The Browns will have a pretty good idea four weeks into the 2023 season how their revamped defense and offense stacks up in the AFC North.
The NFL schedule released on May 11 shows the Browns will play division opponents in three of their first four games. They were last in the AFC North in 2022 with a record of 7-10.
The Browns will open the season at home with a Sunday game at 1 p.m. Sept. 10 against the Cincinnati Bengals and eight nights later will play the Steelers in Pittsburgh in their only “Monday Night Football” game, barring a game being flexed to Monday in Weeks 13 through 17. Two 1 pm. Sunday home games follow — one with the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 24 followed by a game with the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 1 before the Browns get their bye on Oct. 8.
“It’s certainly a unique way to start the season, but I think it’s really cool,” Coach Kevin Stefanski told the team’s website. “I think we have the best division in football — a bunch of great players and great coaches.
“We know each other so well and we’ve played each other so many times. It lends itself to a great rivalry, so to see the Bengals in Week One, Steelers in Week 2 and Ravens in Week 4 means there’s no easing into this one.”
The Browns, as an AFC team, have nine home games on this season’s 17-game schedule. They return from their bye on Oct. 15 to host the 49ers at 1 p.m. Oct. 15. The heavy home schedule to start the season means seven of their final 12 games will be on the road. They play back-to-back road games twice. After hosting the 49ers, they visit the Colts in Indianapolis on Oct. 22 and the Seahawks in Seattle a week later.
The other back-to-back portion of the schedule has the Browns playing the Broncos in Denver on Nov. 26 at 4:05 p.m. and the Rams in Los Angeles on Dec. 3 at 4:25 p.m.
The Jacksonville Jaguars, led by quarterback Trevor Lawrence, visit Cleveland Browns Stadium on Dec. 10. Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets are at the stadium on Dec. 28, a Thursday night, in the last home game of the season.
“We love night games, and we love Thursday night games particularly when we’re at home,” Stefanski said. “It’s just such a cool time for our fans to get under the lights and make a huge difference in the game like they do. As competitors, you want to play in those games because you know the whole country’s watching.”
The Browns conclude the regular season in Cincinnati on a date and time to be determined.
BROWNS SCHEDULE
PreseasonAug. 3: N.Y. Jets at Canton, 8 p.m., WKYCTBD: WashingtonTBD: at PhiladelphiaTBD: at Kansas CityREGULAR SEASONSept. 10: Cincinnati, 1 p.m., WOIOSept. 18: at Pittsburgh, 8:15 p.m., WEWSSept. 24: Tennessee, 1 p.m., WOIOOct. 1: Baltimore, 1 p.m., WOIOWeek 5: BYEOct. 15: San Francisco, 1 p.m., WJWOct. 22: at Indianapolis, 1 p.m., WOIOOct. 29: at Seattle, 4:05 p.m., WJWNov. 5: Arizona, 1 p.m., WOIONov. 12: at Baltimore, 1 p.m., WJWNov. 19: Pittsburgh, 1 p.m., WOIONov. 26: at Denver, 4:05 p.m., WJWDec. 3: at L.A. Rams 4:25 p.m., WJWDec. 10: Jacksonville, 1 p.m., WOIOTBD: Chicago, TBDDec. 24: at Houston, 1 p.m., WOIODec. 28: N.Y. Jets, 8:15 p.m., Prime VideoTBD: at Cincinnati, TBD
