2018 Cleveland Browns Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

Things can only get better for the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland lost all 16 of its games during the 2017 season, leaving the door open for improvement even if it goes a mere 1-15 like in 2016. It hasn't made the playoffs since the 2002 campaign, but the team now knows the schedule it must navigate if it is going to change that following Thursday's release, per NFL.com.

Despite the recent struggles, the 2018 season does feel like the start of a new era for the Browns after a number of head-turning offseason moves.

With that in mind, here is a look at Cleveland's 2018 schedule, as well as a breakdown of some of the key games it faces with the hope of turning things around.

Browns' 2018 Schedule

Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 2: at New Orleans Saints on Sept. 16 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 3: vs. New York Jets on Sept. 20 at 8:20 p.m. ET on NFL Network

Week 4: at Oakland Raiders on Sept. 30 at 4:05 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 5: vs. Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 6: vs. Los Angeles Chargers on Oct. 14 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 7: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 21 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 8: at Pittsburgh Steelers on Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 9: vs. Kansas City Chiefs on Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 10: vs. Atlanta Falcons on Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 11: BYE

Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 13: at Houston Texans on Dec. 2 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 14: vs. Carolina Panthers on Dec. 9 at 1 p.m. ET on Fox

Week 15: at Denver Broncos on Dec. 15 at 4:30 p.m. ET on NFL Network

Week 16: vs. Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 23 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 17: at Baltimore Ravens on Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS

Analysis

The only way the Browns are going to bounce back from their embarrassing 2017 record is with a better performance from the offense after finishing 24th in total yards and dead last in scoring in the league.

They wasted little time addressing that side of the ball during the offseason by trading for quarterback Tyrod Taylor and wide receiver Jarvis Landry before signing running back Carlos Hyde and wide receiver Jeff Janis.

Cleveland also holds the Nos. 1 and 4 selections in the upcoming NFL draft and will have the opportunity to address its offensive issues there as well if it so chooses.

A full season of wide receiver Josh Gordon will also be key after he tallied 335 receiving yards in five games in 2017 in his first regular-season action since the 2014 campaign.

It wasn't just the offense that left much to be desired last year, though, as the defense was 31st in the league in points allowed. One reason for optimism is the expected development of defensive end Myles Garrett, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2017 and tallied seven sacks in 11 games as a rookie.

His ability to generate pressure against a schedule featuring the likes of Matt Ryan, Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton and Drew Brees, among other signal-callers, will be important in Cleveland's quest to emerge from the cellar in the AFC North.

Pivotal Matchups

The AFC North runs through the Pittsburgh Steelers after they went 13-3 in 2017 and won their third division crown in four years. If Cleveland is going to go from worst to first, it will have to take care of business against the Steelers in two head-to-head matchups.

There is reason for optimism considering the Browns lost by a combined seven points in their two games last year, suggesting it won't take astronomical strides to make up the difference in 2018.

Elsewhere, the Browns have a number of games against potential AFC wild-card contenders that will prove critical in their pursuit of a playoff appearance even if Pittsburgh does win the division again.

Games against the division rival Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens jump out along those lines, as do road contests against the Oakland Raiders, Denver Broncos and Houston Texans. Like Cleveland, the Raiders, Broncos and Texans are all looking to bounce back from subpar showings in 2017 with improvements on both sides of the ball this year.

Any chance the Browns have of reaching the playoffs for the first time in 16 years comes down to how they perform against these AFC contenders.