This 2024 Prediction Will Make Cleveland Browns Fans Very Happy

The Browns are finally getting some respect from the media after so much apathy.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) and Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) react after a touchdown Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023, during a game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. / Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY

The Cleveland Browns won 11 games last season in spite of sifting through five different starting quarterbacks, so you would think people would be significantly higher on them heading into 2024.

Perhaps very few people trust Deshaun Watson. Or maybe the Browns just aren't sexy enough.

Whatever the case may be, most fans, media pundits and oddsmakers are projecting Cleveland to be more toward the middle of the pack this season, so basically on the fringe of making the playoffs.

But the Browns have finally gotten a prediction that will satisfy their fans.

Natalie Miller of Touchdown Wire is projecting Cleveland to go 11-6 once again in 2024, stating that the Browns have "one of the most complete teams in football."

There are certainly reasons to be bullish about Cleveland's chances heading into the coming season.

The Browns boasted the No. 1-ranked defense in the NFL last year, and they bolstered their previously thin receiving corps by swinging a trade for Jerry Jeudy.

It's also looking more and more like running back Nick Chubb will be back on the field in 2024, and based on his recent progress, it may be sooner than we all thought.

Chubb has not ruled out a Week 1 return, and while it seemed like crazy talk at the time, Chubb's workout clips have made many start to wonder if his optimism is actually rooted in reality rather than just wishful thinking.

Of course, the Browns' success will largely hinge on Watson. The 28-year-old has played in just 12 games since joining Cleveland via trade in March 2022. Last season, he bowed out after only six contests due to a shoulder injury that would ultimately require surgery.

Watson appears to be full speed ahead for the season opener, but whether or not he will actually be 100 percent right off the bat remains to be seen. It's also worth noting that Watson has not truly had a great campaign since 2020, when he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards as a member of the Houston Texans. He sat out all of 2021 before being dealt to the Browns.