Can the Cleveland Browns go from WORST to FIRST in the AFC North this season?

Can the Cleveland Browns go from WORST to FIRST in the AFC North this season?

Yeah, guys, let’s get to the Browns here. And before we got a new sponsor. Their name is Ruitte Reddy. Guys, you’ve probably heard of Viagra and Cialis. Maybe you’ve even tried them, but if you’re looking for something beyond the usual pill, it’s time to meet Ruitte Reddy. Rigit Ready is a next-gen prescription treatment designed to amplify arousal in the brain and boost blood flow. Unlike the usual pills that can take hours, Rigitte’s 3 in 1 formula dissolves under your tongue and kicks in fast. On average, about 15 minutes, and effects can last up to 36 hours, so you can stay confident and in control when the moment is right. If traditional options haven’t worked, rigitte might be the answer. Over 150,000 men have already made the switch. So head over to rujit.com/locked on NFL and use code locked on NFL to get 15% off today. That’s R U G I ET.com/locked on NFL and use promo code locked on NFL for 15% off. Individual results may vary with with prescription treatment. Compounded drugs are permitted to be prescribed under federal law but are not FDA approved and do not undergo FDA safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing review, please visit rigitte website for full safety information. Thank you for that, Aunt. Let’s talk a little football now, guys. ESPN put out an article ranking the 88 last place teams from 2024 in terms of their chances to go from worst to first in 2025. The Brown’s obviously one of those eight teams. So let’s look at how ESPN ranked these teams in order of most likely to go worst to first to least likely. Uh, first was the San Francisco 49ers. Second place, the Bears, 3rd place the Patriots. In 4th, the Saints. We’ll talk about the order whether or not we agree with this particular order in a second. In 5th place, you had the Titans in 6th, the Raiders, the Giants came in 7th, and the Browns were ranked the least likely team who finished in last place to now go worst to first. ESPN gave them a 2.2% chance of winning the division this year. Dustin, when you see that list, we’ll get to the other 7 teams in a second. But a 2.2% chance for the Browns to go from worst to first. Does that sound about right to you? I mean, probably, but I think it’s probably 2.2% for most of those teams that are on that list, you know, for them, — the
— Browns were at 3.3 and 7. I mean, it’s it’s close for all those teams. I mean none of those teams are probably gonna have a great year. Uh, the Browns, I think the win total is 5.5 in Vegas. I mean, that’s probably the right number, you know, to go to first. There’s just no chance. Uh, uh, at the quarterbacks in the division unless, unless, and again it’s all at this point hypothetical, but Flacco would have to be amazing or Pickett or or door would be the offensive Rookie of the year, like we have an amazing season. Like everything would have to go the Browns’ direction. I mean, you probably need an injury to like Lamar Jackson or or something like that because we know the the Bengals and the Ravens are really good. Aaron Rodgers is in Pittsburgh. You need that thing to go south. You need probably Lamar to have an off year or get hurt. And then maybe Burrow, his offensive line, decides not to block for him like they did in the last couple of years. So I, I mean that’s, that’s, that’s how it could happen. It’s unlikely. I mean, maybe, maybe uh 2% is, is a little low. I, I’d put it maybe, maybe a little higher, but, but not by much. Jason, any issue with the Browns being ranked last on — their chances to go from worst to
— first? When’s the last time they won a division? 80s? — They’ve
— never won the division. Well, yeah, since coming back. Yeah. So what has to happen for the Browns to win the division? Well, — A work stoppage
— change the color, — change the team name a
— strike. I said no miracles in the rundown. A strike and lockout players or players to cross the picket line and scabs and then the Browns can win the division. That’s the only way that the Browns can win. I mean, come on, be serious. If they couldn’t win the division with the players that they’ve had the last couple of years, they’re not winning the division with what they have now, so it’s unfortunate the division that they’re in, it’s sort of like the AL East in baseball it feels like at times or, you know, the NLS they’re, they’re against just some of the, the best, most you’re talking the Steelers and Ravens just on average highly functioning, uh, well run teams and you gotta go against that every single year. So yeah, they’re in a tough spot but no this team absolutely they should be. One of the worst percentage type teams to win the division, it’s just, it’s just not, it’s not happening this year. The Browns have 4 quarterbacks competing for the starting job. Yeah, the AFC North has 2 of the top 4 quarterbacks in football. Like, make no mistake about it, Lamar and Burrow in some order 2 of the top 4 guys. — Now you have Aaron Burrow
— won an MVP. No, right? No, he’s not I was gonna say because I mean you’ve got. An MVP in Rodgers now in your your division you’ve got a multi-time MVP in Lamar Jackson. Like, dude, it’s, it’s a damn hard division. — Garland’s probably the best way
— to put it. And you look at the Steelers even prior to Aaron Rodgers, they’re always competitive. Tomlin’s never been so 500. He made 500 teams out of Duck Hodges and Mason Rudolph, and Kenny Pickett? Now he’s got Aaron Rodgers in the fold. When you look at the Browns, they, they have the lowest win total projection in Vegas out of any team. They have the 3rd hardest strength of schedule according to that is one thing one thing I don’t really love. I don’t love that stat because it, it’s based off of last year, I know, — I understand it but it’s
— it’s to me those are like silly because you’re, — you’re basing it off of like a roster of last year versus new most teams have
— new. I, I was saying the projected win totals, — so
— they they factor in the. Warren Sharp, yeah, yeah, so Warren Sharp puts it together in the sense of — looking at all the projected win totals
— 45 I’ll give you pass. They had a third hardest schedule looking at 2025 win totals, not what they previously did in 2025. And they have four quarterbacks competing for a job. If you don’t have a quarterback, you’re not gonna win in this league. It’s so hard to succeed without legitimately solid, good quarterback play. And we’ve looked at the schedule. We’ve played the schedule game like. The Browns’ schedule is incredibly difficult, and they’re gonna be in a ton of shootouts. You’re gonna need either Shador or Dylan or Joe or Kenny, one of those guys, to be able to match point for point with look at the list with Joe Burrow, with Lamar Jackson, with Jordan Love, with Jerry Goff. We don’t know how good JJ McCarthy is, but he was a top 10 pick as opposed to Gabriel and Sanders, who were 3rd and 5th round picks. It doesn’t mean they can’t be better than JJ in the long run, but looking at it from just that perspective, one was significantly higher regarded coming out of college than the rest. You could keep going down the schedule. Aaron Rodgers, Tua, Drake May, Justin Fields, like it’s a gauntlet. I know not every one of those guys is a perennial pro bowler, but Lamar again heard he just got paid. Caleb Williams, Cam Moore, like it’s a gauntlet. Then you got Mahomes, not Mahomes, Josh Allen, excuse me, and Rogers and Burro again. One of those guys has to step up and be able to score points. So I don’t really have an issue with them being ranked where they are 2.2%. Maybe it’s a little low, but if I said 5%, — that’s
— about right. 2.2 is about right. Might be a little high. You think it’s a little high. If you play this NFL season 100 times, are the Browns winning the division twice? Just to piss you off, I’m gonna say they’re gonna do it 3 times. I think it’s less. Uh, it, it, it, it feels about right. It feels about right. — It doesn’t matter
— Death March boys yeah. It’s all about finding the quarterback. That’s it. — That’s
— it. And what sucks is right now is like we have nothing to really talk about this team because there’s nothing going on until these guys get hit the field in training camp. This is that that slow time where it’s like, man, we know the team’s not gonna be great and we still don’t know who the quarterback’s gonna be. This is like just painful, painful time. They had the 5th pick in the draft and how many segments have you done on the 5th pick in the draft since the draft? 2 or 3. What you think about that. — He
— hasn’t put pads. I’m not blaming you, but I’m just saying I mean think about it. I mean nobody really cares and that doesn’t mean it’s a bad pick. Like actually be fine. Yeah, — it could be a
— great we all really like Mason the football player. He could be like when we drafted Miles to some to some degree because we knew Miles was gonna be a great player. I think we all think Mason’s gonna be a great player. Uh, but it’s not sexy and it’s not the quarterback, it’s, you know, and we know we’re not gonna win until we have a quarterback. We could have a really good defense and we could have guys that win defensive MVP and have all these sacks and amazing stats or whatever, but until we have the quarterback, — we all know it’s the Browns are
— 2.2%. Let me ask you guys this because I genuinely don’t know what the answer would be. Let’s say the Browns had an established quarterback, right? What’s for the sake of this, let’s just say. They didn’t draft Sanders, they didn’t draft Gabriel. It, it was Flacco’s job, right? It was Flacco and they kept ETR but we had no quarterback controversy. Joe Flacco was gonna be the starting quarterback in 2025, and they still made the trade and Mason Graham was the pick at 5. How much more would we be talking about Mason Grand than we have because we wouldn’t have to do the entire quarterback carousel, who will it be, who won’t it be and focus so much attention on that story line. I, it’s still a defensive tackle. I don’t think, I don’t think we would have done maybe one or two more segments. I don’t think anything more than that just because it’s so hard. What do you. How many people like talking about the defensive tackle? Yes. Yes, and outside of him, you played on defense. You like talking about defensive tackles. I don’t like talking about defense period, to be honest with you. I mean, we talk, we can talk about some, some cornerback player or whatnot, but no, defense isn’t fun to talk about for people. I don’t mind talking about defense, but you know, you know what I’m saying, we’re talking about the sexy positions. We wanna talk about receivers and guys that score touchdowns. — It’s how many of
— those. No. I mean they lost one of their leading touchdown scores last year, Ronnie McLeod. Who plays safety? That’s great. He was actually great in the locker room. I enjoyed talking to him. He’s great. He’s great. Who now that he’s gone. Could Kasey, who’s the other state do they sign? Jen Jenkins, Rashaw Jenkins. Like, could one of those guys fill a little bit of — that leadership void on the
— defensive side of the. I don’t know, know when we get in there when we get in the locker room and see. Who’s got the OG status? You can’t tell that from the little bit OTAs you get to see. I will, I know you weren’t totally honest when I was there I was not paying any attention to the safeties at all. All eyes on the quarters on the quarterback, yeah, basically. I watched a couple drills here and there just if they were happening right in front of you, you know, but for the most part it was all it was all quarterback all the time. Uh, and we pull up that list one more time real quick 1 through 4 and then 5 to 8. When you look at these other teams, just we got a few minutes to to kill here. When you look at the other teams, San Francisco probably is the obvious number one considering last year it was the season from help from them. Everyone got hurt. Ayuk was out. I know they traded Debo, but Trent Williams missed a time. He should be back. Ayo should be healthy. Purdy was paid this offseason. Christian McCaffrey should be healthy. Would you make a case for any of those four teams being ahead of San Francisco in terms of the team most likely to go from worst to first? You not gonna be the Patriots. No, it’s not gonna be I mean I guess you could say the Bears. New coach Caleb taking a leap. I guess you could make that case, but are you really, — are they really gonna beat the Lions in the
— division? Refresh my memory. — Who’s the same sign as their quarterback they drafted
— Chuck, yeah. The only reason they’re 4 is because their division is such a crapshoot. It’s the only because they’re not. I mean, the answer is they have this right. I mean, the Niners will probably be the most likely to go to first because of their injury situation. They’ve got their quarterback back. Um, — I would like
— the I mean the Bears are right there. I would like the Bears better if they weren’t in the division. That’s gonna hurt them, uh, the saints. It’s all a division play with them, yeah, and that’s, I mean, I guess, yeah, I guess you could probably make a really strong case for the Saints — because the division that they’re in the Patriots aren’t gonna beat the
— Bills, even though the Saints suck. You look at that roster. That is not a good roster, uh, and who is 5? Who’s 5? — 5 is the
— Titans. 5 of the Titans. The Giants aren’t beating the Eagles. Raiders, I can’t see them beating the Chiefs. I mean if Cam, if Cam Ward’s good, maybe the Titans have a chance because that division. I like the Texans, but yeah, yeah, agree that division isn’t overwhelming. I’m, you know, Jacksonville seems to underwhelm every year. And the Browns fans certainly hope they underwhelm one more time. — What do you hear up
— there? You hear that rattling? No. Do you hear? No. Just in your head, — your head’s
— rattling. I definitely I mean it’s not loud, but I definitely hear something. It wouldn’t be funny. This is the one year the Jaguars don’t implode. The one year that they don’t control their own fate and the Browns would be the beneficiary of a classic Jacksonville implosion, and this is the year that Trevor Lawrence puts it all together. Travis Hunter’s a stud. ETN stays possible. — I mean of course
— it is. I’ve picked them to be good the last 5 years, and they have not lived up to I don’t know if it’s 5, but they have not lived to expectations in any of said years, so it would be. — They’ve been in the
— playoffs twice or once. — In those 5 years
— to be 2. Well, Trevor Lawrence, they had that 28 point collapse against the Chargers. They lost the Dolphins one year, right, didn’t they? The Jaguars won that game, didn’t they, against the Chargers. Chargers collapsed in that game? I forget. I don’t know. It was, I feel. — It
— wasn’t the Dolphins. I feel like they’ve been in the playoffs twice though. Could be once or twice. Either way, I, I think Trevor Lawrence is a good player and people are like hate hate on Shererd Lawrence and that’s fine. I think he’s gonna be, uh, he’s gonna bounce back, turn things around, yeah, if he’s healthy, he’s got, I mean, I like his game. It would kill Browns fans if he’s good and he’s just throwing bombs at Travis Hunter. — Like it would you know
— the how it’s gonna play out. It’s, it’s, it’s plays out this way every time. You can tell Dustin’s been covering this team forever, dude. I mean, yes, yes, yes, every day we talked about this, and I worked for the team for 9 years, you know, like. — We’ve seen the story
— before. They gave the Falcons Julio Jones. And again, I, I mean, I, I got 3 seats. I love the trade. I’m not backing down from that now. I thought it was great because you gotta get a quarterback and it set him up to have the opportunity to get. No, no, no, I, I’m sorry, the, the Travis Son trade. I was, I’m totally fine with what they did this year because until you solve quarterback player, yeah, but until you solve quarterback it’s not gonna matter. So if, if he, if he’s elite and Jacksonville has a great year and they go to the playoffs and that’s a low pick. If that’s still the ammo that they need to move up, it’s still worth it. Now they gotta get the pick right. They gotta get the quarterback right. — It is
— sickening that we could have had Shadoor and Travis. You could have, yeah. Can you imagine the media frenzy if that ended up, I mean, just think we have Jess Sha door and we have seen an influx of people care about the Browns that had never cared about Cleveland before. If they got Travis Eador who. The state of Colorado would have moved to, well, that’s not true because it’s really not Colorado fans, it’s really just Shaddo and Travis Hunter fans.

After finishing at the bottom of the AFC North last year, the Cleveland Browns enter 2025 with renewed optimism. With a revamped quarterback room featuring Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel and veteran depth, plus key additions on both sides of the ball, expectations are higher. The defense gained reinforcements in the front seven, while the offense benefited from added weapons and a healthier offensive line. All of those pieces set up a compelling argument that Cleveland could flip the script and lead the division.

But turning last place into first requires more than off-season upgrades—it demands consistency, execution in close games, and staying healthy through the season. The Browns will need to contend with a capable Pittsburgh Steelers squad and a Ravens team that never backs down in divisional play. In this analysis, we explore what must go right in Cleveland—playoff-caliber quarterback play, strong coaching decisions, and timely contributions from rookies and veterans alike. Can the Browns make that leap? We break down the scenarios and risks that will define their North standing in 2025.

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