Tough schedule doesn't bode well for Cleveland Browns in AFC North, USA Today predicts

Let the hand wringing begin Cleveland Browns fans.

As the team prepares to trek down to Berea South – The Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia for you commoners – the predictions about how they will fare are starting to roll in.

Yup, that’s prognostication based upon training camp rosters , not necessarily the final 53-man roster, which, in the world of NFL football is never final. It’s a game we all play. Or we play the schedule game whilst scrolling through teams’ respective matchups.

To say that expectations are high amongst the faithful would be an understatement. But those who write about football for a living may be a source of disappointment for Browns fans this season.

After breaking through with an 11-6 record courtesy of a mostly ferocious defense (they were toothless in a couple of games) and the rejuvenation of quarterback Joe Flacco , the Browns earned a wild card spot and were unceremoniously thumped in the first round of the playoffs by the Houston Texans .

Seeing them take another step forward to division winner and Super Bowl contender would seem to be the logical progression, no?

Which AFC North team wins the division in USA Today's NFL record predictions?

Nate Davis of "USA TODAY," the Beacon Journal’s sister paper, doesn’t quite see it that way. He sees a healthy Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals coming in to reclaim the division, which had three playoff teams, none of which was the Bengals, with an 11-6 record. For the record: Burrow is 1-5 versus the Browns.

Some of Davis’ analysis:

Your most likely worst-to-first candidate – hardly a hot take given Cincy won the division in 2021 and ’22. The numbers say the Bengals have, by far, the easiest schedule in the division, the other teams saddled with the three hardest dockets in the league.

The Cleveland Browns finish at No. 2 in AFC North

As for the Browns, he has them at 10-7:

They won 11 games and nearly the division in 2023 despite a slew of major injuries, most notably QB Deshaun Watson (shoulder) and RB Nick Chubb (ACL) missing most of the season with ailments to, respectively, the most concerning parts of their bodies from a professional standpoint. It’s imperative for Watson to finally find his footing in this offense, and new WR2 Jerry Jeudy and last season’s top-ranked defense are good things to lean on. However, with the Bengals the only 2023 non-playoff team among Cleveland’s final five opponents, the Browns can’t afford a slow start – especially since they’re stuck with the NFL’s toughest schedule (their opponents with a .547 winning percentage in 2023).

Here’s the reality: this year does likely hinge on Deshaun Watson’s repaired shoulder and chemistry with the players around him.

Still, I can hear the calls of no respect from the Cleveland faithful already. It’s the same racket sent out from the virtual Dawg Pound last year.: “No respect! No respect!”

The Browns are just going to have to do what they did last year – earn their respect on the field and in the win-loss column.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Tough schedule doesn't bode well for Cleveland Browns in AFC North, USA Today predicts