CLEVELAND BROWNS 2022 WIN PREDICTION

BY ADAM GREENE

A 3-1 start had the Cleveland Browns looking at back-to-back trips to the postseason in 2021, but an injury to Baker Mayfield’s shoulder and a team in disarray because of it, doomed the season from October on.

Mayfield rushed himself back out onto the field in an effort to work his way into a long term contract. Instead, he worked his way off the roster as there was pretty much no difference in the squad’s performance when he was on the field compared to his back up, Case Keenum.

Along the way, Mayfield’s locker room presence and football decisions became a bigger issue and the team was forced to cut Odell Beckham, Jr. after those issues became public. OBJ landed with the Los Angeles Rams afterward and got himself a Super Bowl ring.

Still, the Browns were in the playoff conversation entering their final four games of the season only to suffer a three-game losing streak to end all hope. They did win their season finale against the eventual AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals, but the Bengals rested starters and Cleveland still only won 21-16.

In a year of futility, there were still some nice moments. The Browns did beat the “real” Bengals, 41-16, on Nov. 7. You’d like to think downing the Baltimore Ravens 24-22 would count too, but Lamar Jackson wasn’t playing.

Mayfield went 6-8 as a starter, completing 60.5 percent of his passes for 3,10 yards, 17 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Nick Chubb rushed for 1,259 yards and eight touchdowns.

The defense finished No. 13 in points allowed and No. 5 in yards allowed. Myles Garrett led the team with 16 sacks and was named a Pro Bowler and first team All-Pro selection.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Last season: 8-9

Odds: Under 8 wins (-130), Over 8 wins (+100)

2022 NFL Draft: Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State (Round 3), Alex Wright, DE, UAB (Round 3), David Bell, WR, Purdue (Round 3), Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma (Round 4), Cade York, Kicker, LSU (Round 4), Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati (Round 5), Mike Woods, WR, Oklahoma (Round 6), Isaiah Thomas, Edge, Oklahoma (Round 7), Dawson Deaton, Center, Texas Tech (Round 7)

2022 Additions: Deshaun Watson, QB (trade), Chase Winovich, DE (trade), Amari Cooper, WR (trade), Jakeem Grant, WR (free agent), Jacoby Brissett, QB (free agent), Taven Bryan, DT (free agent), Corey Bojorquez, Punter (free agent), Stephen Weatherly, DR (free agent), Isaac Rochell, DE (free agent), Joshua Dobbs, QB (free agent), Ethan Pocic, OG (free agent), Josh Rosen, QB, (free agent), Dakota Allen, LB (free agent)

Projected Starters

Offense

QB: Jacoby Brissett/Deshaun Watson (after Week 11)

RB: Nich Chubb

WR: Amari Cooper

WR: Donovan Peoples-Jones

WR: David Bell

TE: David Njoku

LT: Jedrick Wills, Jr.

LG: Joel Bitonio

C: Ethan Pocic

RG: Wyatt Teller

RT: Jack Conklin

Defense

LDE: Myles Garrett

LDT: Jordan Elliott

RDT: Taven Bryan

RDE: Jadeveon Clowney

WLB: Jeremiah Owus-Koramoah

MLB: Anthony Walker, Jr.

SLB: Sione Takitaki

CB: Denzel Ward

CB: Greg Newsome II

SS: Grant Delpit

FS: John Johnson III

Special Teams

PK: Cade York

P: Corey Bojorquez

PR: Demetric Felton, Jr.

KR: Demetric Felton, Jr.

PREVIEW

It’s been an offseason of self-inflicted wounds for the Browns. Granted, you have one of the worst and dumbest owners in the league, Jimmy Haslam, at the top of the franchise and that’s always a recipe for disaster, regardless of the talent on the coaching staff or team. The Washington Commanders prove that every single day.

But it was a particularly stupid few months for Cleveland as they refused to be removed from the Deshaun Watson trade talks with the Houston Texans, even after they’d been publicly, by Watson’s reps, wiped from the board. Ironically, considering Watson was the target, the Browns did not take “no” for an answer, whipped off their metaphorical towel and decided to jump back onto the massage table with a fully guaranteed contract offer. Unfortunately for the Browns, Watson could not refuse and now they had to deal with the fallout.

Outside of all the bad press and karma related to the signing, Watson was finally suspended by the NFL for the first 11 games of the season and fined $5 million. Considering he still has $225 million guaranteed left, he’ll probably be OK, depending on how much he’s paying all of his accusers in the settlements. It’s safe to say he won’t be making up the money lost in endorsements, unless some Cleveland based massage oil company wants to make a play for a national market.

In adding Watson and trading for Amari Cooper, the Browns had to move on from Baker Mayfield. And while the addition of the massage room enthusiast was controversial, chucking Mayfield out the door was significantly less so. Nobody, outside of Mayfield himself, was too broken up over the whole thing.

With Watson sidelined and, legitimately, banned from any non-team related rubdowns, the keys to the Cleveland 4×4 will be in the hands of Jacoby Brissett, but backups Josh Dobbs and Josh Rosen aren’t that far from getting the call. I really like the addition of Rosen to the roster as that dude has gotten a raw deal from the NFL since being drafted in the first round in the 2018 Draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

The roster is still loaded and, even with Watson nursing his muscle knots alone on the sidelines, can still be dangerous. Brissett has played winning football in the past, Dobbs might be the smartest dude in the league and Rosen was a first round pick for a reason.

I can easily see the Browns opening 2-0, especially with the face off against Mayfield in Week 1 at the Carolina Panthers. After that, they’re probably looking at three straight losses before a break at an overrated New England Patriots team.

Then it’s at the Baltimore Ravens and hosting the Cincinnati Bengals, so two more losses. Going into their bye, I have them 3-5. It gets no easier after with losses at the Miami Dolphins, then their final two games without Watson, at the Buffalo Bills and hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That’s three “Ls” in a row.

Once Watson is back, the schedule does become more manageable, but how long it takes him to really get into form is anyone’s guess. Outside of this preseason, the man hasn’t played a down of football since 2020.

Final record prediction: 8-9

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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