During July, the Last Word On Sports NFL department will be analyzing the schedules of every team in the NFL and ranking each game in order of difficulty (with one being the most difficult). This series will be split up into the eight most difficult games (ranked 1-8) and the eight easiest games (ranked 9-16) for each team. In this article, the Cleveland Browns easiest games are the focus.
Cleveland Browns Easiest Games in 2016
9. Week 8 vs. New York Jets
The New York Jets got their desired quarterback in Ryan Fitzpatrick and are hoping to build upon last year’s success. This game still won’t be easy for the Browns considering the talent on the Jets roster. Despite losing Damon Harrison to the New York Giants, the Jets are still expected to have a smash-mouth defense with standouts including defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and cornerback Darrelle Revis.
The Jets also have a potent offense with one of the best receiving tandems in wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker as well as a three-headed monster in the backfield with running backs Matt Forte, Bilal Powell and Khiry Robinson. However, if Fitzpatrick has an off game, the Browns could steal a victory.
10. Week 16 vs. San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers have one of the better quarterbacks in the league, but the team always seems to underperform. Despite a 4-12 record in 2015, quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 4,792 yards and 29 touchdowns while only having 13 interceptions. Injuries also took a toll on the team last year, but with the starters back, the Browns will have their hands full trying to defend Rivers and company.
Browns head coach Hue Jackson’s run-first philosophy should bode well for the Browns as the Chargers run defense is one of the team’s glaring weaknesses. The Chargers have made some improvements on the defensive side of the ball and hope their first-round pick defensive end Joey Bosa can live up to expectations.
11. Week 3 at Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins haven’t been able to translate the talent on their roster to the field. On paper, they have one of the more talented teams because of defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, defensive end Cameron Wake and wide receiver Jarvis Landry. The loss of Olivier Vernon hurts the team, but they also added defensive end Mario Williams and linebacker Kiko Alonso.
The addition of Adam Gase will help out quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who has been mediocre thus far in his career. However, during Gase’s tenure with the Chicago Bears, he was able to get quarterback Jay Cutler to play at a high level and during his time in Denver, he helped the team win games with Tim Tebow. Will he have the same success with Tannehill? Only time will tell.
12. Week 15 at Buffalo Bills
The pressure is on for the Buffalo Bills, who are expected to make the playoffs. Come Week 15, they might be playing for a wildcard. After a disappointing season last year, Rex Ryan will ensure his team comes out ready to fight. Quarterback Tyrod Taylor surprised many people last season with his play, but it’ll be interesting to see how the Browns defense will respond now that there is more game tape available. The X-factor will be the combination of Taylor and wide receiver Sammy Watkins and building on the chemistry they established toward the end of last year. The loss of wide receiver Chris Hogan is a big blow to the Bills, so Ryan is hoping another receiver can step up opposite of Watkins. Given the other games on the Browns schedule, this is one of their easier matches.
13. Week 9 vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are always difficult to evaluate because they never perform how one expects them to. When expectations are low, they outperform them, and vice versa. Quarterback Tony Romo’s collarbone injury led to the team’s demise, as did wide receiver Dez Bryant’s foot injury. Assuming the key players are healthy, the Cowboys have the ability to do some damage, but they have lacked consistency. Some Sundays the Cowboys look like the best team in football, while other weeks they look lackluster and sloppy. Depending on which Cowboys team the Browns get, they may be able to pull off a victory.
14. Week 4 at Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins bet on himself and is playing under the franchise tag. Cousins aims to replicate (if not improve) last year’s success to make the case for large contract. Last season, he led the league in completion percentage at 69.8 and threw for 4,166 yards and 29 touchdowns. However, most of his damage came against bad defenses.
The Redskins also added cornerback Josh Norman, who had breakout year with the Carolina Panthers. If he picks up where he left off last year, Washington can improve its pass defense, which was ranked 25th last year. While the Browns are one of the lower tier teams in the NFL, the jury is still out on Washington’s 2015 season and if it was a fluke.
15. Week 1 at Philadelphia Eagles
The Browns begin their season on the road at Lincoln Financial Field against the Philadelphia Eagles. After a turbulent 2015 season, the team fired Chip Kelly in favor of Doug Pederson, who served under Andy Reid. While they have some pieces, the Eagles traded away the majority of their talent during the Kelly era. The team drafted their quarterback of the future with the No. 2 overall pick in Carson Wentz, but quarterback Sam Bradford is projected to be the starter Week 1. No one knows what the Eagles will look like in 2016, but they may need a few weeks to iron out a few kinks and get acclimated to the new system.
16. Week 6 at Tennessee Titans
Coming off a 3-13 season, the Tennessee Titans are looking for improvement. Quarterback Marcus Mariota had a solid rookie campaign, throwing for 2,818 yards and 19 touchdowns with only 10 interceptions. He’s also the Titans first quarterback to start in consecutive seasons since Vince Young in 2006-2007. However, the Titans had the 30th ranked offense in the league, so there’s room for improvement. The team got Mariota help this off-season with the additions of running back Demarco Murray and wide receiver Rishard Matthews. No. 8 overall pick offensive tackle Jack Conklin also gives the offense a boost.
While the Titans are looking to improve, they still have a long way to go. While they were No. 12 in total defense, they were ranked 18th in rush defense. If last year’s run defensive woes continue, the Browns may be able to pull this one out.
Be sure to check out the eight most difficult games on the Cleveland Browns schedule.
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