Cleveland Browns 2015 Schedule: Win-Loss Predictions for Every Game
The NFL released the official 2015 schedule on Tuesday night. Though we've known all 32 teams' opponents for the season since December, we now know the order in which these games will be played. This is important, because the structure of a team's schedule is just as important as the actual opponents they will be facing.
The Cleveland Browns have a difficult schedule this year, playing not just their AFC North rivals, but also the NFC West and AFC West. This is not like 2014 when the Browns had the benefit of playing against the struggling AFC South.
With the release of the schedule, it's time to make some very early win-loss predictions for the Browns. Yes, there is much that will change, especially with the NFL draft happening next week and the Browns still months away from determining who their starting quarterback will be.
But, based on where the Browns are now, where their opponents stand and the way the schedule looks, here are some tentative predictions on how Cleveland's 2015 season will play out.
Week 1: Cleveland Browns at New York Jets
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The Browns and the New York Jets could employ similar strategies in order to get the most out of their respective 2015 seasons, namely centering the offense around a strong run game and relying on a tough defense to bail out any offensive weaknesses they may have—particularly at the quarterback position.
Without question, the Jets' biggest strength at present is their defense. They already possessed an intimidating front seven, but now their secondary may be one of the best in the league, given the additions of cornerbacks Darrelle Revis, Antonio Cromartie and former Brown Buster Skrine.
The Browns will be well aware of what is lurking in the Jets' defensive backfield and will tailor their approach accordingly. The Jets, however, will likely have to do the same thing, and Tashaun Gipson, Joe Haden, Tramon Williams and Donte Whitner are no slouches, either.
In an old-fashioned, grind-it-out football game, points and yards will be at a premium. And given the structures of these two teams, it's almost a pick 'em when it comes to predicting a winner. Either way, it will be close, and it would serve the Browns well to open the 2015 season with a win on the road.
Prediction: W, 14-13
Week 2: Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans
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The Browns are a franchise whose seasons have both peaks and valleys. Those peaks may not always be that high and the valleys may be quite low, but at least the Browns are a team that shows some signs of life. The Tennessee Titans, on the other hand, have flatlined, playing at a low level reminiscent of the Browns' worst days.
With the Titans, there's just not a lot there. Their quarterback situation is worse than that of the Browns, who at least have two, if not four, rather capable players to choose from. Their best running back just might be Shonn Greene. Their pass rush could benefit from the addition of Brian Orakpo—if he can stay healthy. In short, the Titans are a mess. The Browns look like the Seattle Seahawks in comparison.
The Browns have some roster deficiencies, but the Titans roster, in contrast, is simply deficient. The Browns should be able to quickly dispatch Tennessee in Week 2.
Prediction: W, 21-7
Week 3: Cleveland Browns vs. Oakland Raiders
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It's not all doom and gloom for the Browns in 2015. Though the Browns may not finish the year with seven wins like last season, they will have opportunities to take on weaker opponents and benefit home-field advantage to get them a few surprise wins over unsuspecting visitors.
The Oakland Raiders, whom the Browns host in Week 3, fall into the former category. The Raiders may be one of the few teams in the NFL to have a more disappointing recent history than the Browns. Though they solved their quarterback situation by drafting Derek Carr a year ago, everything else—the run game, the receiving corps and especially the defense—is still a work-in-progress.
Given Carr's relative greenness in the NFL, Cleveland's defensive veterans like Donte Whitner, Joe Haden and Tramon Williams should be able to bait the quarterback into making mistakes. The Browns should also be able to control the pace of this game by running the ball. If all goes according to plan, the Browns should be able to grind out a win against a West Coast visitor with more weaknesses than them.
Prediction: W, 17-10
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Week 4: Cleveland Browns at San Diego Chargers
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Assuming San Diego Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers remains with the Chargers for the final year of his current contract, it will be difficult for the Browns to emerge victorious in their Week 4 road stand against them.
Rivers is a seasoned pro. He is capable of making plays even with a struggling offensive line, as was the case last year. While he's not Peyton Manning, he is one of the most cerebral pocket passers in the league. He's seen it all, and it will be difficult for the Browns' defense to fool him.
The Chargers have significant roster holes they need to fill between now and their meeting with the Browns. That offensive line must get better, as must the defensive front seven. If they do, the Chargers again become one of the league's more well-rounded teams. That kind of completeness will give the Browns problems, especially on the road.
Prediction: L, 27-10
Week 5: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens
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There are few places that are tougher to play on the road and come out with a win than Baltimore. The Ravens lost only two home games in both 2013 and 2014. They know how to consistently protect their home turf better than almost any other team. It's going to be hard for the Browns to head there in Week 5 and have any chance to succeed.
The Ravens know how to capitalize on opponents' mistakes. They are an opportunistic team that works like a well-oiled machine. The Browns, on the other hand, are trying to reach that level. It will be a hard standard to reach this year, given the quarterback situation and longstanding issues with stopping the run.
Baltimore has the formula perfected when it comes to taking care of business at home. They also don't have a history of playing down to inferior opponents, like the Pittsburgh Steelers often do. The Ravens give no quarter to their visitors, and it won't be any different when the Browns come to town this season.
Prediction: L, 31-10
Week 6: Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos
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It's as if the NFL scheduling gods looked down upon the Browns this year and decided to smite them. Not only must the team face the formidable NFC West this year, they must also take on the AFC West, and they face that division's crown jewel, the Denver Broncos, in Week 6.
There are few defenders capable of outsmarting Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. What he may lack in arm strength in his 38th year he more than makes up for with uncanny football smarts. It will be difficult for Browns head coach Mike Pettine and defensive coordinator Jim O'Neil to develop a scheme that will cause Manning to struggle.
Not only do the Broncos have Manning, they also have a strong running game, led by C.J. Anderson. The Broncos have a number of ways they can attack Cleveland's defense, which doesn't bode well for the Browns' chances in this game. They simply do not have the defensive prowess to best Manning and stop the run, nor the offensive firepower to rival Denver's.
Prediction: L, 31-10
Week 7: Cleveland Browns at St. Louis Rams
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The St. Louis Rams are something of an enigma, helped in part by the trade of quarterback Sam Bradford to the Philadelphia Eagles for fellow passer Nick Foles. Foles can bring some of Bradford's pocket-passing skills to the offense while adding a running component that they didn't have with the oft-injured Bradford.
Either way, the Rams will need to add to their receiving corps in order for the Foles experiment to pay off. They also need to make sure Foles has the blocking and protection he needs, lest he wind up battered and bruised like his predecessor.
Where the Rams really shine is on defense, particularly their defensive line, which is among the best in the league at rushing passers and stopping the run.
The Browns may be taking a run-heavy approach to their offense this year—one that the Rams can stymie when they meet in Week 7. And if not, that pass rush is going to make things difficult for Josh McCown, Johnny Manziel or whoever the Browns name as their starting quarterback.
This defensive battle would go in Cleveland's favor if they were playing at home. On the road, though, the scales tip slightly toward St. Louis.
Prediction: L, 17-13
Week 8: Cleveland Browns vs. Arizona Cardinals
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It's pretty impressive that four quarterbacks threw regular-season passes for the Arizona Cardinals last year and yet they still won 11 games and reached the postseason. The accomplishment earned their head coach, Bruce Arians, Coach of the Year honors.
Though it may appear that the Cardinals got lucky, they also reached a double-digit win total while playing in the NFC West, the most difficult division in the NFL. In fact, the Cardinals are one reason why the NFC West has been so formidable.
Still, that doesn't mean a good team cannot get caught, especially on the road. The Browns could benefit from being underestimated by the visiting Cardinals in Week 8 and come away with a victory.
The Cardinals cannot rest on a carousel of quarterbacks to produce the same results in a second consecutive year, which means they need Carson Palmer to be 100 percent healed from his torn ACL in order to reprise an 11-win season.
Further, the Cardinals are without defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, who has moved on to coach the New York Jets. Bowles managed to make do with a defensive front seven that lacked pass-rushers by blitzing on a whopping 42.5 percent of pass plays last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Now, without Bowles, who knows how the Cardinals will handle attacking opposing quarterbacks.
The Cardinals are a good team, though, so this game should be close. But when it reaches its end, the Browns will come away with the upset victory at home.
Prediction: W, 21-20
Week 9: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals
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In Week 9, the Browns travel to Cincinnati to take on the Bengals. The Browns have won there just four times since 2000, including a 24-3 victory in November of last year. It was a good game for the Browns, perhaps their signature win of the season. And they may be able to pull it off again this year.
Week 9's contest between the Browns and Bengals will happen on the primetime stage that is Thursday Night Football. In the Bengals' Andy Dalton era, the team has made 10 primetime appearances, which resulted in seven losses and three wins. They are also 0-4 in another important setting—the playoffs—and it's because Dalton just isn't a big-game quarterback.
Cincinnati's offense should be in much better shape this year, with both wide receiver Marvin Jones and tight end Tyler Eifert healthy and in the lineup. The defense should do a better job at rushing the passer, too. All of this should combine to make it a tough time for the Browns to come into town and win.
If the Browns didn't have the benefit of playing the Bengals under the lights of a national audience, this may be a significant loss. But given Dalton and the Bengals' struggles in games of this manner, the Browns get the edge here.
Prediction: W, 21-16
Week 10: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers
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The road is an unforgiving place for struggling teams, and travel shouldn't do the Browns many favors this year. It's going to be a tough task to go to Pittsburgh to face the rival Steelers in Week 10, especially with the Steelers boasting such a potent offense.
It's hard to pinpoint how the 2015 Browns will look simply because the quarterback situation is so far from being resolved. But no Browns quarterback has the proven talent of Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger, no receiver compares to Antonio Brown and their duo of running backs Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West do not combine to create one back of Le'Veon Bell's caliber.
The Browns may have a defensive advantage, particularly in the secondary. But even the NFL's top cornerbacks and safeties cannot do much to stop Brown, the NFL's leading receiver from 2014. And if the Browns don't get better at stopping the run, Bell is going to carry this game on his shoulders—literally.
It's not impossible for the Browns to post an upset against the Steelers. But it won't be happening this year. The Steelers in Pittsburgh will be too much for the Browns to handle in Week 10.
Prediction: L, 30-3
Week 12: Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens
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For the Browns to defeat the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12, they'll need to limit the effectiveness of quarterback Joe Flacco and stop running back Justin Forsett in his tracks.
The former may be possible this year, given that Flacco no longer has the services of deep-threat receiver Torrey Smith, but the latter could prove difficult if the Browns defense resembles 2014's, which ranked last in the league against the run.
Plus, the Browns still have to concern themselves with Ravens receiver Steve Smith. Though Smith turns 36 next month, what he may have lost in speed has been more than made up for by his legendary toughness and unparalleled football ability. He can still give the league's best cornerbacks nightmares, and he should be a handful for the Browns' Joe Haden.
Though it may not be a pleasant thought, anything the Browns can do the Ravens can do better. Given that, it will be hard for the Browns to beat Baltimore in a late-season Monday Night Football contest, even with a home-field advantage and a Week 11 bye week to prepare.
Prediction: L, 21-14
Week 13: Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals
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The Cincinnati Bengals took a step backwards in 2014, primarily on defense. Their pass rush produced just 21 total sacks last year, while their offense, hampered by injuries, was as up-and-down as Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton. Still, they reached the postseason for the fourth straight year.
This year, the Bengals should see some bounce-back with their defensive front seven, given that they have brought back pass-rushing defensive end Michael Johnson and will likely look for additional help in the draft. And with everyone healthy—including wide receiver Marvin Jones and tight end Tyler Eifert—the offense should be better than ever.
The Bengals boast a completeness that the Browns just do not have. Though there are positions where the Browns have an advantage, such as cornerback and safety, the Bengals' ability to spread the ball around and run at will should wear down the Browns, particularly their front seven.
The Browns could help their cause by pressuring Dalton, given that pressured passing is his downfall. However, if the Bengals can successfully transition to a run-heavy approach, Cleveland won't stand a chance.
Prediction: L, 21-13
Week 14: Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers
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"Turmoil" and "chaos" are two words often associated with the Browns season after season, thanks to the numerous personnel, coaching staff and front office changes that seem to happen like clockwork every two or three years.
However, they are also words that can describe the 2015 iteration of the San Francisco 49ers. Head coach Jim Harbaugh and much of his coaching staff are gone, replaced by the in-house promotion of Jim Tomsula. A number of key defensive personnel have either retired or moved on. Even running back Frank Gore is now with the Indianapolis Colts.
The Niners have begun a large-scale rebuilding project, a situation the Browns know all too well. And it's a situation the Browns can capitalize on in Week 14, when San Francisco comes to town.
Cleveland's defense is suddenly far superior to the 49ers', and though San Francisco has a more stable quarterback situation, given their present commitment to Colin Kaepernick, Kaepernick shouldn't be a huge problem for the Browns.
If the Browns are in a bad way, the Niners are in far worse shape. There's little chance the visitors escape Cleveland with a win this year.
Prediction: W, 14-7
Week 15: Cleveland Browns at Seattle Seahawks
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The cruel joke of the 2015 schedule lumbers on with the Browns traveling to Seattle to face the truly terrifying Seahawks in Week 15. The Seahawks have reached the Super Bowl twice in the past two years, winning once and coming close to repeating last season.
This is the best team in the NFL for a reason—they run the ball better than everyone else, quarterback Russell Wilson has one of the most accurate deep passes in the league and the defense is comprised of top-shelf talent. It's almost unfair to have the Browns face this team this year, let alone on the road.
It's loud at Seattle's CenturyLink Field, but noise is the last thing the Browns will have to worry about in Week 15. They will have the Seahawks' vaunted Legion of Boom secondary and their run-stopping front seven to contend with. They will have to try to tackle Seattle running back Marshawn Lynch and contain Wilson.
These are difficult tasks for teams like the New England Patriots and Denver Broncos. For the Browns, they may just prove impossible.
Prediction: L, 21-9
Week 16: Cleveland Browns at Kansas City Chiefs
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The Kansas City Chiefs' calling cards are their pass rush and their ability to run the ball. Defending the run and throwing touchdown passes to wide receivers? Not so much. Because of this, the Browns do have a chance to give the Chiefs a close game when they travel to Arrowhead Stadium in Week 16.
Expect both the Browns and Chiefs to take a run-heavy approach, not only because it's what both teams may do best this year, but also because it's what the two defenses defend worst. The Browns were last in the league in stopping the run in 2014, but the Chiefs weren't far ahead, ranking 28th.
The only problem here is that the Browns will have to keep the game close in order to run the ball well. They can accomplish this, though, as the Chiefs aren't exactly a high-octane offense that will force them to play catch-up.
Instead, it will be the hostile road environment in super-loud Arrowhead that will play the biggest role for the Browns. It will be a close game between Cleveland and Kansas City, but the Chiefs get the nod because the crowd noise should give them an edge.
Prediction: L, 20-16
Week 17: Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
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The Cleveland Browns' rivalry with the Pittsburgh Steelers is their most storied, though it has become less competitive in recent years as the Steelers remain stable both on the roster and in the front office. The gulf between the two teams appears to be widening, especially where offense is concerned.
The Steelers had their best offensive season of the Ben Roethlisberger era in 2014, aided by Roethlisberger's myriad receiving weapons—Antonio Brown being the most notable. They also have one of the league's best running backs in Le'Veon Bell and a second-year receiver in Martavis Bryant who proved to be a touchdown machine in 2014.
The Browns' leading trio of receivers, Andrew Hawkins, Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline are a far cry from the Brandon Marshall-Alshon Jeffery tandem Josh McCown threw to with the Chicago Bears. And the trio does not match up well in comparison to the Steelers' group of receivers, regardless of which Browns quarterback is throwing to them.
That lack of firepower is what will doom the Browns in the season finale. While they could find some success establishing the run with Isaiah Crowell and Terrance West, the Steelers simply have a greater capacity to score points, which will result in a Browns loss.
Prediction: L, 17-10
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