What Would a Successful Cleveland Browns Season Look Like?

The Browns were a pleasant surprise in 2023, but now, some lofty expectations have been placed on the team heading into 2024.

Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson talks with head coach Kevin Stefanski during a workout, Wednesday, June 8, 2022 in Berea. / Phil Masturzo / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Cleveland Browns are one of the hardest teams to project entering the 2024 NFL campaign.

On paper, the Browns look pretty loaded, particularly on the defensive side of the ball. Given that Cleveland ranked No. 1 in defense last season, that doesn't come as too much of a surprise.

But there are obviously some questions surrounding Cleveland with training camp on the horizon, which makes the Browns a difficult team to peg.

ESPN's Field Yates broke down what he felt a successful 2024 would look like for Cleveland.

What would define a good season for the Browns?

"I think making the playoffs and winning a game is a good starting point here...," - @FieldYates pic.twitter.com/L9vFvUQFbP

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) June 25, 2024

Considering the Browns won 11 games and lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs last season, winning a playoff game would obviously be a very positive step in the right direction, and anything less would likely be categorized as a disappointment by many Cleveland fans.

However, Yates notes that most of this depends on Deshaun Watson. He specifies that if Watson returns to form, winning at least one postseason contest will be "the baseline" for the Browns.

It really does all hinge on what version of Watson we see in 2024.

Remember: Cleveland was able to make the playoffs last year in spite of Watson playing in just six games. The Browns rifled through five different starting quarterbacks and still managed to go 11-6 in the brutal AFC North. That tells you something about how strong their roster is as a whole.

Still, you will really only go as far as your quarterback takes you, especially in the pass-happy modern NFL.

Watson has made a grand total of 12 starts while accumulating 14 passing touchdowns and 11 interceptions over his first two seasons in Cleveland.

That won't cut it.

But if Watson can rediscover the form that saw him lead the league with 4,823 passing yards to go along with 33 touchdowns and just seven picks back in 2020, the Browns may suddenly vault themselves into Super Bowl contention.

Of course, that was four years ago, so we don't even know if Watson is even capable of doing that anymore. But you know what? He doesn't even have to be that dominant. All he needs to do is resemble his old self, and Cleveland should be alright, especially considering how much juice the Browns were able to squeeze out of Joe Flacco in 2023.

Cleveland plays in the best division in football. The AFC North sent three teams to the playoffs last year, and all four squads finished with a winning record. That will obviously make it exceedingly difficult for the Browns to succeed in 2024. Cleveland also has a very tough schedule.

So, if the Browns are able to get to the postseason and win a game (or more)? It should absolutely be viewed as a success for a franchise that has logged just one playoff win (and only made three playoff appearances in general) since re-entering the NFL in 1999.