The Cleveland Browns’ 2024 season was a catastrophic collapse, plummeting from an 11-6 playoff berth in 2023 to a 3-14 record, tied for the NFL’s worst alongside the Giants and Titans. The season began with promise, but a 1-6 start, marked by a five-game losing streak—the first since 2017—set a dire tone. Quarterback Deshaun Watson’s season-ending Achilles injury in Week 7, coupled with his league-worst 34.7 total QBR, derailed the offense, which ranked 32nd in points (15.6 per game) and 31st in yards (298.8). The defense, a top-ranked unit in 2023, regressed shockingly, allowing 357.4 yards per game (26th) and only four interceptions, the NFL’s lowest total. The results would lead to the firings of offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey and offensive line coach Andy Dickerson.
The fallout shapes muted expectations for 2025. Head coach Kevin Stefanski, despite a 37-47 record over five years, survived but faces pressure to deliver after relinquishing play-calling duties. With Watson’s $220M contract labeled a “big swing and miss” by Haslam, the quarterback debacle looms, casting doubt on the Browns’ ability to reclaim their 2023 form. However, a retooled roster and new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees offer hope for a rebound, though the path to contention remains steep in a brutal AFC North.
Previewing the Browns Offense
In 2024, the Browns’ offense was anemic, ranking last in points (15.6 per game) and 31st in yards (298.8). Watson’s 1,332 yards, seven touchdowns, and five interceptions in seven starts were abysmal. At the same time, Jameis Winston, who took over post-injury, set a franchise record with 497 yards in a Week 13 loss to Denver but led the NFL with 23 interceptions. The offensive line, once elite, struggled, allowing 47 sacks (27th), with injuries to Jack Conklin and Wyatt Teller exposing depth issues. Jerry Jeudy, acquired from Denver, led with 972 yards and earned a Pro Bowl nod, while David Njoku added 645 yards at tight end. Running back Nick Chubb, returning from a 2023 knee injury, managed only 452 yards in limited action before signing with Houston in June 2025.
The 2025 offseason brought aggressive changes. General manager Andrew Berry signed veteran Joe Flacco (40 years old, 1,616 yards in seven 2024 starts with Indianapolis) and Kenny Pickett (2,127 yards, 62.1% completion with Pittsburgh) to compete with Watson, who’s expected to miss significant time recovering. In the draft, Berry traded down from the No. 2 pick, missing Travis Hunter but landing defensive tackle Mason Graham (fifth overall), running backs Quinshon Judkins (second round) and Dylan Sampson (third round), tight end Harold Fannin (second round), and quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel (third round) and Shedeur Sanders (fifth round). Free-agent signings included guard Teven Jenkins (73.4 PFF grade) and tackle Cornelius Lucas to bolster the line. Departures included Amari Cooper (traded to Buffalo) and Chubb, offset by Judkins’ 1,547 college yards and Sampson’s SEC-best 1,491 rushing yards.
Expectations are cautious but optimistic. Flacco, named the Week 1 starter, offers stability but limited mobility behind a line that ranked 27th in pass-blocking (62.3 PFF grade). Rees’ pass-heavy scheme, honed at Alabama, should elevate Jeudy and Cedric Tillman (team-high receptions in 2024’s final three games), with Fannin’s FBS-record 1,555 tight end yards adding a new dimension. The running game, with Judkins and Sampson, could reach top-15 status (120-130 yards per game), but quarterback uncertainty caps the offense at 20-22 points per game, projecting a 15th-18th ranking in yards.
Previewing the Browns’ Defense
The 2024 defense, expected to carry the team after leading the NFL in yards allowed (270.2) in 2023, collapsed to 26th (357.4 yards per game). Myles Garrett’s 14 sacks and third straight Defensive Player of the Year candidacy were highlights, earning him a record-setting contract as the highest-paid non-quarterback. Denzel Ward’s 19 passes defensed led the NFL, securing his fourth Pro Bowl, but the secondary’s four interceptions were a league low, with Greg Newsome II and Martin Emerson Jr. underperforming. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah’s season-ending neck injury further weakened the unit, which allowed 1.87 yards after contact per rush (seventh-worst).
Offseason moves aimed to restore dominance. Berry signed defensive tackle Maliek Collins (two years, $20M) and outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, pairing them with draft pick Mason Graham, the nation’s top-graded college defensive tackle (91.2 PFF grade). Second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger, a first-team All-American with only four missed tackles in 2024, replaces Owusu-Koramoah, who remains out indefinitely. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz returns, emphasizing aggressive pressure to boost sacks (37 in 2024, 19th) to 40-45. Departures included defensive end Za’Darius Smith (traded) and safety Juan Thornhill, but veterans Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris return to anchor the line.
Expectations are for a top-10 defense, with Garrett and Graham driving a pass rush that could rank top-five in sacks. The secondary, with Ward and Lewis, aims to double interceptions to 8-10, per Schwartz’s comments on missed opportunities. Schwesinger’s tackling prowess should improve run defense, targeting 320-330 yards allowed per game.
Projected Outlook: Competitive but Not Playoff-Bound
The Cleveland Browns are not a playoff team in 2025, primarily due to uncertainty at quarterback. Joe Flacco’s experience (84.1 passer rating in 2024) provides a short-term floor. Still, his age, limited mobility, Watson’s recovery, Pickett’s inconsistency, and the unproven rookies Gabriel and Sanders create a volatile situation. Outside of quarterback, the Browns have the pieces to compete in the AFC North. Jeudy and Tillman form a solid receiving duo, Judkins and Sampson revitalize the run game, and a defense led by Garrett, Ward, and Graham could return to top-10 status. However, in a division with Baltimore (11-6 projection), Cincinnati (10-7), and Pittsburgh (9-8), per ESPN, the Browns lack the quarterback stability to outpace rivals. The Browns can be competitive, splitting division games (3-3), but without a viable QB1, a sixth straight year without a playoff win looms.
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