Cleveland Browns' 5 Toughest Matchups of 2015 Schedule

Like every team in the NFL, the Cleveland Browns are preparing to play 16 games in the upcoming regular season. And like every team, some opponents will be more difficult to defeat than others. Last year, the Browns won seven games—their highest win total since 2007—but this year, the team has the ninth-most-difficult schedule, which could mean reaching that seven-win mark will be a more trying task.

Here are the five toughest matchups the Browns will face this year and why they will give the team so much trouble.

Week 5: At Baltimore Ravens

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The Baltimore Ravens have defeated the Browns 24 times. Cleveland, meanwhile, has come away with only eight wins since the two teams began squaring off in 1999. And the Browns have not won in Baltimore since 2007—the year of their most recent winning season. Since then, the Browns have notched just one win over the Ravens, which took place in Cleveland in 2013.

The odds just aren't in Cleveland's favor here. While anything is possible in the NFL, Time magazine recently noted that the Ravens do not just possess the greatest home-field advantage in football, they have the greatest home-field advantage in all of American professional sports, having won 78 percent of their home games over the last 10 years.

This game against the Ravens is situated in one of the Browns' most difficult three-game stretches of the season, coming on the heels of the Browns traveling to face the San Diego Chargers in Week 4 and preceding the team hosting the Denver Broncos in Week 6.

Their toughest challenge will be trying to stop Ravens running back Justin Forsett. Last year, the Browns defense ranked last in the league in rushing yards per game allowed (141.6) and gave up an average of 4.5 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Forsett had a breakout season, rushing 235 times for 1,266 yards and eight scores, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and 79.1 rushing yards per game.

The Browns should do better at stopping running backs this year, given that a number of their key defensive linemen are now healthy and that they added Danny Shelton in Round 1 of the draft. But Forsett remains in a very run-friendly offense under new Ravens coordinator Marc Trestman. If the Browns struggle to stop him, it will not be a pretty Sunday for them in Baltimore.

Week 8: Vs. Arizona Cardinals

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Last year, the Arizona Cardinals managed to win 11 games and earn a playoff berth while cycling through three different quarterbacks. They relied on sticking to what worked on offense—a vertical passing attack—while boasting a blitz-heavy defensive front seven and a strong coverage secondary. They barely had a running game to speak of, but they managed to be one of the NFL's best teams.

The Cardinals have seen some major offseason changes—namely the loss of defensive coordinator Todd Bowles to the New York Jets. But they also brought on offensive tackle D.J. Humphries in Round 1 of the 2015 draft to help protect quarterback Carson Palmer, who is on the mend from an ACL tear he suffered last year.

Arizona is a seasoned team chock-full of veterans who can run the team to head coach Bruce Arians' specifications. Meanwhile, the Browns are relatively young, and head coach Mike Pettine is in his second season on the job. 

The Browns' high-performing secondary could chop down some of the Cardinals' vertical passing success, but their offensive line will have its hands full with Arizona's creative blitzing, which should continue under new coordinator James Bettcher. The toughest challenge, though, will be for Pettine to out-coach Arians, a two-time Associated Press Coach of the Year.

Week 10: At Pittsburgh Steelers

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The age-old rivalry between the Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers has gotten interesting in recent years, as the Browns have managed two wins over the Steelers since 2012. But the Browns have not traveled to Pittsburgh and won since 2003, and that's not the only reason the Browns' Week 10 matchup against them will be difficult this year.

There's also the matter of the Steelers' high-octane offense. Last year, the Steelers totaled the second-most yards in the league thanks to their passing game, which also had the NFL's second-best marks. Though the Browns may be able to counter the Steelers' passing prowess with an improved pass rush and their vaunted secondary, the Steelers have too many weapons to stop in a given game.

From speedy receiver Antonio Brown, to wideout Martavis Bryant who totaled eight touchdowns in his 26 catches last year, from running back Le'Veon Bell, who is a threat as a runner and a receiver, to the ever-present chain-mover Heath Miller, it's hard to stop every one of them.

The task gets even more difficult when quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, currently in the prime of his career, extends play after play, throwing off opposing defenses.

But these aren't the only reasons this Week 10 matchup will be tough for the Browns. The timing is also terrible. The Browns will be coming off of a Week 9 Thursday night game in Cincinnati and head into a bye in Week 11 after the Steelers game, only to host the Ravens on Monday Night Football in Week 12.

This logjam of divisional games—bookended by nationally televised contests, no less—makes besting the Steelers in Pittsburgh at this point in the year a difficult task for the Browns.

Week 15: At Seattle Seahawks

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It's not impossible to travel to Seattle and beat the Seahawks—but only one team, the Dallas Cowboys, could do it in 2014. And for two years in a row, the Seahawks have made it to the Super Bowl, earning one victory. And beyond their deep roster of talented players, the Seahawks also have the 12th Man, their fanbase, which is one of the loudest an NFL team will ever encounter.

That intimidating environment and the Seahawks' recent pedigree will be hard for the Browns to shake off. But the real struggle will come in defending Seattle's run game. Even if the Browns do improve this area of their defense this year, it may not matter. The Seahawks have made a habit of running over every opponent, no matter how good their defensive stats have been.

The Seahawks totaled the second-most rushing attempts last year, with 525, and led the league in rushing yards, with 2,762—or 172.6 yards per game. They show no signs of slowing down in 2015, given that dual-threat quarterback Russell Wilson and battering-ram rusher Marshawn Lynch are still fully entrenched as starters. Last year, Wilson rushed for 849 yards, and Lynch totaled 1,306.

And stopping one doesn't mean stopping the other. Even if the Browns can somehow choke the Seahawks' run game on their home turf, there's still the matter of Wilson's arm to contend with. Wilson was Pro Football Focus' fifth most-accurate passer last year, and their sixth-best under pressure.

None of this accounts for the defense, either. Seattle's secondary rivals only the Browns' in talent, while the run defense gave up just 3.4 yards per carry last year. Traveling to Seattle may not end well for the Browns.

Week 16: At Kansas City Chiefs

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The Browns' Week 16 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs will be difficult, and not just because the run defense that struggled so much last year will be tasked with stopping running back Jamaal Charles. It will also be tough because the timing will be poor.

Just a week after traveling to Seattle and trying to stop the Seahawks, the Browns will have to go to Kansas City, another loud, hostile stadium for visiting opponents. And at that point in the year, after the schedule the Browns will have faced, it could be a very long day for them against the Chiefs.

On the plus side, the Chiefs' passing attack should be a non-issue. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith didn't connect for a touchdown with any of his wide receivers last year, and his seven yards per pass attempt mean that the Browns' secondary won't struggle to defend his passes.

Kansas City's defense was also weak against the run last year, allowing 4.7 yards per carry, which is good news for this season's potentially run-heavy Browns offense.

But taking the show on the road for the penultimate game of the year after their road contest against the Seahawks could simply prove too much for the Browns to handle.