A look at Baker’s summer and guesstimating the best-, worst-, and most reasonable case scenarios for 2019 offensively
September 2, 2019My My, Mike Clevinger
September 3, 2019
Happy Tuesday, WFNY!
Normally I would start by talking about what a long summer it’s been and how it seemed like football season would never arrive. This year, however, summer seems like it flew by. This weekend the Cleveland Browns start their season, and for once there’s a sense of very real optimism in Cleveland.
I’ve been on record as saying that I’m all-in on the hype and optimism. I’m embracing it. I don’t want to be scared or cautious. I want to just embrace this team and have fun with it. I’m along for the ride no matter where it takes us.
Having said all that, the Browns’ schedule could make this a pretty interesting season. If the Browns split their opening two games1, there’s a worst-case scenario where the Browns are 2-5, or maybe even 2-6. Three of the Browns’ first five games are night games, where anything can happen. Of course, I also think there’s just as real of a chance of them being 5-2 or maybe 6-2.
The Browns end the season with a very winnable stretch of games, meaning how those first eight games go will set the table for what kind of season this will be. I know, breaking news there…how a team starts the season is important. With the Browns’ front-loaded schedule, I’m just saying it’s more important than ever that they weather the opening set of games. That’s the great unknown with this team. With so many new players and new coaches, we just don’t know how any of this is going to play out. We think the defense is going to be much improved, and we expect the defensive line to set the tone early and often. But we don’t know. We think the offense is going to be really good. But we don’t know. We think Freddie Kitchens is the right temperament for this team. But we don’t know.
And that’s the joy of the start of the NFL season. Other than maybe four or five teams, every team thinks they can make the playoffs this year. Expectations have been soaring in Cleveland all offseason. This feels like the season we’ve been waiting decades for. A season in which the Cleveland Browns are relevant. I don’t know how this season is going to go, but I’m just glad the Browns matter in some meaningful way going into it. Obviously, I want the Browns to be really good. It will be a huge disappointment if they flop and are just the same old Browns. But for now, I’m just soaking in the feeling of an NFL season in which the Browns seem to be a legit part of the discussion.
For so many seasons the Browns have been outsiders. The Browns have routinely put a product on the field that didn’t even resemble the same kind of football everyone else was playing. Sure, the Browns went 0-16 just two seasons ago, but only nine current members of the Browns were on that team (JC Tretter, Joel Bittonio, Charley Hughlett, Christian Kirksey, Rashard Higgins, Joe Schobert, Myles Garrett, David Njoku, Larry Ogunjobi). To hold past outcomes against this current team isn’t really appropriate. From the GM to the coach to the players, this is a new-look team. Now we get to see them put all that hard work on the field and find out what their own outcomes will be. This team has a story to tell, but for once, we have no idea what that story will look like. We’ll start to find out on Sunday.
- Remember, this is a franchise that hasn’t won a season opener since 2004. Of course, last season they opened with a tie, so, hey! Progress! [↩]
