CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is a segment from the Wednesday, May 11, 2022, episode of The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.
Since the season ended, the Cleveland Browns have known who the opponents on their 2022 schedule are going to be and where the games were going to be played. On Thursday night they will find out when each of those games will be played.
When the NFL releases its master schedule Thursday night, each team in the NFL will know the information listed above for the Browns. The other thing that becomes known is how many games played in primetime will be played for each team. How many games the Browns have spread out between Thursday Night Football, Sunday Night Football, and Monday Night Football could also give a hint as to how the NFL feels about a potential Deshaun Watson suspension, especially depending on when the primetime games fall on the calendar.
Here is the likelihood of each game on the schedule to be in primetime in 2022:
Baltimore Ravens (2)
In each of the last two seasons, the Browns and Ravens have squared off in a primetime game. In 2020, the two teams played an instant classic on Monday night that saw the Ravens win, and then the rematch in 2021 on Sunday Night Football was a bit of a letdown as the Ravens won that one despite quarterback Lamar Jackson throwing four interceptions. One of the two games will likely be at 1 p.m. on a Sunday, but the other one should be in primetime.
Cincinnati Bengals (2)
The Bengals are fresh off a Super Bowl appearance and have one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL in Joe Burrow. When you add that in with the fact that the networks love to play up the ‘Battle for Ohio’ storyline of things, this could line up for a national TV game in one of the two matchups. Like the Ravens, the other game will likely be a normal Sunday afternoon contest.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2)
Ben Roethlisberger is no longer the starting quarterback of the Steelers, much to the delight of Browns fans, and that certainly takes away some sizzle from these biannual matchups. The Steelers aren’t going to be terrible -- they likely never will be -- but they do lack the spice to put them on national TV often this year.
Yes, Mentor High School’s Mitch Trubisky could be the team’s starting quarterback this year, but that isn’t a strong enough storyline to move this under the lights.
@ Buffalo Bills
It’s hard to think of the last time this matchup had as much intrigue as it does this year. The Browns and Bills haven’t squared off since 2019 and the Lake Erie neighbor to the northeast currently sits as the favorite to capture the Lombardi Trophy this year. With the short distance between the two cities, this game makes perfect sense as a Thursday night primetime game.
@ Miami Dolphins
There’s no real storyline here that points to this being a primetime game, although if the Browns are taking on Miami late in the season, it’s a game that every Northeast Ohioan dreams of attending.
New England Patriots
Last season the Patriots destroyed the Browns in every facet of the game. The Browns are certainly hoping for a better outcome this year as the Patriots come to town, but overall it’s hard to think of many reasons why this one should be showcased nationally. Yes, New England head coach Bill Belichick was the head coach of the Browns once upon a time, but that’s not going to move the needle all that much.
New York Jets
Traditionally, the Browns and Jets have played in primetime quite a bit. The first Monday Night Football game back in September of 1970 featured the two teams, and that piece of history is always going to give this at least some sliver of a storyline to be featured, but there are better options this year for the Browns.
@ Houston Texans
It’s hard to imagine the NFL wanting to add extra eyeballs to Watson’s potential return to Houston. It would be stunning if this game is anything other than Sunday at 1 p.m.
Los Angeles Chargers
Last season the Browns and Chargers played in an early season thriller that saw Los Angeles win with a late score. If the NFL could somehow replicate that game and put it on Monday Night Football, it would without thinking twice. This game makes a ton of sense to be featured nationally. If it’s not a primetime game, at the very least it will be a 4:25 p.m. kickoff at First Energy Stadium.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Unless Tom Brady changes teams again, this is likely going to be his final game at First Energy Stadium. That makes this matchup good enough to be on national television, but with Tampa playing a first-place schedule and the entire NFC West, there are a few games that will have the Buccaneers in primetime ahead of the Browns on the pecking order. This might be a 4:25 p.m. kickoff, but anything more than that would be a surprise.
New Orleans Saints
The Saints probably aren’t going to be any good, and it’s hard to see this being on national television.
@ Carolina Panthers
The Panthers, like the Saints, probably aren’t going to be any good. In fact, they’ll probably be worse. The TV networks are passing on this one.
@ Atlanta Falcons
Everything said above about the Panthers and Saints rings true, except the Falcons may be the worst of the three. The NFC South is going to be pretty bad this year.
@ Washington Commanders
With all of the controversy that routinely swirls around the newly-named Washington Commanders and owner Dan Snyder, the team will probably receive two national television games at most this season, and it’s hard to imagine the Browns being one of them.