The Cleveland Browns were one of the NFL's best teams in 2023 despite losing Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb to injuries for most of the year. On top of that, the Browns had a revolving door at quarterback until Joe Flacco took over later in the season. Still, this is one of the most well-constructed rosters in the league, and frankly one of the most interesting teams.
The Browns have one of the league's best defenses, and the intrigue of how good they could be if Deshaun Watson can return to form is reflected in their four primetime games for the 2024 season.
Cleveland Browns primetime games in 2024
- Week 12: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (Thursday Night Football)
- Week 13: @ Denver Broncos (Monday Night Football)
- Week 16: @ Cincinnati Bengals (Thursday Night Football)
- Week 17: vs. Miami Dolphins (NBC)
How will the Browns do in all of these late-season primetime matchups? Let's make score predictions for each of them.
Week 12: Browns vs. Steelers (Thursday Night Football)
The first primetime matchup for the Cleveland Browns this coming season is going to be a Thursday night matchup at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers. This game is being played the week before Thanksgiving in Cleveland, so the elements could be in play.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have obviously made some huge waves this offseason, signing Russell Wilson to be their new starting quarterback and getting former Bears first-round pick Justin Fields to compete with him. The Browns and Steelers boast two of the best defenses in football, and this game is going to likely come down to which team can minimize mistakes and run the ball more effectively.
What's new in the AFC North?
Prediction: Browns win 22-17
Week 13: Browns @ Broncos (Monday Night Football)
The Browns get a "mini bye week" in between their Week 12 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers and their Week 13 road trip to take on the new-look Denver Broncos.
And by new-look, we're talking in a wide variety of ways.
The Broncos have a new quarterback this season -- likely rookie first-round pick Bo Nix -- as well as new uniforms. However, in this matchup, the Broncos might try to play some mind games with Cleveland by wearing their throwback uniform option, a uniform worn against the Browns in a wide variety of the most crushing losses in the Browns' franchise history.
Regardless of how the Broncos are dressed, this is going to be a tough game for Cleveland. Denver head coach Sean Payton is going to have his guys prepared well for this game, and at this stage of the season, who knows how well Bo Nix will be operating that offense?
The Browns' defense going up against a rookie quarterback will give us a really intriguing matchup late in the season. This is a game the Browns can absolutely win on paper, and it's the return of Jerry Jeudy to the city that drafted him.
The Browns will also be looking to exact some revenge as the Broncos destroyed them last season in their matchup.
Prediction: Browns win 26-21
Week 16: Browns @ Bengals (Thursday Night Football)
This matchup is going to be brutal enough for the Cleveland Browns late in the season, but the timing of a short-week road trip to Cincinnati honestly couldn't be much worse. The Browns will be coming off of a stretch of games here that includes a road trip to Pittsburgh on December 8, a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs on December 15, and then a trip to Cincinnati just four days after that.
Like I said, brutal.
We'll see how healthy the Bengals are at this point in the season, but this is a game I could see the Browns dropping.
Prediction: Bengals win 27-20
Week 17: Dolphins @ Browns (NBC)
As of right now, the NFL has this game penciled into a primetime slot on NBC. That could mean a Saturday game, it could mean Sunday Night Football -- one way or another, this one looks like it will be tough to flex out unless one of these two teams significantly underachieved in 2024.
The Dolphins have been horrendous late in the season, and you hate to just immediately discount their ability to play in cold-weather situations, but I do believe the Browns have a substantial advantage in this matchup playing at home.
Prediction: Browns win 28-24
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