CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns’ schedule was released on Wednesday night. We knew who they were going to play and where — know we know when.
The lack of prime time games is a little surprising — not even a Thursday night game for them — but they did go 3-14 last season and hopes are not exactly high for this year, at least outside of their building.
Let’s take a game-by-game look at their opponents with some history, a memorable matchup and a storyline.
Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Sept. 7, 1 p.m., FOX
1/61
Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals, January 7, 2024
All-time record (including playoffs): 48-55
Last meeting: Dec. 22, 2024 — Bengals 24, Browns 6
Matchup memory: Myles Garrett, with the seeds of his coming trade request planted, collected his 100th career sack last December. On the other side of the matchup, Trey Hendrickson got one of what would eventually become his league-leading 17.5 sacks. Now it’s Hendrickson’s turn to be unhappy with his current team.
Storyline: The idea of the Browns’ being in Cincinnati’s head is out the window. The Bengals have won three in a row and four of the last five and, while Garrett will probably sack Joe Burrow twice each game, the tables have turned on this rivalry over the last two seasons.
Week 2: at Baltimore Ravens
Sept. 14, 1 p.m., CBS
1/75
Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens, January 4, 2025
All-time record (including playoffs): 15-37
Last meeting: Jan. 4, 2025 — Ravens 35, Browns 10
Matchup memory: The Browns’ claimed an emotional victory over the Ravens on October 27 last season, the day after longtime play-by-play voice Jim Donovan died. It was hard not to get swept up in the idea of divine intervention when Justin Tucker sent a 50-yard field goal wide left, Rashod Bateman lost a perfect deep throw from Lamar Jackson in the sun and Kyle Hamilton dropped a game-clinching interception a play before Jameis Winston hit Cedric Tillman for a go-ahead long touchdown pass.
Storyline: There’s always a weird game between these two teams, whether it’s the one above, the Deshaun Watson comeback in 2023; a cold, ugly 13-3 Browns win on a Saturday in 2022; a Monday night Browns loss when they intercepted Lamar Jackson four times in 2021; that crazy Monday night shootout in 2020 when Lamar Jackson cramped (allegedly). These teams always deliver something.
Week 3: vs. Green Bay Packers
Sept. 21, 1 p.m., FOX
All-time record (including playoffs): 7-14
Last meeting: Dec. 25, 2021 — Packers 24, Browns 22
Matchup memory: The Browns went to Green Bay on Christmas Day in 2021 and, if the wheels weren’t already in motion, it really felt like the beginning of the end for Baker Mayfield. He came out of COVID protocols and flew to Green Bay the day of the game and threw four interceptions in a loss to the Packers.
Storyline: This game continues a challenging stretch to start the season against playoff-caliber teams and if the Browns have stumbled out of the gate, things could start to spiral quickly.
Week 4: at Detroit Lions
Sept. 28, 1 p.m., FOX
All-time record (including playoffs): 6-19
Last meeting: Nov. 21, 2021 — Browns 13, Lions 10
Matchup memory: Or maybe this game was the beginning of the end for Mayfield. The Browns won an ugly game at home over Detroit, but an unhappy Mayfield walked immediately off the field and didn’t speak to media, a rare thing for a starting quarterback.
Storyline: The Lions, in many ways, are what the Browns hope to be with their accumulation of draft picks both in this last draft and next. Detroit hit a home run by hiring Dan Campbell and threw a dart at Jared Goff and hit. GM Brad Holmes has drafted well and if the Browns hit on this draft like the Lions did on their 2023 draft, it could be the foundation for them to dig out of the mess they’re in at the moment.
Week 5: vs. Minnesota Vikings (London)
Oct. 5, 9:30 a.m., NFL Network
All-time record (including playoffs): 5-12
Last meeting: Oct. 3, 2021 — Browns 14, Vikings 7
Matchup memory: I have no idea what exactly happened on Nov. 19, 1967, but Leroy Kelly scored a fourth-quarter touchdown to give the Browns the lead and that seems pretty dramatic.
Storyline: The Browns not only lost a home game to this London trip but they are playing a Vikings team that will be in Dublin the week prior. That means the Vikings will be adjusted to being on that side of the Atlantic and will be able to travel to and arrive in London on a fairly normal schedule, making this Browns home game feel even more like a road game.
Week 6: at Pittsburgh Steelers
Oct. 12, 1 p.m., CBS
1/16
Blizzard conditions for the Browns and Steelers in a Thursday Night Football showdown, November 21, 2024
All-time record (including playoffs): 64-82
Last meeting: Dec. 8, 2024 — Steelers 27, Browns 14
Matchup memory: Huntington Bank Field turned into a snow globe in the second half of the Week 12 meeting between these two teams, a Thursday night win that ended in a George Pickens vs. Greg Newsome II dustup, Jameis Winston doing snow angels and the last Browns victory of the season.
Storyline: Who is playing quarterback for the Steelers? If Aaron Rodgers ultimately turns them down, they’re in the running for worst quarterback room in the league. The Browns’ quarterback room might not be any great shakes, but this could be a rare matchup where the Browns can claim the advantage at the most important position. If it is Rodgers, that’s pretty interesting, too.
Week 7: vs. Miami Dolphins
Oct. 19, 1 p.m., CBS
1/100
Cleveland Browns vs. Miami Dolphins, December 29, 2024
All-time record (including playoffs): 9-13
Last meeting: Dec. 29, 2024 — Dolphins 20, Browns 3
Matchup memory: Earnest Byner ran for 161 yards and two touchdowns and caught four of Bernie Kosar’s 10 completions for 25 yards in a divisional round matchup that saw the Browns, who went 8-8 and won the AFC Central, jump out to a 21-3 lead against a Dolphins team that went 12-4. Dan Marino and the Dolphins came back to win, 24-21, but lost the AFC Championship Game to the Patriots the following week.
Storyline: The Dolphins haven’t had much trouble beating the Browns in the Kevin Stefanski era and have won four of their last five games dating back to 2013.
Week 8: at New England Patriots
Oct. 26, 1 p.m., FOX
All-time record (including playoffs): 13-14
Last meeting: Oct. 16, 2022 — Patriots 38, Browns 15
Matchup memory: It’s always the playoff win with Bill Belichick on the sideline going against his mentor, Bill Parcells. It was a battle between Vinny Testaverde and Drew Bledsoe, one of the most 1990s NFL sentences ever and the Browns didn’t win another playoff game until they beat Pittsburgh 25 years later.
Storyline: Mike Vrabel is leading the Patriots now and, no matter the talent level in New England, he’ll have his team ready to play, especially against the team that employed him last year.
Week 9: ByeWeek 10: at New York Jets
Nov. 9, 1 p.m., CBS
All-time record (including playoffs): 16-14
Last meeting: Dec. 28, 2023 — Browns 37, Jets 20
Matchup memory: Joe Flacco’s shocking comeback win in Week 2 of the 2022 season turned what looked like a promising start to the season into the Browns spinning their wheels to start what turned into a lost season while they waited for Deshaun Watson’s suspension to end.
Storyline: If Flacco is the starter, going against a former team is always at least a little interesting. Otherwise, it’s hard to find much juicy in this matchup.
Week 11: vs. Baltimore Ravens
Nov. 16, 4:25 p.m., CBS
Week 12: at Las Vegas Raiders
Nov. 23, 4:05 p.m., CBS
All-time record (including playoffs): 10-18
Last meeting: Sept. 29, 2024 — Raiders 20, Browns 16
Matchup memory: The Browns lost an overtime game to the Raiders, 45-42, in Week 4 in 2018, but rookie Nick Chubb ran three times for 105 yards, including touchdown runs of 63 and 41 yards. Head coach Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley were still so stubborn about playing Chubb after this game that GM John Dorsey finally just traded Carlos Hyde so Chubb could take over. It’s the only reason he didn’t reach 1,000 yards as a rookie.
Storyline: Tom Brady is part owner of the Raiders and has been a mentor for Browns rookie Shedeur Sanders. Will Sanders be playing by now? Will he still be on the roster?
Week 13: vs. San Francisco 49ers
Nov. 30, 1 p.m., CBS
All-time record (including playoffs): 20-10
Last meeting: Oct. 15, 2023 — Browns 19, 49ers 17
Matchup memory: The 49ers came to Cleveland for a rainy matchup two seasons ago with P.J. Walker starting for the Browns. In one of the more unexpected outcomes of the entire NFL season, the Browns escaped with a two-point win, a sign of what was to come for a team that would make the playoffs while starting five different quarterbacks.
Storyline: This feels like two teams in transition. San Francisco is coming off a disappointing season but still has talent — and a quarterback. The Browns are trying to restock their roster after having gone all-in too significantly less success than the 49ers.
Week 14: vs. Tennessee Titans
Dec. 7, 1 p.m., FOX
All-time record (including playoffs): 37-32
Last meeting: Sept. 24, 2023 — Browns 27, Titans 3
Matchup memory: These two franchises have played a lot but there aren’t all that many recent memorable games. The comeback from down 28-3 in 2014, however, was part of a very fun, expected start to a season in which the Browns got out to 7-4 and first place in the AFC North before collapsing.
Storyline: Will this be a “What could have been” game? We’ll likely have a decent idea of the type of player Cam Ward is for the Titans by now and if the Browns will regret that snowy win over Pittsburgh on this day in particular.
Week 15: at Chicago Bears
Dec. 14, 1 p.m., FOX
All-time record (including playoffs): 11-7
Last meeting: Dec. 17, 2023 — Browns 20, Bears 17
Matchup memory: The Browns lost a snowy Christmas Eve game during their winless 2017 season. Myles Garrett made a game-changing play — until he didn’t. He stripped Mitch Trubisky and returned it for a touchdown, but Carl Nassib was practically lined up in the Bears’ backfield and his offsides negated the play. Garrett even referenced after he did finally score his first career touchdown a few years later.
Storyline: The Browns might be playing out the string by now. Will the Bears?
Week 16: vs. Buffalo Bills
Dec. 21, 1 p.m., CBS
All-time record (including playoffs): 13-10
Last meeting: Nov. 20, 2022 — Bills 31, Browns 23
Matchup memory: The last time these two teams played, snow forced the game to move from Buffalo to Detroit. Despite the Bills struggling to get players to the airport at the last minute to fly to Detroit for a home game, the Bills scored 25 straight points after falling behind, 10-3, and won easily.
Storyline: Josh Allen has only played once in Cleveland, a 2019 loss to the Freddie Kitchens-led Browns. This is a chance for Browns fans to see one of the game’s best quarterbacks in person.
Week 17: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Dec. 28, 1 p.m., CBS
Week 18: at Cincinnati Bengals
TBD
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