Cleveland Browns 2022 NFL schedule: 5 must-win games

Cleveland Browns must-win game(s) No. 1: Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are the team to beat in the AFC as we head towards the 2022 season. Sure, they may not be the most talented team on paper, but until we are told otherwise, they were the AFC’s representative in the Super Bowl last season. Right now, they are the team the Browns are looking to catch.

Cincy hasn’t had an explosive offseason like many of the other teams in the AFC, but they have addressed their biggest weakness, which was their offensive line. Three of their projected starters on the o-line (Ted Karras, La’el Collins, and Alex Cappa) were picked up in free agency.

Even though Joe Burrow spent most of the postseason running for his life and getting very familiar with the turf or grass at whichever stadium he was playing at, the Bengals found their way to the Super Bowl. That’s because the rest of their roster was so good, and aside from their offensive line, most of it will be returning in 2022.

The two contests between these two squads will come down to whether or not the Bengals o-line can hold up against the Browns ferocious pass rush led by Myles Garrett. If Cleveland can pull out a pair of victories over Cincinnati, the AFC North division will be theirs.