What Must Go Right For Cleveland's First Division Title Since 1989

It's been a long time since Cleveland last won their division, what must go right in 2024 for that to finally change?

Oct 15, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) and cornerback Denzel Ward (21) and linebacker Mohamoud Diabate (43) celebrate after San Francisco 49ers place kicker Jake Moody (not pictured) missed a field goal during the final seconds of the game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Back in 1989, the number one movie in America was Batman, not the one starring Christian Bale but the the one with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Some of the number-one songs on the Billboard Top-100 in 1989 were Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire" and Poison's "Every Rose Has It's Thorn."

Also that year, the then AFC Central Champions were the Cleveland Browns, the last time that this franchise has won its division.

Much has changed in the last 35 years. The Browns franchise left and came back, they were one of the few teams in history to miss the playoffs with 10 wins, they went winless, they went 1-32 over a two year stretch, but they have finally turned the corner to become a winning franchise.

Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry have steadied the ship and now. They have a legitimate chance to change the Cleveland Browns' narrative and become a team that is a threat to sit atop the AFC for years to come.

What must go right in 2024 for Cleveland to earn an AFC North Championship in arguably the best division in the NFL?

Last time they won their division pic.twitter.com/SZh2gkta1O

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 24, 2024

First, the Browns need good quarterback play. We all know the story, this roster is loaded and it is going to come down to the way that Deshaun Watson performs in his third year with Cleveland. If he can play well, the Browns will have a chance, but that's not all.

It is a must that the Browns go into Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers on the road. Make no mistake, the Pittsburgh Steelers are going to have a really competitive football team next season. If they get a decent Russell Wilson, they will be a 9 or 10-win team. Taking care of business against that team is priority number one.

Priority two is hoping Cincinnati gets off to another slow start. The Bengals have a very favorable start to the year. They play New England, Kansas City, Washington and then Carolina in their first month. They probably anticipate being 4-0 in that stretch, but if they start slow, they could miss a window of opportunity that could come back to bite them later. Cleveland will then need to continue its dominance over Burrow and the Bengals to set themselves up.

Cleveland must split with Baltimore. It doesn't have to be pretty against the Ravens, the Browns just need at least one win against the Birds. Baltimore will be in the mix late in the season but with what they lost in the 2023 offseason, Cleveland needs to take care of business and it will set them up for a division title.

It won't be easy for the Browns to get this job done in 2024. The AFC North is going to be the most competitive division in football but someone has to win it. Why can't Cleveland become the King of the North?