacking their head coach and a few key gamers attributable to COVID-19 protocols, the Browns carried out what might solely be described as a soccer exorcism, racing out to a 28-0 lead earlier than rolling to a 48-37 win. Future Corridor of Famer Ben Roethlisberger was intercepted 4 instances in simply his third profession loss to Cleveland.

After a great deal of offseason hypothesis, Large Ben returns for what may very well be his remaining season — albeit wanting a lot slower and weaker than when he was profitable Tremendous Bowls. JuJu Smith-Schuster, Chase Claypool, and Dionte Johnson give him loads of receiving targets, whereas first-round choose Najee Harris will assist the run sport. Nonetheless, the offensive line is in shambles following the departures of David DeCastro (launched), Maurkice Pouncey (retired), Matt Feiler (Los Angeles Chargers), and Alejandro Villanueva (Baltimore), that means Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney might have a area day attending to Roethlisberger.

The protection was stable final yr, with T.J. Watt and Stephon Tuitt main the move rush whereas Minkah Fitzpatrick tries to close down the aerial assault. Many of the unit returns aside from Bud Dupree and Mike Hilton, so the Browns stellar offensive line will nonetheless have its arms full defending Baker Mayfield and opening lanes for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Cleveland’s offense struggled at instances towards Pittsburgh a season in the past and managed simply 13 factors within the second half of the playoff victory.

The Browns-Steelers rivalry lastly appears like its again, what with loads of bitter emotions (“The Browns is the Browns”) and even revenge on the minds of some. These two groups don’t love one another, and can get an opportunity to indicate their mutual disdain on Halloween alongside the shores of Lake Erie adopted by a Week 17 “Monday Evening Soccer” battle by the Three Rivers. For the primary time in a long time, Cleveland may very well have the higher hand.