Cleveland Browns 2023 Edition
- Thread starter underthelights
- Start date
Not so sure about that. I don’t trust Lamar in a playoff game. Houston is set up pretty good for the future, no matter what. They check off the boxes in all the important NFL positions. A great QB on a rookie deal…an all pro left tackle…two stud WRs (Dell and Collins)…two stud pass rushers (Anderson and Greenard)…two solid corners (Stingley and King). The rest of the roster can just be filled with serviceable players and you’ll be in the playoffs every year until you have to break the bank for Stroud’s second contract.
TriangleMan
Hates Particle Man
McMurphy
Well-known member
I'm talking next week, not 2 years from now. I will say it again CJ and the Texans are going to get their arses whooped
Noted. I think they have a good shot at Baltimore. They will probably lose, but won’t be embarrassed like the Browns.
McMurphy
Well-known member
They will get their arse whooped. Stroud will get a beat down.
I actually think it’s more likely the overrated AFC North goes 0-3 in the playoffs.
McMurphy
Well-known member
You will see how over hyped Stroud is, after next week.
Maple_City_Fan
Well-known member
Lamar will go Lamar during Postseason
Remember, they would struggle against Tennessee who recently fired Vrable
McMurphy
Well-known member
He may go Lamar in the playoffs , but it won't be against the Texans. If he does, maybe Bills or Chiefs. I'm telling you, the Texans shot their stuff today, and now they are done. CJ, and the Texans will be done after next week
y2h
Well-known member
Mayfield who just threw for 4000 yards with a solid td/int ratio and led his team to the playoffs and Ward who's going to yet another Pro Bowl?
WJ-OSU-STEELERS
Well-known member
The Browns far exceeded expectations in 2023 considering the injuries they sustained throughout the year. After the Watson season ending shoulder injury, I said the ceiling for the Browns was a one & done playoff appearance. I never imagined Flacco would come in & do what he did. The Browns could have beaten the Texans but the wheels simply fell off this evening - the defense let them down in the 1st half.
For the younger Browns fans (1999 to current), by far the best season in your lifetime.
For the middle aged Browns fan, best year since the AFC championship years with Bernie Kosar or the Browns Cardiac Kids with Brian Sipe.
For you old Browns fans like OldSoulon…..it’s going on 60 years since you last saw a championship team.
The 2024 Browns season has a lot of question marks, concerns & challenges:
* a 2nd place schedule that has in addition to the AFC North the Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers, Giants, and Dolphins visiting Cleveland while they will travel to play at Broncos, Raiders, Eagles, Commanders, Jaguars, and Saints.
* No 1st rd pick in the 2024 draft and no 1st rd pick coming into their 3rd season or 2nd season. The Watson trade is a cumulative effect of a loss of top end, inexpensive talent.
* No cap space, currently the Browns are $12.6 mil over the projected 2024 cap.
* What to do w/ Chubb who will be 29, coming off a ACL injury & cost $16.2 mil against the cap but has a $12.2 mil cap savings if cut prior to June 1st….great guy, tough rb but could/should/probably will be a cap casualty.
* What to do w/ Flacco? Assuming he still wants to play, do the Browns resign him to say a 1 year, $5 mil deal? Flacco will be 39….will he really be worth a contract in 2024? How would Watson react to Flacco being resigned?
* Watson will be your starting qb in 2024 w/ a cap hit of $63.9 mil….is this a good or bad thing?
It is going to be extremely tough for the Browns to duplicate their 2023 success in 2024. Congrats on a great Browns season in 2023.
For the younger Browns fans (1999 to current), by far the best season in your lifetime.
For the middle aged Browns fan, best year since the AFC championship years with Bernie Kosar or the Browns Cardiac Kids with Brian Sipe.
For you old Browns fans like OldSoulon…..it’s going on 60 years since you last saw a championship team.
The 2024 Browns season has a lot of question marks, concerns & challenges:
* a 2nd place schedule that has in addition to the AFC North the Cowboys, Chiefs, Chargers, Giants, and Dolphins visiting Cleveland while they will travel to play at Broncos, Raiders, Eagles, Commanders, Jaguars, and Saints.
* No 1st rd pick in the 2024 draft and no 1st rd pick coming into their 3rd season or 2nd season. The Watson trade is a cumulative effect of a loss of top end, inexpensive talent.
* No cap space, currently the Browns are $12.6 mil over the projected 2024 cap.
* What to do w/ Chubb who will be 29, coming off a ACL injury & cost $16.2 mil against the cap but has a $12.2 mil cap savings if cut prior to June 1st….great guy, tough rb but could/should/probably will be a cap casualty.
* What to do w/ Flacco? Assuming he still wants to play, do the Browns resign him to say a 1 year, $5 mil deal? Flacco will be 39….will he really be worth a contract in 2024? How would Watson react to Flacco being resigned?
* Watson will be your starting qb in 2024 w/ a cap hit of $63.9 mil….is this a good or bad thing?
It is going to be extremely tough for the Browns to duplicate their 2023 success in 2024. Congrats on a great Browns season in 2023.
Chubb should be released. An expensive RB is an unnecessary luxury in today’s NFL. No way do they bring back Flacco. It’s all on Watson. The schedule in 2024 will be daunting.
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eaglesfan216
Well-known member
Can’t release Chubb. If there’s any honor in the Haslams/FO, hes owed at least one more year but I doubt he’s going to be the same player he was.
Watson is playing next year because of the money. Maybe Flacco says he wants one more year but it’s just not feasible from a business standpoint at this point. He’s a Browns hero regardless. Marched a team that was down and out to the playoffs.
It sucks getting blown out like this but I put expectations on a team that really didn’t deserve them.
Classy post. And yes it is going to be difficult. This game had bad vibes written all over it. Going against all odds to get where they did get to was impressive. This organization should be a force everyone is terrified of, but there's that one owner-forced decision at QB that, well...
Redflagday
Well-known member
I guess you’ll have plenty of free time on Sundays next fall
Just to punctuate how crappy the Browns franchise is, the Texans were brought into the NFL in 2002 to balance the league at 32 after they let the Browns back in as the 31st team in 1999.
The Browns have made the playoffs three times and won one playoff game. All wildcard appearances.
The Texans have made the playoffs seven times, won seven division titles and have won five playoff games and counting.
Just to really illustrate how bad the Browns have been for so long, since the NFL went to divisions in 1967 the Browns have nine division titles and have won seven playoff games. That’s just two more division titles and two more playoff wins than a team that’s only been around for 22 years…and they can still win more playoff games this year thanks to their pantsing of the Browns.
Hapless franchise due to terrible ownership, from Modell to the Lerners to the Haslams.
The Browns have made the playoffs three times and won one playoff game. All wildcard appearances.
The Texans have made the playoffs seven times, won seven division titles and have won five playoff games and counting.
Just to really illustrate how bad the Browns have been for so long, since the NFL went to divisions in 1967 the Browns have nine division titles and have won seven playoff games. That’s just two more division titles and two more playoff wins than a team that’s only been around for 22 years…and they can still win more playoff games this year thanks to their pantsing of the Browns.
Hapless franchise due to terrible ownership, from Modell to the Lerners to the Haslams.
clarkgriswold
Well-known member
I'm someone who is from the "middle-aged Browns fan" group in your comment. I worry next year is going to be like the 1981 season was for the Browns. For those that don't know or don't remember, that was-the year after Red Right 88 when the luck and magic ran out. The Browns went from 11-5 in '80 to 5-11 in '81. The only saving grace is the knowledge, or hope more likely, that the injuries an't be as bad next year (can they?).
Browns won a lot of close games in 2023. That tends to balance out the next season. You see it a lot in these worst to first seasons by NFL teams that have surprising winning seasons. Everyone thinks they turned a corner, but next year they come back to earth. The one thing the Browns have going into next season is the return to health of many key players who sat out most of this year. Still, with that schedule next year I expect slippage.
I expect a lot of "fog" around the QB position in training camp next season, as the Browns still don't know what they have in Watson - the possibilty of Flacco's re-signing is a question - and the whole thing will just be a question mark for the team in training camp, if not beyond. I do hope the question gets resolved early. It could be a huge distraction and detriment to next season if not quickly resolved. Hope Watson's health holds out and he plays well.
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WJ-OSU-STEELERS
Well-known member
For the number of turnovers the Browns had, it is very unusual & unlikely to have the record they did - especially during Flacco’s run. Heck he still threw for 300* yards yesterday but the two pick six throws were horrible. The defense & a no show by Garrett are the most disappointing.
I saw a stat that if you swapped each NFL teams WJ/loss result in one score games, 2 teams would not be in the playoffs: Browns & Steelers
The Browns have:
* a oline that is a year older with 3 or 4 guys coming off of serious injury.
* a aging high priced rb coming off of serious injury.
* no cap space or draft capital
* a qb who no one knows how he’ll respond & play next season
The only chance of the Browns coming close to 2023 season/record is if Watson regains his prior level of play.
Bring him back, but they need to deliver consistency next year, not this Jekyll and Hyde home/road difference in performance. And someone needs to figure out why Myles falls off so much in the second half of every season.
got to have a GOOD backup QB in the NFL... it's been proven this season. sign the 39 year old...NOW......
not sure where they are in contract with Conklin, but he has been hurt so much, if able to cut him, that would be a start....
They invested in DTR. It will be Watson and DTR.
OldSoulon
Well-known member
I think as horrible as yesterday's game was, you need to put this season in perspective.
It is hard to believe that they will suffer the number of injuries to key players in 2024 that they did this season.
So I am pretty optimistic about the upcoming season.
And here's an interesting question: Looking at all of the teams who are in the playoffs right now, how many of them
would have still made the playoffs if they only had their starting QB for six games, lost both of their starting O Tackles for half
the season or so, lost probably the best RB in football in game 2, and lost both starting safeties for a good portion of the season?
And there is more than that that I haven't listed.
I bet at least half the teams still alive wouldn't be there.