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Quarterback Joe Flacco makes his return to the Cleveland Browns today, looking to recapture the magic the team experienced with him at the helm in 2023. That quest starts at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Browns have won their season opener in both 2022 and 2023, but fell flat on their faces to start the season a year ago. They managed to tame the Bengals in a monsoon two years ago, thanks to a dominant performance from Myles Garrett and the defense. That will be how they have to pull this one off as well if they want a Week 1 victory.
So can the Browns pull it off? What does our staff at Browns Wire think?
Here are the Browns Wire staff picks for this Week 1 clash in the Battle of Ohio:
Pat McGinnis: Bengals win 20-14
The Browns defense gets a big test early on by facing one of the NFL’s very best offenses, and I think there’s plenty of reason to believe they’re up to the task after consistently strong performances in the preseason.
Mason Graham will get to start his career against a Bengals’ interior offensive line that isn’t very strong on paper, and I believe he’ll be able to make his presence felt early on as a result. Cleveland’s cornerback duo of Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome should be able to prevent the Bengals’ high-flying passing attack from truly taking over, and as a result it won’t be such a tough task for Joe Flacco and the Browns’ offense to keep pace.
Cincinnati has a track record of starting the season slowly on offense with Joe Burrow under center, and while I think that will continue in 2025, their stellar offensive trio should be able to make enough plays in the end to prevail. The Browns defense will keep it close, but I have the Bengals taking the opener in a close one.
Lane Dobbins: Browns win 20-17
The Browns’ revamped defense faces a monumental challenge against Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ star-studded receiving corps.
With the training camp injury to cornerback Martin Emerson Jr., the Browns’ lack of depth at cornerback is a glaring weakness. Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome can’t account for every blade of grass. I believe the Browns’ saving grace will be their new-look defensive front seven, who must generate pressure and force turnovers out of the pass-happy Bengals offense.
On our offense, Joe Flacco’s ability to protect the football will be paramount. If the Browns can control the line of scrimmage, they’ll keep this game competitive until the very end.
Owen O’Connor: Browns win 21-17
Many fans would be surprised to see Cleveland get a win in Week 1, but this is familiar territory for the Browns to sneak one past Cincinnati.
The Bengals are known for their often slow starts to the season, with a 0-3 record to start 2024 and a 1-2 record in 2023. The Browns were one of those wins in 2023 with a 24-3 victory at home in Week 1. While we shouldn’t expect a result like that, I predict the Browns’ defensive line and the play of starting quarterback Joe Flacco will be the keys to a possible Week 1 victory.
If the Bengals once again have a slow start to the season, anything could happen in this divisional matchup.
Cory Kinnan: Bengals win 21-20
This has the feeling of a game where the Browns’ defense keeps them in a position to win until late in the game. This comes down to a field goal at the end, but I’ll let the reader decide if the Bengals made a game-winner or the Browns missed one.
#Cleveland #sneak #Week #win
