Browns Set To Finish 2024 Regular Season With A Brutal Closing Stretch

The Cleveland Browns absolutely need to strong the season off strong, ideally going 4-1 or 5-0 from the jump. The main reason for this is due to the fact that a win may be extremely hard to come by at the tail-end of the season.

The saving grace for the Browns in the second half of the season might be that they have their Bye Week in Week 10 and then get a mini gap in the schedule between Week 12 and Week 13 due to a Thursday Night Football matchup with Pittsburgh, followed by a Monday Night Football matchup at the Denver Broncos. Both opportunities to rest and get healthy could be crucial for the brutal stretch from Week 14-Week 18.

Starting in Week 14, the Browns travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers for the second time in three weeks. Cleveland has a long history of struggles in Pittsburgh and those games always tend to be extremely physical. Such a quick turnaround in this rivalry matchup will be tough. The Browns certainly could win both but I expect a split upon initial look.

The Kansas City Chiefs then visit Cleveland in Week 15 in a return home for Cleveland Heights native, Travis Kelce. This matchup with the defending Super Bowl champs will be world-class. Not only will the Browns defense need to play a great game, but the offense will have to find ways to score as well. The defense won't be able to beat Patrick Mahomes and company alone.

In Week 16, the Browns return to primetime on a short week. For the second time in 2024, the Browns play on Thursday night. This time they travel to Paycor Stadium to face Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals. Despite having the Bengals' number in recent times, this will be nothing short of difficult.

Week 17 brings a bit of favorable fortunes. The Miami Dolphins are a strong team, but they are predicated on speed and high-powered offense. Hosting the Dolphins in late December at Cleveland Browns Stadium is ideal. The colder and windier it is that day, the better for the Browns.

Finally in Week 18, Cleveland wraps up the regular season with a trip to the Baltimore Ravens. Ideally, the team already has a playoff spot and seed locked up in order to just rest starters. The NFL is prepared for it to still be a competitive game with a lot on the line though.

Three division rivalry games in the final five weeks of the season is a lot. Every game here is winnable, yet if Cleveland can start the season with very few losses, then they may be able to go 2-3 or 3-2 in this stretch and be okay.

As Browns' fans know, injuries can totally change a season. Assuming that there are no significant injuries for any of these teams by the end of the season, then all five matchups listed above will be must-watch television.