Cleveland Browns 2019-20 NFL Postseason: Odds and Predictions

Written by: Mike Lukas

Updated October 14, 2022

12 min read

For the first time in decades, the Cleveland Browns are expected to play in the postseason, thanks to a two-year roster turnaround orchestrated by general manager John Dorsey that was actually five years in the making.

Expectations for this Browns team are extremely high, with second-year rifle-armed quarterback Baker Mayfield confidently leading the way, surrounded by newly acquired offensive and defensive talent along with some high-level players who more than proved themselves last season.

2019, more than ever, could be the season where the hapless Cleveland Browns shake their ‘pitiful loser’ image and become a team to be reckoned with, so we take a look at the odds and predictions of this surging Cleveland franchise’s postseason chances and briefly analyze each wager.

The 2019 Cleveland Browns are:

Owners: Jimmy and Dee Haslam
General Manager: John Dorsey (Hired December 2017)
Head Coach: Freddie Kitchens (Promoted January 2019)
Offensive Coordinator: Todd Monken (Hired January 2019)
Defensive Coordinator: Steve Wilks (Hired January 2019)
Quarterback: Baker Mayfield (2nd NFL season)
Offensive Stars: Wide Receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry
Defensive Stars: Defensive End Myles Garrett, Cornerback Denzel Ward

2018 Franchise Records:

Overall 7-8-1
Home: 5-2-1
Road: 2-6-0
Divisional: 3-2-1
Conference: 5-6-1

2019-20 Schedule: 23^rd toughest

Week 1 Matchup: vs. Tennessee Titans @ home

How did the Cleveland Browns do in 2018?

The 2018 Cleveland Browns’ final record, 7-8-1, is unimpressive at best until you compare it to the prior two seasons when the team went a combined 1-31, and only then does seven wins (with four or those losses by a single score or less plus that tie) seem at all remarkable.

Especially when you consider the fact that halfway through the season after a Week 8 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, general manager John Dorsey changed head coaches and switched offensive coordinators.

Despite all that chaos, rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, who hadn’t practiced with the starters in training camp and didn’t start in the regular season until Week 4, broke the NFL rookie record for touchdown passes by throwing 27 of them in just thirteen and a half games.

What major offseason moves happened in Cleveland?

First, a lot of good players left through trades and free agency: quarterback Tyrod Taylor went to the Los Angeles Chargers, wide receiver Breshad Perriman to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, cornerback Brian Boddy-Calhoun to the Houston Texans, safety Jabrill Peppers, who was part of the OBJ trade, went to the Giants and linebacker Jamie Collins, who was released by the Browns in March signed with the New England Patriots.

However, the biggest offseason news for the 2019 Cleveland Browns was the trade for Odell Beckham Jr. from the New York Giants, arguably one of the top three wide receivers in the NFL, and this was despite Beckham having just signed a five-year, $90 million extension in August 2018.

The Browns defense (ranked 30^th last season) was greatly improved with the addition of defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, defensive end Olivier Vernon and safety Morgan Burnett.

The other big change to the Browns organization this offseason was in leadership.

Who are the new Browns head coach and coordinators?

Head coach: Freddie Kitchens, who has gone through quite a promotion-filled two seasons, first going from being the running backs coach at the start of 2018 to getting promoted as the offensive coordinator after Week 8.

Kitchens was selected (out of many candidates) to be the Browns head coach in 2019 based on the success he had as the offensive coordinator developing rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield in the second half of the season as well as the success that his offensive game plans resulted in, with the team going 5-3 under his offensive guidance.

Offensive coordinator: Todd Monken, who was the brains behind the number one passing offense last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, an otherwise struggling team that (with rotating quarterbacks) averaged 320 yards through the air per game resulting in 36 total passing touchdowns.

The hope is that Monken can further develop Mayfield in his second year under center and use the new and prior weapons at his disposal – receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry, running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt (after Week 8) and tight end David Njoku – to improve on a Browns passing and rushing attacks, both ranked 14^th last season.

Defensive coordinator: Steve Wilks, who spent last season head coaching the Arizona Cardinals to a 3-13 record using a rookie quarterback (Josh Rosen) along with a fourth ranked passing defense attempting to make up for a 32^nd ranked rush defense.

Word on the street, though, is Arizona fired the wrong guy and for some reason didn’t give Wilks more than one season to fully convert the Cardinals’ defensive scheme from a 3-4 to a 4-3 as planned, which the Cleveland Browns are already set up for and so should shine under Wilks’ new leadership.

How was the Browns’ offense improved?

First, because it is now run by a second-year quarterback, Baker Mayfield, a talented leader who (as opposed to last offseason) has been practicing with the first team and who has had an entire year to learn and digest the playbook.

Second, the offense has better talent, starting with the newly acquired Beckham, who as a deep threat will typically attract a double-team leaving the other targets a better chance to be open, something that didn’t happen last season.

Finally, the offense is now being run by Monken and Kitchens, two offensive-minded coaches who have both been proven to be highly capable of taking the players they’ve been given and using their strengths to develop an effective game plan around.

The biggest offensive question right now is with the line (right guard, in particular), but newly acquired veteran Eric Kush seems to have that spot all locked up.

How was the Browns’ defense improved?

Adding Richardson, Vernon and Burnett alone would make this defense a whole lot better than last season, but they were ranked 30^th so that’s not such a big accomplishment.

Then add the already effective Myles Garret in his third season and his buddy on the line Larry Ogunjobi plus healthy linebacker Christian Kirksey and talented rookie cornerback Greedy Williams, then suddenly you’ve gotten way better on this side of the ball.

Then put them all under a defensive-minded leader like Wilks and this defense looks potentially impressive.

How was the Browns special teams improved?

The kicking game is considered one of the biggest weaknesses of this roster, with Greg Joseph and Austin Seibert competing for the starting kicker role, though neither has been impressive enough in training camp or in preseason to run away with the job just yet.

The punter will most likely be Britton Colquitt again, but Jamie “The Scottish Hammer” Gillan is giving him a run for his money, plus he’s proving he can kick long field goals, as well.

Though backup running back Dontrell Hilliard is on the roster as kick returner, walk on receiver Damon Sheehy-Guiseppi is giving him a run for his money, already running back a preseason punt for a touchdown this offseason.

When was the last time the Browns made the playoffs?

The Cleveland Browns have been absent from the postseason for the last sixteen seasons in a row, their most recent appearance being in the 2002 Wild Card Playoffs when they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 33-36.

Despite the fact that the Browns are historical winners (four NFL Championships prior to the invention of the Super Bowl), their recent history of postseason-free seasons has become their identity.

But given all the high-level talent that’s part of the Browns’ newly beefed-up roster, it is only a matter of time before this team will finally see the postseason once again, however it seems that many of the teams’ fans will feel disappointed if it doesn’t happen in 2019.

Why WILL the Browns make it to the postseason in 2019?

Take a look at the talent on this roster and the answer becomes obvious.

When a team has a talented franchise quarterback with exceptional targets plus an outstanding run game and a quarterback-hungry defense like the Browns do right now, there is no reason to doubt their ability to play football in January.

This team is geared up and ready to go, and against just the 23^rd toughest schedule this season (only nine teams have it easier), this seems like the perfect time for the Browns to finally regain their NFL dominance.

Why WON’T the Browns make it to the postseason in 2019?

The easiest answer is: because they’re the Cleveland Browns, and you can never count on them to do what you expect.

These Browns have all new leadership, and their head coach has never been a head coach before, and their roster has so many new pieces that finding the ‘gel’ might be difficult this first season together.

These Browns won’t be bad – and they’re going to just keep getting better – but they most likely won’t go from awful to best this quickly.

What are the current odds and predictions for the Cleveland Browns’ 2019 NFL postseason?

According to the odds makers, the 2019-20 Cleveland Browns have the best chance to win their division, have a somewhat decent chance to win the AFC, and are tied with the Indianapolis Colts as the fifth most likely team to win the Super Bowl next season.

Not bad for a team that was literally horrible just two seasons ago.

Except however good their current roster looks on paper right now, it will take rookie head coach Kitchens being able to manage a locker room full of dynamic (and sometimes dramatic) personalities and new coaches and create game plans that utilize all the new strengths this team has acquired.

Here are the odds and predictions of how the 2019-20 Cleveland Browns will do.