After surging to become one the top teams in the NFL last season despite having *checks notes* Joe Flacco under center, the Cleveland Browns enter the 2024 season with a new lease on life, a few new weapons on both sides of the field, and, football gods willing, a healthy starting quarterback, with DeShaun Watson looking to finally play more than six games for the Browns on his five-year, $230 million contract.
And the best part? The Browns have one heck of a first opponent to prove they are still the cream of the AFC North's crop in the Dallas Cowboys, who feel like they should be one of the better teams in the NFL on paper but have more than a few question marks on their roster that could lead to a very lucky outcome for Cleveland this weekend in the “The Forest City.” Buckle up, folks; this is going to be one of the more interesting matchups of the weekend.
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1. DeShaun Watson benefits from the Browns' new weapons
While the Browns may not have the best individual wide receiver in the AFC North, as Ja'Marr Chase certainly deserves that honor even as he remains deep in the weeds on a Bengals contract extension, Cleveland might just have the best collection of receivers in the division, with Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, and Jerry Jeudy forming one heck of a trio that can more or less stack up with any other team in the NFL.
Factor in David Njoku, who is coming off of a breakout season despite suffering a burn injury, and Watson really has a wealth of options from which to throw to in Week 1, which is good, because the team's run game is somewhat of a question mark, even with Jerome Ford once again filling Nick Chubb's shoes in Week 1.
Now, on paper, the Browns and Cowboys look pretty well matched at the skill positions, with Dallas having Pro Bowl talent of their own on the outside in Trevon Diggs and a reliable nickel option in Jourdan Lewis, but they will be without 2023 breakout performer DaRon Bland at CB2 and have a new defensive coordinator in Mike Zimmer, who feels like a downgrade from new Washington Commanders head coach Dann Quinn.
If Diggs and company have any issue adapting to Zimmer's scheme or 2024 fifth-round pick Caelen Carson struggles in his first start as a pro, the opportunity is there for the Browns to pick up consistent yardage across the middle of the field and on the outside, too. Factor in a Cowboys linebacking corps that lost first-round stalwart Leighton Vander-Esch, and the opportunity is there for Watson to pick apart the Cowboys' defense in a number of ways on the way to a very efficient evening.
2. Jim Schwartz's defense feasts on the Cowboys offensive line
While the Cowboys have a few very real question marks on defense due to coordinator changes, injuries, free agent exits, and an unlikely retirement, the Browns' defense looks just as good, if not better than last year, with a loaded front four that's legitimately eight deep, quality linebackers and a defensive backfield loaded up with talent old and new that's more than capable of weathering multiple different offensive formations and injuries alike.
Known for his relentlessly attacking front deployed from a wide-9 alignment, Schwartz knows a thing or two about getting to Dak Prescott and company from his time with the Philadelphia Eagles, and in Week 1, he'll get to face off against a Dallas offensive line that just isn't as good as years past, what with the loss of multiple starters heading into Week 1, including losing Tyler Biadasz and Tyron Smith in free agency, and expected starting left tackle Chuma Edgo to IR.
With two rookies expected to start in Week 1 in Tyler Guyton at left tackle and Cooper Beebe at center – neither of whom played those positions primarily in college – and a ton of drama behind them surrounding Prescott's contract, this feels like the kind of game where Schwatz's pass rush could really feast on the Cowboys dysfunction, with their attack becoming more and more effective as the Browns run up the score on offense.
Factor in the Cowboys' questionable running game, with 29 years Ezekiel Elliott back in the starting lineup after an ugly run in New England, and the potential is there for the Browns to have a statement game in Week 1.
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3. The Browns go up 1-0 to start the season
So, if the Browns are able to pick up chunk yardage against a questionable Cowboys defense and Schwartz's unit can dominate Dallas' offensive line on the way to a very productive game for Myles Garrett and company, it's pretty safe to assume that Cleveland will be sitting in first place in the AFC North with a 1-0 record, right?
Yes, while this game may be considered one of the closer contests on the calendar for Week 1, it really shouldn't be, as the Cowboys look diminished from their 12-5 record in 2023, whereas the Browns are at least as good, if not better than their team in 2024, especially when they get back to full strength later this year.
If the Browns can move the ball effectively through the air – and especially on the ground – while maintaining their effectiveness across the board from last year, there's little reason to believe that Cleveland won't be one of the best teams in 2024, just like they were in 2023 under Kevin Stefanski.
