Browns Predicted to Finish Last in AFC North With Sub .500 Season

The Cleveland Browns have lofty expectations entering the season for multiple reasons. Most importantly, after trading three first-round picks and more for Deshaun Watson, the Browns were expected to be a Super Bowl contending team.

His first two years have seen him deal with injuries and a suspension. The Browns made the playoffs last season after they signed Joe Flacco when Watson went down with a season-ending injury, and he carried the team to four straight wins and a playoff birth.

With an elite defense, weapons on the offensive end, and more, Watson should be able to find similar success. However, Maurice Moton doesn’t believe they’ll do so, predicting that the Browns will finish last in the AFC North with an 8-9 record.

“Deshaun Watson’s production will determine whether Cleveland remains in the playoff picture or finishes with a sub-.500 record,” Moton wrote on August 15. “In 14 games with the Browns, he’s thrown for 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions with a 59.8 percent completion rate. The Browns’ stingy defense should keep them in games.

“On the flip side, running back Nick Chubb doesn’t have a timetable for return, and Joe Flacco isn’t there to bail the offense out if Watson struggles or is unavailable down the stretch.”

When Will Nick Chubb Return?

Nick Chubb is an important piece of the Cleveland Browns’ offense. When healthy, there’s a strong argument that he’s the best running back in the NFL. In 2022, he finished with 302 attempts for 1,525 yards and 12 touchdowns.

However, after going down with another knee injury, there are question marks about Chubb. He’s continued to progress well, and there’s a chance he’ll be on the field early in the year, but he’ll have to prove that he’s still capable of 1,500-plus yard seasons.

Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com offered a positive update on Chubb on an August 1 appearance on the “Ken Carman Show with Anthony Lima.”

“The way you see him run and cut, it looks like he can do football activities pretty soon,” Cabot said. “I think at some point during this camp, he will be activated and available for one of those first three games.”

Cabot added that it’s uncertain when he’ll return but that he looks good physically.

“Whenever I see him do something great — like squat 540 pounds or run sprints in front of Jimmy Haslam — I think it’s getting close and then they pump the brakes,” Cabot said. “I don’t have a great handle on when he will be back but he looks good physically. That bodes well for the near future.”

The Browns Will Only Be as Good as Watson

The pressure only grew for Watson and the Cleveland Browns after what Flacco did last year. Flacco proved that the rest of the team is talented enough to win if the quarterback play is above average, which will be what Watson needs to show.

A lot has changed over the past few seasons, but Watson threw for 4,823 yards, 33 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. A three-time Pro Bowl selection, Watson has proven in his career that he’s more than capable of finding success.

The Browns will need that for Moton’s prediction not to come true.