Browns facing playoffs-or-bust 2020 season

The Cleveland Browns talked the talk last year, but failed to walk the walk. That’s no different in 2020.

Last season, the Cleveland Browns were supposed to leave a majority of the AFC in a pile of rubble.

They added the likes of Odell Beckham Jr., Olivier Vernon, and Sheldon Richardson last offseason, and were cool, cocky and bad entering the regular season. They got the bad part covered, because they laughably fell below expectations last season. That led to owner Jimmy Haslam cleaning house on the leadership side at the conclusion of last season.

Now, the Browns have a new general manager in Andrew Berry and new head coach in Kevin Stefanski. Even though it’s a new regime in the “Factory of Sadness,” it’s definitely playoffs-or-bust for the Browns this upcoming season.

Browns offseason prove they’re not rebuilding

Berry, a respected front office member of the Philadelphia Eagles, looked at the roster left by previous general manager John Dorsey, and decided to build upon it instead of blowing it up. That was evident at the start of the new league year, as Berry signed top-tier free agents in right tackle Jack Conklin and tight end Austin Hooper to make an immediate impact for the team.

That trend continued, as the Browns selected Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills and LSU safety Grant Delpit with their first two picks in the NFL Draft. Those two are the most pro-ready of their draft class, which goes to show just how determined Berry and Stefanski are to reach the postseason.

Stefanski knows how to make a deep playoff run

Stefanski made a name for himself during his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. He was a quarterbacks coach in 2017, where he turned journeyman quarterback in Case Keenum into a clutch performer in the postseason. Additionally, Stefanski helped Kirk Cousins become one of the more accurate passers in the entire NFL the past two seasons!

Now, Stefanski gets to work with an impressive offense in Cleveland . He’s got a signal caller in Baker Mayfield, who showed glimpses of greatness in his rookie campaign.

Furthermore, Mayfield has a supporting cast featuring stud running back Nick Chubb and star receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry. That’s eerily close to Stefanski’s offense of Dalvin Cook, Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs in Minnesota. Stefanski has all the tools to turn the Browns into one of the league’s best offenses, something Freddie Kitchens failed to do in 2019.

The one thing that could potentially hold Cleveland back is the defense. But, Stefanski hired Joe Woods to be the Browns’ new defensive coordinator. Last year, Woods played a pivotal role in the San Francisco 49ers passing defense ranking as the best in the entire league.

Through 16 games, the 49ers allowed  169.2 passing yards per game, which was the highest average in the league since 2009. Hiring Woods was the right decision, considering Cleveland’s struggles in the secondary last season.

Cleveland has all the potential in the world to clinch a playoff berth in 2020 and go on a run. But if they fail to do so, you can expect Berry and Stefanski to make serious changes to the roster come the start of the 2021 league year.