The 2019 season featured disappointing results from the Cleveland Browns as they went 7-9 and missed the playoffs. They aren’t expected to contend for the AFC North title in 2020 with the Baltimore Ravens still in form, but there is no excuse to not show improvement.
With Kevin Stefanski now at head coach, the hope for the Browns is that he can help Baker Mayfield turn things around. It worked for Kirk Cousins with the Minnesota Vikings but apparently that impact wouldn’t be nearly enough for these projections.
The Browns made key changes on the offensive line to better protect Mayfield and Odell Beckham Jr. will be healthy. Factoring in the addition of Austin Hooper, Cleveland has the necessary talent around the quarterback position to show real improvement.
The ESPN projection for the Browns’ record is that he finishes with just a 7-9 record, which isn’t enough to finish better than last in the AFC North.
There isn’t much surprise when it comes to the top of the AFC North standings. In these projections, the Baltimore Ravens regress by two wins and finish with a 12-4 record and the Pittsburgh Steelers match that, but the Ravens get the tie-breaker.
The Cincinnati Bengals added a game-changing quarterback in Joe Burrow using the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. They also were uncharacteristically active in free agency adding veteran talents. Overall, they finish with a 7-9 record in ESPN’s projections.
There would be some tough questions needing answers from the Browns front office if the team were to have such a bad season. The outlook would appear to be quite rough with the Bengals on the rise and both the Ravens and Steelers still so strong.
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