CLEVELAND — Can you believe it? The Cleveland Browns are just a few days away from playing a regular season game.
No more tricking yourself into getting excited for the preseason; no more overanalyzing of training camp reps. On Sunday, the snaps count.
Through the extreme ups and downs of the 2023 regular season, the Browns made their triumphant return to the playoffs for the first time in three years. Unfortunately, that's where the triumph quickly ended.
Hyperbole isn't just a trap when it comes to sports discourse; it's often the name of the game. So at the risk of declaring one of the biggest preseason clichés in sports, I'll just let it rip.
Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys is the first step in what could quite possibly be one of the most transformative years in the expansion era of the Cleveland Browns.
Questions about the long term viability of several key positions, including the most important one occupied by Deshaun Watson, loom over a quickly aging and expensive roster. Also, will injuries and the loss of offensive line coach Bill Callahan throw a wrench into the newly designed offense waiting to be unveiled by head coach Kevin Stefanski and new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey?
Plenty more questions exist, but three undeniable keys to victory remain in front of the Browns' Sunday afternoon matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, which can be read below.
1. The offensive line-sized elephant in the room
It's hard to convey just how important a healthy, highly functioning offensive line means for the 2024 version of the Browns, and we will get our first look at how effective that line can be on Sunday.
With starting left tackle Jed Wills still missing from team practices, it looks ever more likely that he won't start the season as Watson's blindside protector against the Cowboys.
Jack Conklin looks poised to take snaps at LT for the first time in nearly a decade. That leaves second-year tackle Dawand Jones, who impressed in nine starts at right tackle in his rookie season, to take over starting duties once more.
The Browns have a solid base up the middle with Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, and Wyatt Teller all healthy and in the starting lineup, but how the tackle situation will look against a stout Dallas front is one of the biggest stories going into Week 1.
Deshaun Watson has not played more than six games in a season since 2020. Watson did not see live game action in the preseason while he continued to rehab his throwing shoulder. He even dealt with soreness in that shoulder that kept him out of the final preseason game against the Seahawks a few weeks ago, although the lack of depth on the O-line likely played a role too.
The speed of the NFL game played on the field against an opposing team is unmatched. There's no reason to expect Watson to play with midseason poise and feel for what's going on around him considering just how little he's played recently and over the past four years.
Protecting Watson, whether that be for Week 1 success or his long term health, is undoubtedly a massive key to success for the Orange and Brown.
2. Strength on Strength
If last season is anything to go off of, offense could be limited on Sunday afternoon.
At the end of the 2023 regular season, the Browns ranked No. 1 in the NFL in total defense, followed closely behind by the No. 5 Dallas defense. The Browns allowed a league-low 270.2 yards per game compared to the Cowboys' 299.7.
It's no secret that the Browns have at least three major offensive questions (or possible weaknesses) yet to be resolved through proof of play going into Sunday:
- The offensive line questions mentioned above
- Will the rust of minimal play cause Deshaun Watson to get off to a slow start?
- Will the running game do enough to help lessen the burden on Watson against a stout Dallas front seven?
All of those concerns are compounded when All-Pro defensive end Micah Parsons is unleashed to test the Browns' offensive line and Watson's decision making in and out of the pocket.
Without any major losses to the structure of the 2023 defense, the 2024 version of Jim Schwartz's unit must hold true to their 2023 form and force Cowboys QB Dak Prescott into a slow start of his own.
The last two seasons for Prescott haven't exactly started off on the strongest foot statistically. In 2022, he completed only 14 of 29 pass attempts (143 yards) for zero touchdowns and an interception in Week 1. Last year, he completed only 13 of 24 attempts (134 yards) and zero touchdowns to start the year.
That's the formula the Browns' defensive unit has to repeat for the third year in a row. With the Dallas running back room relying on a pair of veterans in Ezekiel Elliot and Dalvin Cook who have seen their prime years come and go, the Browns' defensive front seven must pounce on the opportunity to make Prescott uncomfortable behind center.
Luckily, the Browns have the reigning Defensive Player of the Year to help force that issue.
3. Watson's helping hands
With Nick Chubb still in recovery mode following his devastating injury early in the 2023 season, the Browns must rely on their robust set of pass catchers to keep the wheels turning on Sunday.
Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and David Njoku are all poised to play a large roll in Stefanski and Dorsey's new-look offense in 2024, and it needs to start in Week 1.
The new school way of looking at offensive philosophy over the past several years has flipped the concept of "running to open the pass" on its head. The team has high hopes for what these three offensive playmakers presence can do to open opportunities for Elijah Moore and second-year WR Cedric Tillman, but for anything to work as the Browns look to iron out a winning game plan against a tough Dallas defense, the top three playmakers need to be safety blankets for Watson.
Earlier in this story, I mentioned three offensive questions that we have yet to figure out about the offensive line, Watson's ability to shake off the rust, and the running game production as we wait for Chubb to heal. Each of those can be concealed to a certain extent by talented playmakers getting to their spots and giving the QB a chance.
Don't you love the nervous excitement of Week 1 in the NFL?