Cleveland Browns 2024-25 NFL Season Recap

Cleveland Browns 2024-25 NFL Season Recap

I had major reservations about the Cleveland Browns entering the 2024-25 NFL betting campaign. Though Kevin Stefanski’s troops ultimately punched a ticket to the playoffs a year prior by way of winning 11 games with all but one of those matchups covered against the closing NFL spread, the overall body of work came off as lucky to me. Joe Flacco came in from off his couch to win the Comeback Player of the Year Award by putting a competent QB1 under center for the offense. That paired with one of the league’s best defenses amounted to a return to the second season off a two-year hiatus. However, their Super Bowl aspirations were quickly smashed after getting rolled up and smoked by the Houston Texans in the wild-card round. With upper management electing to let Flacco walk and throw all their eggs back in Deshaun Watson’s basket, I had little confidence in the Browns matching the outputs and put my money where my mouth was.

I hammered the under of 8.5 wins and also hit some alt unders at the online sportsbook knowing full well Cleveland’s offense was going to have all kinds of issues—Watson ain’t it guys and gals! Hardly surprising, Cleveland would march out the league’s absolute worst scoring offense that averaged a paltry 15.2 points per game. While Jameis Winston put a spark under the unit in his seven overall starts, the 13-12 TD/INT ratio saw his derriere parked on the bench come Week 18. Myles Garrett and the Browns excelled defense couldn’t overcome the underperformance on the other side of the ball. It simply just broke down over the course of the full season with nothing left in the tank to make up for the offense’s shortcomings. If you can believe it, the Browns turned the ball over a mind-numbing 34 times (No. 32). This in turn played a huge role as to why Cleveland’s defense served up better than 25 points per game (No. 28) a year removed from only allowing 21.3 (No. 13). Cleveland turned it over a league-worst 37 times in 2023-24, but had an offense at its disposal to make up for it.

Arguably the only positive to come out of the 2024-25 campaign was the rebirth of Jerry Jeudy’s career. The fifth-year wide receiver found his wings in Cleveland going for career-highs in receptions (90) and receiving yardage (1,229) with most of his damaged accrued with Winston under center. Provided upper management goes out and finds someone that can sling the rock—while not costing the team with numerous giveaways—Jeudy has proven he can shoulder a WR1 role and looks to be positioned as a popular target for player prop bettors for years to come. Unfortunately, the Browns might have to look elsewhere for someone to shoulder the RB1 load with Nick Chubb’s body pretty much done absorbing the punishment. In going 3-14 straight up (SU) and 4-13 against the spread (ATS), the Browns enter the offseason owners of the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft. With so many holes needing to be filled on both sides of the ball, it remains to be seen the course of action GM Andrew Barry takes to rectify the problem areas.

Cleveland Browns Week 18 Recap

The Cleveland Browns concluded a challenging season with a 35-10 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, dropping to 3-14 and ending the year on a six-game skid against the closing NFL odds. The Browns struggled offensively, rotating quarterbacks Bailey Zappe and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Zappe threw for 170 yards, including a 16-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Akins in the fourth quarter, but also tossed two interceptions. One was returned 26 yards for a touchdown by rookie Nate Wiggins, giving Baltimore an early lead. Cleveland’s defense continued its streak of 28 games without allowing a 300-yard passer, holding Lamar Jackson to 217 yards on 16-of-32 passing. However, they failed to contain Baltimore’s rushing attack, as Derrick Henry powered his way to 86 yards and two touchdowns, including a 43-yard score late in the game. The Browns' defensive struggles capped a season of underachievement. Despite their defensive milestone, Cleveland’s offensive inconsistencies remained a glaring weakness. The team’s quarterback play was ineffective, unable to sustain drives or generate meaningful scoring opportunities until late in the game. The Browns will enter the offseason with significant questions at quarterback and on both sides of the ball after finishing tied for the worst record in franchise history.

2024 Cleveland Browns Schedule, Results & Record

Since their return to the NFL, the Browns have only three playoff appearances.

Cleveland Browns Past Seasons (2000)

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