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The Cleveland Browns this past season had one of their best performances in nearly a decade. After the past three seasons with a combined four wins and 44 losses, they finally brought some winning to Ohio. They finished the season 7-8-1, sitting third in the AFC North division.
Eight games into the season, head coach Hue Jackson was fired. They brought in Gregg Williams to be the interim, and after that, they went 5-3.
Their starting rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield threw for 3,725 yards with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. His completion percentage sat at 63.8 percent with his quarterback rating sitting at a 55.7.
Even though they have a lot of work to do, the Browns have a promising future. Mayfield clearly has the talent to be a top quarterback in the league. Another offseason and another draft should bring them even close to a playoff appearance.
However, there are a few questions going into the season that begged to be asked.
3. How good can Freddie Kitchens be?
The Browns surprised many by deciding to promote their offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens to head coach. He had spent the last eight games of the regular season in that position and doesn't have head coaching experience otherwise.
Though Mayfield thrived in his offense, it remains to be seen how great of a leader and overall coach Kitchens is. The Browns haven't had offensive success like this in a long time. He's under a lot of pressure to get them to at least .500 this upcoming season.
2. What kind of offensive weapons will they add?
The Browns did pick up Kareem Hunt. Hunt was released by the Kansas City Chiefs last season after a video surfaced of him assaulting a woman. His offensive talents are clearly high-level, however, the team has to be wary about his off-field problems. The league is still unsure about how long he will be suspended. It could be up to a full year, but more likely will be around four games.
Otherwise, Jarvis Landry is their only real offensive weapon. He had 81 receptions and 976 yards with four touchdowns for the team last season. It will be interesting to see if they choose to pick up someone like Golden Tate in free agency or a wideout in the draft. Mayfield will need all the weapons he can get.
1. Can they make the playoffs?
The Browns almost had a .500 record last season, but weren't able to reach that goal. Now, with another season of improvement from Mayfield and overall a better team, the organization is preparing to finally win games. The team has the talent to make the playoffs. It will be up to Mayfield and Kitchens to see how far they can actually go.
