The Browns begin their 2024 season as they report for training camp in Berea.  They feel, and many local and national media types are talking, this is the year to make a run at the whole thing.  Many feel the Superbowl window is open for this team, but that it may not be open long. The thought is, this needs to be the year.  

I hear all the yak about Watson and how good he has to be, healthy too.  This player, that player, this coach, the new offense, our defense and the list goes on.  There is no question the Browns roster is a good one.  It may be a bit overrated, but it's the best since 1999, and that means it's the best since the Kosar years, and we should be glad about that.  That's a long time ago.  That team was great, but just couldn't get over the hump.  Can this team?

I'll state it right here, right now, there IS one way they can make it happen. But ONLY one.  The Browns can make a run at it if they win their division outright, and have home playoff games en route.  That's it.  If they can win their division and play at home there is a chance.  Anything less will be another off season of "next year."

I'm not down on the Browns, I'm just looking at this organization and team honestly.  Can we honestly believe in our brown and orange hearts this team, with it's history and its talent level can be a wild card and go on the road in January and win 2 or maybe 3 games against teams better or at minimum teams on their level in who knows what kind of weather?  The NFL is single elimination of course, and being fair, I don't think they can.  And they're not alone.  It's hard to do.  And they have given us no indication they can win multiple big games that must be won on the road two or three weeks in a row. 

That's all that means. It's not saying we aren't good, we don't have a good coach, or that Watson is going to be bad.  It's a hard thing to do -  very hard  - and so far the very hard has been  -  unachievable during this current run.  I thought when we went to Pittsburgh in the playoffs a few years ago and won that was a great chance.  We then went to Kansas City and knocked Mahomes out of the game, and still couldn't win and should've.  If we would have won that very winnable road game, I had great faith in the AFC Championship game that year - I feel we would have won it.  But that shows you how hard it is to do.  And now this team is very different than that one in many regards.

The Chiefs did it last year course, but we're not the Chiefs.  Even a darn good team like Buffalo the past few years with a great QB playing very well haven't done it.  Baltimore, with a multiple MVP Winner at QB, hasn't gotten it done.  And the Texans last year blew us out badly on national TV in the playoffs with an incredible performance and a QB playing great was shown the door on the road the next week.  The Chiefs did it winning in Buffalo and Baltimore last year after winning at home in sub-zero weather.  I thought that was far more impressive than winning the Superbowl.  It's a gauntlet, and the Browns need to stay out of that.

The main focus should be preparing for the "unpreparable."  It's about developing championship pedigree, and that's not an easy thing to do. That means players emerging as those who will not let us lose.  All truly great teams have those kind of players.  Just look at past championship teams.  They've had those, we need those.   There's a big difference between being really good and great.  We throw around "great" way too much locally and nationally.  

There is only one path, it's there in front of them, they need to take it.

GO BROWNS!