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Cleveland Browns 2020 Regular Season: What a Ride!

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I keep saying I’m not going to by into this team anymore....but here we are again. Damnit!!
10-6 and we are a wildcard team.

When's the last time a team has gone 10-6 and made the playoffs with a bottom-five defense? Our D was 24th overall last year. With some personnel loses and injuries they've likely gotten worse.

There were no playoff teams below the Browns in the ratings. Seattle (21), Houston (22), and Tennessee (18). For these three teams offensively, Seattle was #4, Tennessee was #5, and Houston #17.

For the rest of the playoff teams defensively: NE (1), SF (2), MIN (4), BAL (5), BUF (7), NO (8), PHI (12), KC (14), GB (15).

It's pretty clear that to make the playoffs in the first place, you have to have a top half of the league defense. Seattle and Tennessee compensated by having elite offenses. Houston is seemingly a total aberration and with below league average defense and offense. If either the defense or the offense finished in the top 16 overall, that would be a huge shock and massive improvement overall. I think the offense can do it, but unless they make a leap into the top 5, it's likely not going to be enough to put the Browns in the playoffs.

Looking at the schedule, I have a tough time getting to 10 wins. I'd say the Browns have to go 4-2 in the division to have a chance. That would likely mean splitting with BAL and PIT and sweeping CIN.

Out of the rest of the schedule, while I don't think there are many games that stand out as being a definite loss, there also aren't many pushover games either. Grouped teams based on abilities to help make things easier (predicted record in parenthesis):
  1. Definite loses: TEN (0-1)
  2. Probable loses: PHI, HOU, DAL, IND (1-3)
  3. Even Matchups: NYJ, LV, NYG (2-1)
  4. Should win: JAX, WSH (1-1)

So if they go 4-2 in the division, with this scenario they go 8-8 overall. Seems about right to me. I also think they'll be 3-3 in the division and not 4-2, which would have them at 7-9.

Browns have major questions at the two most important positions on offense, QB and LT, a new coach, and a third new offensive scheme in as many years.
The defense was not very good last year, has a new coach, is dealing with some pretty key injuries, and have what is likely the worst linebacking core in the league. There's just too many question marks to put this team over .500. Even if the answers to all of those questions are positive, there's a very good chance the teams still doesn't get past .500.
 
19-0

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3-8.

After that the browns season is canceled. Not the NFL season just the browns season.

Oh and Mayfield out for season after week 1
 
Im not high on Browns defense but I wouldn’t use full season rankings to justify a prediction.

they were a completely different unit when myles was gone
 
Im not high on Browns defense but I wouldn’t use full season rankings to justify a prediction.

they were a completely different unit when myles was gone

Not really.

They were the 23rd after week 10.

That to say: The Browns starting safeties last year are both out of the NFL and they didn't have either of their top two corners. I think it's likely they won't be bottom 5 at all, they are probably better, especially if Vernon can stay healthy.
 
8-8

I think they’ll be very uneven, but the offense will be good and fun to watch the bulk of the time.

That’s really all I can ask for out of a Cleveland football team at this point. Baby steps.
 
@ Baltimore - L
v. Cincinnati - W
v. Washington - W
@ Dallas - L
v. Indianapolis - W
@ Pittsburgh - L
@ Cincinnati - L
v. Las Vegas - W
v. Houston - L
v. Philadelphia - W
@ Jacksonville - W
@ Tennessee - L
v. Baltimore - L
@ NY Jets - W
@ NY Giants - L
v. Pittsburgh - W

8-8
 
I'm always enthusiastic until they lose the opener. Then I'll waste varying amounts of my time watching on remaining fall Sundays until they're relegated to chore background noise come december.

I'll predict a 1-5 start; the team coasts to 5-10 before quitting in the last game of the season.

Hopefully they win the opener and I get to wash my crow down with whiskey.
 
When's the last time a team has gone 10-6 and made the playoffs with a bottom-five defense? Our D was 24th overall last year. With some personnel loses and injuries they've likely gotten worse.

Can we stop with the doom and gloom and guaranteed/definitive statements that the defense will be trash? Why watch if you're so sure? You could be rich since you know the outcome already.

If Joe Woods > Steve Wilks then the defense will likely perform better. The only real person worth mentioning is the loss of Schobert and outside of 2 games last year, he was a JAG.

If the offense isn't the complete disaster that it was last year, then the defense will likely perform better.

I get it - be pessimistic like your life depends on it, but I don't think anyone can make any definitive statements about either side of the ball right now.
 
I'm predicting 9-7 and our first playoff appears in 18 years. I think now that 7 teams in each conference are in, it gives us a muuuch better shot.

Ravens: L
Bengals: W
Redskins: W
Cowboys: L
Colts: W
Steelers: L
Bengals: W
Raiders: W
Texans: L
Eagles: L
Jaguars: W
Titans: L
Ravens: L
Giants: W
Jets: W
Steelers: W
 
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