CLEVELAND — In case you haven't noticed — and judging by the lack of buzz in the city, you haven't — the Cleveland Browns are opening the 2024 NFL season this Sunday at the newly-renamed Huntington Bank Field against the Dallas Cowboys.
Yes, I stole a bit of that line from Bob "Harry Doyle" Uecker. But as I look at this Sunday and this upcoming season, I'm just not detecting the usual giddiness from Browns fans. It's as if last year's improbable run to the postseason — one of the most fun seasons I can ever remember in Cleveland — never happened.
There may be some simple explanations, such as the fact that many key Browns players, including QB Deshaun Watson, did not play during the preseason. Or that the Browns again spent part of training camp in West Virginia, so area fans had less of an opportunity to see the team in person.
Something just feels a little off to me. So let's consider some of the reasons why the Dawg Pound doesn't seem to be too rabid right now.
Explanation #1 — Other Cleveland sports teams are having success
The Cavaliers made a nice run to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2023-24 and have also locked up superstar guard Donovan Mitchell and several other key pieces for the foreseeable future. The Guardians have surprised everyone in baseball this summer and are locked in a pennant race in the final month of the season. Led by the effervescent José Ramírez, the Guards are a scrappy, hard-working bunch that's very easy to get behind.
I went back and did some research: The last time all three of Cleveland's major sports teams advanced to the postseason in the same year was 1994-95. The Browns finished 11-5 in 1994 and made it to the AFC Divisional Playoffs. The Cavs made it to the first round of the NBA playoffs in 1994-95, while the Indians (who were on track to be a playoff team before a strike ended the '94 season) had a summer to remember in 1995, reaching the postseason for the first time in 41 years and advancing to the World Series.
We simply are not used to all of our teams being good (or playoff-bound) at the same time. It's hard to start thinking about the Browns in April when the Cavs are heading to the playoffs. It's also difficult to focus on the Browns in June and July when the Guardians have the best record in baseball.
Explanation #2 — This Browns offseason was dominated by talk of stadiums, not on-field issues
No disrespect to the acquisition of wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, but the Browns did not have a very active offseason in terms of free agency or the draft. For the third year in a row, Cleveland did not possess a first-round draft pick due to the Watson trade. Their highest draft pick, second-rounder Mike Hall Jr., is currently on the Commissioner's Exempt List after being arrested on a domestic violence charge last month.
Instead, the biggest issue involving the Cleveland Browns in the offseason had to do with their future home.
With the lease on Huntington Bank Field set to expire in 2028, team owners Jimmy and Dee Haslam announced earlier this year that they are down to two options when it comes to their future stadium site: a $1 billion renovation to the existing downtown stadium, or a domed stadium outside of the city at double the cost.
Last month, the Haslam Sports Group unveiled renderings and a video of a potential domed stadium which would be built in Brook Park. Plans also call for the area around the stadium to be developed with restaurants, shopping, hotels, and more.
I'm wondering if the possibility of the Browns someday moving away from the lakefront is causing fans anxiety. But it's clear that this offseason felt like it was more about business and economics and less about the action on the field.
Explanation #3 — Lack of faith
The last time the Cleveland Browns made the playoffs in consecutive years was 1988-89. Do you know who was president of the United States in 1989? George H. W. Bush. That's a long time, man.
Since the expansion era began in 1999, the Browns have only made three playoff appearances. They also had a very promising 2007 campaign in which they finished 10-6 but narrowly missed the postseason. Consider what has happened in the past:
- After advancing to the playoffs in 2002, the Browns of 2003 finished 5-11
- Coming off of the 10-6 season in '07, the Browns were a lowly 4-12 the following year
- The Browns of 2020 were 11-5 and nearly knocked off the Chiefs to get the AFC title game; in 2021, they were 8-9
Remember how optimistic we all were after Baker Mayfield's rookie season in 2018 when the Browns finished 7-8-1? They followed that up with a 6-10 record in 2019.
The point is, fans have been conditioned to expect the worst after signs of hope.
Explanation #4 — The quarterback
We can go with this one on several points:
First, I still think there are some fans out there who are angry that the Browns chose not to bring back Joe Flacco after his remarkable performance down the stretch in leading last year's team to the playoffs. Look, everyone understands that while Watson is on this roster and healthy — he's the guy. But I believe many fans would have preferred that Flacco be here again as the backup.
But I can't blame the Browns for opting not to have a potential quarterback controversy on their hands, especially if Watson struggles out of the gate coming back from major shoulder surgery.
That leads me into the Watson factor itself. No one truly knows how No. 4 is going to play this season.
Will he pick up where he left off in Baltimore, where he completed his final 14 passes in a row to lead the Browns to a come-from-behind win over the Ravens?
Will he thrive in the system set up by new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey, who was brought in to replace Alex Van Pelt specifically to help get the best out of Watson?
Can he show anything like the form he had in Houston between 2017-20, when he went to three Pro Bowls and was one of the best quarterbacks in all of the NFL? Or are those days long gone?
And, can he stay upright for a full season? That's especially considering how leaky the Browns' offensive line is right now with Jack Conklin and Jed Wills still working their way back from respective knee surgeries.
That's a lot of question marks.
It's like the fans of Cleveland are collectively holding their breath, waiting to see what happens at 4:25 p.m. on Sunday. They're hoping that the Browns defense is as good, or better, than what we saw in 2023. They're hoping that Watson is healthy and in top form. They're hoping that even without Nick Chubb, the Browns can still run the football.
They're hoping. And because history reminds us the pitfalls of getting our hopes up, they're anxious.
So am I.
Let's all just take a deep breath. Then, let's remember why we love Browns football.
More Browns Coverage:
- A dominating defense, Deshaun Watson's return and offensive line concerns: Storylines to follow during the 2024 Cleveland Browns' season
- Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson not looking back, still believes he's 'no doubt' one of NFL's elite passers
- Cleveland Browns 2024 season preview: Depth chart, schedule, betting odds
- Cleveland Browns' 3 keys to victory in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys