2016 Cleveland Browns Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of yet another regime change, lost all their marquee free agents and continued a discouraging trend of losing with a 3-13 record last season.

Otherwise there's plenty of reason for optimism in Cleveland entering the 2016 campaign.

A new head coach in Hue Jackson was the former offensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals. Weakening an intrastate and AFC North rival is a big positive, but the Browns need to field a competitive team this year in order for the move to matter.

Below is a complete list of Cleveland's 2016 schedule, courtesy of NFL.com, followed by further analysis on the team and its most important games on the slate. 

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 11	at Philadelphia Eagles	1 p.m.	CBS
2	Sept. 18	vs. Baltimore Ravens	1 p.m.	CBS
3	Sept. 25	at Miami Dolphins	1 p.m.	CBS
4	Oct. 2	at Washington Redskins	1 p.m.	CBS
5	Oct. 9	vs. New England Patriots	1 p.m.	CBS
6	Oct. 16	at Tennessee Titans	1 p.m.	CBS
7	Oct. 23	at Cincinnati Bengals	1 p.m.	CBS
8	Oct. 30	vs. New York Jets	1 p.m.	CBS
9	Nov. 6	vs. Dallas Cowboys	1 p.m.	Fox
10	Nov. 10	at Baltimore Ravens	8:25 p.m.	NFL Network
11	Nov. 20	vs. Pittsburgh Steelers	1 p.m.	CBS
12	Nov. 27	vs. New York Giants	1 p.m.	Fox
13	Bye	Bye	Bye	Bye
14	Dec. 11	vs. Cincinnati Bengals	1 p.m.	CBS
15	Dec. 18	at Buffalo Bills	1 p.m.	CBS
16	Dec. 24	vs. San Diego Chargers	1 p.m.	CBS
17	Jan. 1	at Pittsburgh Steelers	1 p.m.	CBS

Analysis

About those aforementioned free agents: The Browns offensive line has been one of the lone bright spots in recent years. Pro Bowl center Alex Mack signed with the Atlanta Falcons, though, and stud right tackle Mitchell Schwartz fled to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The only speedy playmaker Cleveland had who wasn't suspended for all of 2015, wide receiver Travis Benjamin, sought a superior quarterback in Philip Rivers with the San Diego Chargers. And just like that, an already-struggling Browns offense was even worse off.

Cleveland has started 24 different quarterbacks since 1999 and had to part ways with troubled hopeful franchise savior Johnny Manziel as its potential QB of the future.

Jackson has an innovative West Coast offense that can help whoever is under center in 2016, be it veteran Josh McCown or a new member of the roster. The question is whether there's enough surrounding talent to make any Browns signal-caller successful.

Defense is also a concern after Cleveland finished 29th in points allowed and 30th versus the run last season. The Browns are in the midst of yet another rebuild and need a big, immediate impact from their 2016 draft class to markedly improve from last year.

Pivotal Matchups

David Richard/Associated Press

Outside of the division, a road trip to face the Tennessee Titans should be telling for the Browns.

Tennessee traded for former NFL rushing champion DeMarco Murray to complement promising young QB Marcus Mariota. Run defense has been crushing Cleveland in recent years, and this contest serves as a showcase for coordinator Ray Horton in his second Browns stint.

Horton called the shots for the Titans the previous two years, so he should have some inkling on how to stop the dual-threat Mariota.

The caliber of signal-callers due to visit Cleveland this season is also incredible. Tom Brady and the New England Patriots will provide as stiff a test as any to the Browns secondary. That matchup will reveal how much progress Cleveland has made in 2016 and how far it has to go to compete with the league's elite.

With Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh Steelers), Andy Dalton (Bengals), Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens), Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys) and Eli Manning (New York Giants) taking their teams to FirstEnergy Stadium as well, Horton and Co. have their work cut out for them in what looks to be a difficult home schedule.