What are the Browns' most important games in 2024? These 5 games fit the bill

BEREA — Every game is important. That's what Browns coach Kevin Stefanski would tell you if you asked him.

Of course, Stefanski wouldn't necessarily be wrong. One never knows which game really could be the difference between making the playoffs and sitting at home in mid-to-late January.

Still, there are always a handful of games when the importance is magnified. They're the games you can't help but look at and see the impact they could have on the Browns season.

What follows are the five games, at least from this perspective, that hold significant importance on the Browns schedule. Feel free to agree with all or none if you'd like. It's just one's opinion.

They're listed in chronological order, which is why the first game on the list may surprise you a bit.

Week 2, Sept. 15: at Jacksonville Jaguars

You're thought surely this would be Sunday's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys. And it was considered strongly for the list. Here's the argument why the game the week after the opener could hold more importance than even the opener. One, it's an AFC opponent, instead of an NFC opponent like Dallas. That's much more significant in terms of potential playoff tiebreakers down the road. Two, which ties in with No. 1, it's against the Jaguars, with whom the Browns could find themselves in a potential fight for a playoff spot, making head-to-head a potential tiebreaker. In an opening five-game stretch mostly spent playing the NFC East, that adds importance to the first AFC game on their schedule.

Week 7, Oct. 20: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

There's really no explanation needed here. However, here's one if you can't already figure it out. It's the Browns' first AFC North game, so there's that. It's against a team a lot of people think could actually be the division favorite, so it's a chance to get a leg up on them as well. Plus, it's the Bengals, against whom the Browns have had a lot of success, especially at home. Getting off to a 1-0 division start and taking care of business in their home division games should be one of the main objectives for the Browns.

Week 8, Oct. 27: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Did you read the previous entry? Yeah, that's all true for this one as well. There are only a couple of differences. One, the previous week's results could add even more importance depending on if the Browns need a win to avoid falling to 0-2 both in the division and in division home games. Two, it's going to be their first shot at trying to slow down Lamar Jackson. When they've done so, they've typically beaten the Ravens. When they haven't, well, they haven't.

Week 14, Dec. 8: at Pittsburgh Steelers

The more obvious choice may have been the game the Browns will play a little more than two weeks earlier on Nov. 21 against the Steelers at home on "Thursday Night Football." This one's the pick because it's really where the Browns' stretch run takes off. After this game it's basically nothing but contenders: Kansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Ravens. It would to be nice to start that stretch with a win. It would also, to be completely honest, be nice to finally get a win at Pittsburgh in the regular season. That hasn't happened since 2003.

Week 17, Dec. 29: vs. Miami Dolphins

This has a chance to be a special night in Cleveland. "Sunday Night Football" will be there, assuming the game still holds plenty of playoff implications. If it does, a national television audience is going to be tuning in to see one of two things. Either they're going see the Dolphins beating a team with a quality record in the cold on the road, a rarity, or the Browns having a chance to potentially even lock up a second consecutive playoff appearance for the first time since before their entire roster was born.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: What are the Browns' most important games in 2024? These 5 games fit the bill