Cleveland Browns 2021 schedule predictions: Picking every game

KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JANUARY 17: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns drops back to pass during the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) — KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – JANUARY 17: Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns drops back to pass during the fourth quarter of the AFC Divisional Playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on January 17, 2021 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

The Cleveland Browns 2021 schedule is out and they have an excellent chance to contend for an AFC North crown.

Snapping a long postseason drought was a big first step for the Cleveland Browns, who won a playoff game in Pittsburgh before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional Round. A strong offseason and NFL Draft performance are a sign that this could be the Browns’ best chance to win the AFC North in years.

The division will be tough for Cleveland, which is expected to be jockeying with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens for AFC North supremacy. The Browns split their season series with the Steelers but got swept by the Ravens, a series they will have to split in 2021 in order to have a good shot at the AFC North.

The NFC North will be on tap for the Browns, a division where three teams are in various stages of reloading/rebuilding while the Green Bay Packers have major questions at quarterback with the Aaron Rodgers situation. The trickier division for Cleveland to square off with will be the AFC West, which will include a rematch of last year’s Divisional Round matchup with Kansas City in Arrowhead Stadium and tough matchups against rising foes such as Los Angeles and Denver.

Finding ways to win those games will be critical for the Browns as they look to secure various tiebreakers in order to bolster their odds of reaching the postseason. Let’s go game-by-game and predict how Cleveland fares against its 2021 schedule.