5 must-watch games on the Browns' 2019 schedule

The Cleveland Browns have their fair share of must-watch games on the 2019 NFL schedule. We're going to rank how exciting these games are.

The Cleveland Browns have their fair share of must-watch games on the 2019 NFL schedule.

We're going to rank how exciting these games are. We will also consider intriguing storylines. These games will fire up any die-hard Browns fan.

5. Miami Dolphins, November 24

This game has an interesting subplot: It will be wide receiver Jarvis Landry's first game against his former team.

Landry played for the Dolphins for five seasons. Miami traded him to Cleveland for a 2018 fourth-round draft pick and a 2019 seventh-round pick in March of 2018.

A year later, the Browns acquired Landry's best friend since high school, Odell Beckham, Jr., in a blockbuster trade with the New York Giants.

Sheer coincidence? We don't think so. The Landry-Beckham wideout tandem will abuse any secondary. Those two are integral parts of the Browns' Super Bowl aspirations.

Landry, in particular, should feel pumped up for the game against Miami. It won't be a surprise if he hauls in at least 100 receiving yards against the Dolphins — it's his way of saying “thank you” for trading him to the Browns.

4. Seattle Seahawks, October 13

If Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are in town, make sure to watch the game. You don't get to see Wilson and Co. visit Northeast Ohio very often.

Wilson is enough reason for Browns fanatics to make the trip to FirstEnergy Stadium in Week 6. He is one of the craftiest and smartest signal-callers in the game today.

He also has an elite arm: Russell's 35 passing touchdowns tied him with the Atlanta Falcons' Matt Ryan for third-most in the league last season, per Pro Football Focus. Russell will test a Browns defense featuring Denzel Ward, Myles Garrett, and Joe Schobert.

If the Browns' pass rush (which ranked 29th in the NFL in 2018, per Pro Football Focus) fails to stifle Wilson, it will be in trouble. Cleveland must attack Seattle's so-so offensive line (which allowed the 12th-most sacks last season) with reckless abandon. If the Browns do that, they should hold their own against the Seahawks.

3. Los Angeles Rams, September 22

Expect the Los Angeles Rams to take no prisoners in the 2019 NFL season.

The Rams lost to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. That left a bad taste in their mouths.

Plus, many football experts say Los Angeles never should have made the Super Bowl to begin with. Their argument: the controversial missed defensive pass interference call in the 2018 NFC Championship Game against the New Orleans Saints.

The Rams want to prove a point this season. Expect fireworks to go off in their September 22 tussle against the Browns.

Los Angeles's Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, and Robert Woods should light it up for Los Angeles. On the other hand, Mayfield, Beckham, and Landry should figure prominently in Cleveland's offense. Kareem Hunt should make a valuable contribution as well.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers, November 14

Members of the Dawg Pound should always block off Browns games against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Simply put, Browns-Steelers is must-watch TV. The November 14 game at FirstEnergy Stadium marks the first time Browns fans won't see Antonio Brown in a Steelers uniform in nine seasons.

Watch for an aerial display by Beckham and Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Now that Antonio Brown is gone, expect Smith-Schuster to carry a heavier load on offense for the Steelers. He and Beckham should trade haymakers in this one.

Finally, can Baker Mayfield go toe to toe with Ben Roethlisberger? Mayfield mustered just 180 passing yards in two games against the Pittsburgh defense last season. If he wants to become an elite quarterback, he has to produce more against the Browns' bitter rivals.

1. At New England Patriots, October 27

This game tops the other 15 games on Cleveland's regular-season schedule in 2019.

The Patriots are the defending Super Bowl champions. They have Tom Brady. Who knows when this legendary quarterback will finally hang up his cleats? The 41-year-old Brady shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, he expressed his desire to play until the age of 45 in September of 2018.

If the Cleveland Browns want to prove they're Super Bowl contenders this season, they must beat the defending champions. Winning in hostile Gillette Stadium is anything but easy.

However, if the Browns pull it off, they will take an all-important step in their climb toward respectability.