WKYC: 2024 Cleveland Browns season preview: Schedule, depth chart

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns are ready to kick off the 2024 NFL season this Sunday when they host the Dallas Cowboys at the newly-named Huntington Bank Field.

For the Browns, Sunday’s game represents a clean slate after a disappointing 45-14 blowout loss against the Houston Texans in the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs to end a wild, injury-plagued 2023 season that saw Cleveland finish 11-6. 

The Browns seem to be a true contender on paper, featuring a healthy Deshaun Watson at quarterback to lead the offense and reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett anchoring a unit that was the best in the league last season. In all, the Browns had seven Pro Bowlers in 2023, the most since 1988.

The team’s success this season almost entirely relies on Watson. He finally gets his chance to prove/redeem himself to Cleveland after coming to the Browns via a blockbuster trade in 2022. But there are questions. Will his surgically-repaired shoulder handle the rigors of a 17-game grind? Can he thrive under new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey? Will the offensive line hold up?

SUBSCRIBE: Get the day’s top headlines sent to your inbox each weekday morning with the free 3News to GO! newsletter: Sign up here

If the Browns want to prove they are a true AFC title contender, they will have to do so while tasked with playing one of the most difficult schedules in the NFL. Of course, that includes navigating the rough seas of the AFC North, arguably the toughest division in pro football. Nothing will come easy.

Keep in mind that as the season starts, the Browns will be without star RB Nick Chubb, who continues to recover from two surgeries following a Week 2 knee injury during the 2023 NFL season. 

Here’s everything you need to know about Cleveland’s 2024-25 NFL season: 

• Head coach: Kevin Stefanski 

• Offensive coordinator: Ken Dorsey 

• Defensive coordinator: Jim Schwartz 

• Assistant head coach/special teams coordinator: Bubba Ventrone 

• Defensive line: Jacques Cesaire 

• Linebackers: Jason Tarver 

• Offensive line: Andy Dickerson

• Running backs: Duce Staley 

• Offensive assistant/quarterbacks: Ashton Grant 

• Pass game coordinators / wide receivers: Chad O’Shea 

• Offensive assistant/run game specialist: Nick Charlton 

• Pass game specialist/tight ends: Tommy Rees

• Defensive quality control: Jeff Anderson 

• Safeties: Ephriam Banda 

• Cornerbacks: Brandon Lynch

• Linebackers: Jason Tarver

• Week 1 – Sept. 8: vs. Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m. (Fox)

• Week 2 – Sept. 15: @ Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 3 – Sept. 22: vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m. (Fox)

• Week 4 – Sept. 29: @ Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 5 – Oct. 6: @ Washington Commanders, 1 p.m. (Fox)

• Week 6 – Oct. 13: @ Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. (Fox)

• Week 7 – Oct. 20: vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 8 – Oct. 27: vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 9 – Nov. 3: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 10: BYE

• Week 11 – Nov. 17: @ New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 12 – Nov. 21: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p.m. (“Thursday Night Football” on Amazon Prime Video)

• Week 13 – Dec. 2: @ Denver Broncos, 8:15 p.m. (“Monday Night Football” on ESPN)

• Week 14 – Dec. 8: @ Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 15 – Dec. 15: vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m. (CBS)

• Week 16 – Dec. 19: @ Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m. (“Thursday Night Football” on Amazon Prime Video)

• Week 17 – Dec. 29: vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m. (“Sunday Night Football” on NBC)

• Week 18 – TBD: @ Baltimore Ravens (TBD)

• Deshaun Watson 
• Jameis Winston 
• Dorian Thompson-Robinson

• Jerome Ford 
• Pierre Strong Jr. 
• D’Onta Foreman 

• Amari Cooper 
• Jamari Thrash 

• Jerry Jeudy 
• Cedric Tillman

• Jedrick Wills Jr. 
• James Hudson III

• Joel Bitonio 
• Javion Cohen

• Ethan Pocic 
• Nick Harris 

• Jack Conklin 
• Dawand Jones

• Myles Garrett 
• Ogbo Okoronkwo 
• Isaiah McGuire

• Za’Darius Smith 
• Alex Wright 

• Dalvin Tomlinson 
• Maurice Hurst

• Shelby Harris 
• Quinton Jefferson 

• Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah 
• Tony Fields II 

• Jordan Hicks 
• Mohamoud Diabate

• Devin Bush 
• Nathaniel Watson 

• Denzel Ward 
• Cameron Mitchell 
• Myles Harden 

• Greg Newsome II
• Martin Emerson Jr. 
• Kahlef Hailassie 

• Grant Delpit 
• Rodney McLeod Jr. 
• D’Anthony Bell 

• Juan Thornhill 
• Ronnie Hickman 

• Pierre Strong Jr. 
• Jerome Ford 

According to DraftKings Sportsbook 

• Super Bowl: +4,000
• AFC Winner: +2,000
• AFC North Winner: +550
• To make the playoffs: +145
• Win total: Over 8.5 wins: -135 

 Want to be among the first to know the most important local and national news? The latest sports updates? We’ve got you covered! You can download the free WKYC app and get the latest updates sent to your phone: Android, Apple.