Cleveland Browns 2012 Schedule: Grading the Strength of Every Opponent

Of late, it seems as though any schedule the Cleveland Browns face is a tough one, but this year it's statistically so.

They have the third most difficult schedule in the league, facing opponents who combined for a 135-121 win-loss record in 2011 and no chance to ease into the season.

Let's take a look at each opponent the Browns are set to face this year and grade them according to difficulty. An "A" grade means that team poses the greatest challenge; an "F", the least.

Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles attempted to build their version of a dream team in last year's free agency, picking up some of the biggest names on the market. It took them a while, with no real offseason, to come together as a unit—in fact, they didn't really do so until the end of 2011.

This year, however, will be a different story. There's every reason to believe at this early point they'll be a playoff contender. They should prove quite the opening day challenge for the Browns.

Difficulty Grade: B

Week 2: at Cincinnati Bengals; Week 6: vs. Cincinnati Bengals 

The Bengals were one of the more surprising teams of 2011, riding a rookie quarterback and rookie wide receiver to a 9-7 record and a playoff berth.

Those two men—Andy Dalton and A.J. Green—may suffer a sophomore slump of sorts, but they'll still prove a major test for the Browns. Important to watch for here is how well the Bengals revive their running game and how much the Browns have fixed their issues stopping the run.

Difficulty Grade: B-

Week 3: vs. Buffalo Bills

It's hard to say which iteration of the Buffalo Bills will be taking the field this year—we saw practically every version of the team last year, from high-flying passing to the same old struggling team to which we've become accustomed.

The Bills aren't worth dismissing, to be sure. But in the first three weeks, this is the presumably easiest opponent the Browns will face.

Difficulty Grade: C-

Week 4: at Baltimore Ravens; Week 9: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Week 4 is the sole time the Browns will be seen on national television and it's a pity it will be against one of the division's—and the league's—most powerful teams.

The Ravens might dip a bit defensively this year with so many free agent losses and the fact that Ray Lewis and Ed Reed are, of course, getting older. But on offense, expect them to be even stronger, especially in the passing game.

While the Browns have 13 draft picks with which to bolster their roster, and thus could actually prove to be a tough opponent this year, the Ravens are simply the Ravens. It's going to be tough. 

Difficulty Grade: A

Week 5: at New York Giants

Hot off the heels of a difficult contest on the road against the Ravens, the Browns have to travel to New York to take on the defending Super Bowl champion Giants.

The Giants are an up-and-down team, a fact that shouldn't be forgotten though they just hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. The Browns could catch the Giants off guard here, but that doesn't mean that passing game and defensive front are any less daunting right now.

Difficulty Grade: A

Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts

The Browns should look at the Indianapolis Colts this year and feel some familiarity. This season is the first of what is likely to be a multi-year rebuilding process, akin to the one the Browns are currently in the middle of.

Though ostensible Colts starting quarterback Andrew Luck is the very definition of a guy with a high ceiling, it's going to take more than just half a season for him to develop into the kind of player he's to become. The Browns have a real shot here.

Difficulty Grade: D

Week 8: vs. San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers have already done much to improve upon the struggling 2011 season off of which they've just come. While the trip eastward should throw them off some, it's still nothing with which they are unfamiliar.

Depending on both the Browns' and Chargers' defenses, this could actually become a shootout, but that's not something you want to engage Philip Rivers in, usually.

Difficulty Grade: B-

Week 10: Bye

Week 11: at Dallas Cowboys

This is the kind of game in which the Dallas Cowboys could certainly be caught unprepared, something the Browns could certainly use that to their advantage.

Traveling to Jerry World isn't as intimidating as it first seems, and the same could be said about the Tony Romo-led Cowboys as well. I actually see the Cowboys struggling mightily this year, so they aren't as difficult as they seem at first glance.

Difficulty Grade: C

Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers; Week 17: at Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers have been the bane of the Browns' existence more than any other team, and they'll likely continue to be so in 2012.

There are questions surrounding the Steelers this year, to be sure, ranging from the age of their defense to how well new offensive coordinator Todd Haley will integrate his vision into his new team.

But just like the Ravens earlier in the year, it's going to take a lot for the Browns to come out on top in these two games.

Difficulty Grade: A

Week 13: at Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are undergoing a shift of sorts, with new management up front and new coaches in the trenches. At the same time, they traded away nearly all of their draft picks, so their chances to bring on roster help this year are extremely limited.

Oakland has what it takes to be a scary team, but they won't get there this year. Compared to the previous week, the Raiders shouldn't be too hard for the Browns to successfully take on.

Difficulty Grade: C-

Week 14: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Talk about a wild card. The Chiefs were bitten numerous times by the injury bug last season, which makes it hard to predict what they'll look like this year.

Former Browns head coach Romeo Crennel is at the helm for Kansas City, meaning that at the very least, their defense should prove to be a test for Cleveland's offense. You know the Chiefs have offensive talent of their own, but it's hard to say how well they'll maximize it.

Difficulty Grade: C

Week 15: vs. Washington Redskins

This will be the Browns' first taste of Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III—the man the Browns nearly landed—and his many-limbed rushing and receiving crew.

As far as I'm concerned, even this iteration of the Redskins has a far more ferocious bark than bite. The Browns may fall to Washington here, but that doesn't mean Washington is one of the league's heaviest hitters.

Difficulty Grade: C+

Week 16: at Denver Broncos

It's a tough final two weeks of the season for Cleveland, with Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Week 16 and the Steelers to cap off the year. All five times that Manning has met the Browns, he's led his team (that would be the Colts) to a win, but he's thrown more interceptions than touchdowns while doing so.

The Browns will be best served to keep that in mind as they travel to Manning's new town. This won't be easy, to be sure, but it shouldn't be as tough as playing Manning's Colts in their prime.

Difficulty Grade: B

Follow @FBALL_Andrea