Browns Blog

Tough road ahead

The Browns knew long ago which teams they would play and where the games would be played in the 2008 season. But sometimes he difficulty -- or lack of it -- of a schedule doesn't hit home until the lague officially releases the times and dates.

In looking at the Browns' schedule, it's clear that it won 't be easy to repeat the 10-win performance of last year. They open at home against the Cowboys and Steelers, which is hardly and easy road to travel. Four of the next five games are on the road -- Baltimore, Cincinnati, Washington and Jacksonville -- with a Monday night home game against the Giants sandwiched in the middle.

The Ravens and Broncos travel to Cleveland the next two weeks. After a Monday night game in Buffalo, the Browns will host the Colts and Texans on consecutive weeks.

The Browns then have road games against the Titans and Eagles, the latter another Monday nighter. A home game against the Bengals is followed by a trip to Pittsburgh to close the regular season.

The goods news for Browns' fans is that the other teams in the AFC North Division don't have it much easier. That's the price teams from the division will have to pay for matching up against the strong AFC South and NFC East Divisions.

The Steelers have an even tougher schedule. In fact, the combined 2007 winning percentage of Pittsburgh's opponents is the highest in the NFL. The difference between the Steelers' and Browns' schedules is that the Steelers play the Patriots and Chargers instead of the Broncos and Bills.

It's probably not fair to label a schedule difficult or easy in mid April. Teams that look good on paper now might fall apart next season. Conversely, there are always teams that play better than expected (check the Browns of last season).

As they say, that's why they play the games.