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Not everything went perfectly for the Cleveland Browns last season. Most notably, five different players started at the quarterback position for the Browns in 2023. Despite this, the team went on a surprise run, which included a four-game winning streak and a playoff berth led by Joe Flacco.
Largely without their highly-paid quarterback, Deshaun Watson, the Browns ended up with an impressive 11 wins on the season. Watson is back to full health now, and Cleveland expects to take a step forward and compete for the Super Bowl.
There are still some questions regarding the team's competitiveness though. So in this article, we are going to make three bold predictions for the Browns' 2024 season.
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Browns finish top five in team passing, rushing defense
The Browns have arguably the best defense in the NFL, but finishing in the top five in both passing and rushing defense is a very tall task. Cleveland has the roster to do it though, which would confirm their status as the top defensive unit in football.
The Browns are particularly dominant against the pass. Last year, they allowed only 3,149 yards through the air, which was the second-best mark in the NFL. Myles Garrett is arguably the best defensive player in the NFL and one of the best players in the league overall. He is fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year season where he racked up 14 sacks.
Garrett is a nightmare matchup for opposing offensive lines, and he makes life easier on the defensive secondary behind him. Cleveland's secondary would be just fine even without Garrett's presence, though. Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome III, and Martin Emerson Jr. form arguably the best secondary in football, the latter three of which are an elite cornerback trio unlike any other in the NFL.
The Browns racked up 49 sacks and 18 interceptions last season, so they should once again be elite defending the pass. The team could use some improvement against the run, although they were solid there last year. The 1,793 yards they gave up on the ground were the 11th fewest last season.
The team does have the potential to jump into the top five in team rushing defense, though. Teams might be more fearful to throw the ball down the field against Cleveland this year, and if the Browns see more of the run, Dalvin Tomlinson will be right there waiting for them. The nose tackle is one of the best run stuffers in football.
The Browns have a well-balanced defensive attack. Regardless of if they finish in the top five in both team passing and rushing defense, the team will surely still deploy an elite unit. It is possible that this team takes the step up from elite to truly special, though.
Deshaun Watson has his best season since 2020
The fall off of Deshaun Watson has been drastic. During his early days with the Houston Texans, the quarterback was a star. He threw for 4,165 yards in his first season as a full-time starter, and he then led the league in passing yards (4,823) in only his fourth season. The gunslinger made three Pro Bowls before his career went south.
Then, Watson demanded a trade out of Houston, and disturbing off-the-field issues followed. Sexual assault allegations emerged, and Watson missed the entire 2021 season. Eventually, the Browns gave him a second chance, and for whatever reason, gave him the largest contract in league history.
A lot more disappointment has followed ever since. Watson has only started 12 games in his two seasons with the Browns because of suspension or injuries, and he hasn't looked good when he has been on the field. The quarterback only has 2,217 yards and 14 touchdowns to his name as a member of the Browns.
However, turning things around is still in the realm of possibility. Watson's legal issues are seemingly in the past, and if he can stay healthy, he has the potential to return to the form we saw in Houston.
While surpassing the marks for 4,823 yards and 33 touchdowns that he threw in 2020 seems unlikely, considering Watson is no longer viewed as an above-average quarterback, he should improve enough to at least have his best season as a Brown. We think Watson will finally be healthy for 17 games, and if he is, then he can potentially throw for more than 4,000 yards.
Jerry Jeudy breaks 1,000 receiving yards
Another player who hasn't lived up to expectations in recent years is Jerry Jeudy, but we think his struggles with the Denver Broncos had more to do with poor quarterback play than a lack of talent. Jeudy's drop issues have always been over exaggerated, and he still remains one of the best route runners in football.
While Deshaun Watson might not be the biggest upgrade at quarterback on paper, we are predicting a bounce-back year from the signal-caller, and he is an upgrade nonetheless.
Jeudy most thrives in the intermediate portion of the football field. This was an area where Russell Wilson, and Teddy Bridgewater before him, struggled to deliver the ball to Jeudy. Watson should be better about maximizing his new receiver's skillset, which means Jeudy could finally see his true breakout season.
Despite poor quarterback play, Jeudy put up 67 catches and 972 yards in his best season with the Broncos. We think the receiver can blow those numbers out of the water with the Browns, which means he will easily exceed 1,000 receiving yards.
Jeudy is the second option behind Amari Cooper, a similarly gifted route runner. The two will be able to work together and open things up for one another. Sometimes a new home is all a player needs to unlock their game, and we think that will be the case with Jeudy, especially considering the team blessed him with a new contract.
