Cleveland Browns Season Preview
Youth is Cleveland’s biggest asset. Quarterback Colt McCoy is entering his 2nd season in the NFL, and the 3rd round pick out of Texas has taken on a leadership role by hosting a camp in Austin Texas for player-only workouts. Running back Peyton Hillis is entering his 4th season in the league but only his 2nd season as a featured back. Last year, Hillis rushed for over 1,000 yards for the 1st time in his career and scored a career-high 11 rushing touchdowns. Although Cleveland’s youth offers promise, the Browns are a long way from competing with Pittsburg or Baltimore in the AFC North.

Cleveland’s preseason projections place the Browns finishing with a 6-10 record, a slight improvement from last season’s 5-11 finish. The Browns are projected to have a 1% probability of winning the AFC North—mainly because Pittsburg and Baltimore are expected to dominate the division. The Browns are projected to have 7% chance of making the postseason.

Cleveland is changing its defense to a 4-3 scheme from a 3-4 scheme. The change is intended to improve a Cleveland defense that was ranked 22nd in yards/game allowed last season. Veteran linebacker Scott Fugita commented that the team had access to the new playbook and were practicing the new system in the player-only camps.

Offensively, Cleveland picked up Benjamin Watson from New England last season, and Watson was the Brown’s best receiver by some distance. Watson had nearly twice as many receiving yards and receptions as #2 receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. Unfortunately, Watson was only able to grab 3 receiving touchdowns for the season. If Cleveland wants to take a noticeable step forward, McCoy and Watson have to get on the same page inside the red zone.

Projected Record: 6-10
Projected Division Finish: 3rd
Probability of Winning Division: 1%
Probability of Making Playoffs: 7%

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