[1] In the season, the Browns started five different quarterbacks: Deshaun Watson, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, P. J. Walker, Joe Flacco, and Jeff Driskel.
Flacco, who did not have a team for eleven weeks, won the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year award for clinching their spot in the playoffs and winning four of his five starts.
Schwartz previously served as head coach of the Detroit Lions and defensive coordinator for the Titans and the Philadelphia Eagles, winning Super Bowl LII during his tenure with the latter.
[4] On February 25, the Browns hired former Indianapolis Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone to the same position, as well as to serve as assistant head coach.
The Browns opened the season with an AFC North matchup against the in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals, marking the 100th meeting between the two franchises.
The Browns defense dominated the game, forcing ten Cincinnati punts including seven three-and-outs, and limiting the Bengals offense to six first downs.
The Browns were able to get into the end zone on that drive on a Deshaun Watson 2-yard touchdown pass to Jerome Ford and added a 2-point conversion after a Pittsburgh penalty to take an 11–7 lead.
San Francisco took their first drive 84 yards in five plays, culminating in a touchdown pass from Brock Purdy to Christian McCaffrey to take an early 7–0 lead.
On the Browns' first possession, quarterback P. J. Walker, getting the start in place of the injured Deshaun Watson, threw an interception which was returned to the Cleveland 25-yard line.
In the second quarter, a Moody field goal increased San Francisco's lead to 10–0, but the Browns cut it to 10–7 on a Kareem Hunt 16-yard touchdown run.
After their defense forced a three-and-out, The Browns took their next drive deep into San Francisco territory but settled for another Hopkins field goal to take a 19–17 lead with 1:40 remaining in the game.
San Francisco quickly drove into Cleveland territory but had to settle for a Moody field goal attempt with nine seconds remaining.
Both teams scored a touchdown on long plays on their first drives: The Browns on a Jerome Ford 69-yard run and the Colts on a Gardner Minshew 59-yard pass to Josh Downs.
The teams traded field goals early in the fourth quarter, with Hopkins hitting a career-long 58-yard kick, to give the Browns a 33–31 lead.
With just over 2:00 remaining in the fourth, the Browns were attempting to run the clock out but Walker threw a costly interception to Julian Love that tipped off Jamal Adams' helmet.
On the second play from scrimmage, Baltimore defensive back Kyle Hamilton intercepted a Deshaun Watson pass and returned it for an 18-yard touchdown to give the Ravens an early 7–0 lead.
The Ravens took the opening kickoff of the third quarter and quickly drove down the field, culminating in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Lamar Jackson to former Brown Odell Beckham Jr. to extend their lead to 24–9.
The Browns took a 7–0 lead on a Jerome Ford 1-yard touchdown run, set up by the defense forcing a Pittsburgh punt from within its own 10 yard line.
The Browns fumbled the ball on the first play of the fourth quarter, resulting in a quick Broncos touchdown on a Wilson pass to Adam Trautman.
However, the Rams scored on their first two possessions, a Lucas Havrisik field goal and a 70-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to Puka Nacua to take a 10–7 lead after the first quarter.
After both teams exchanged several punts, Cleveland doubled its lead on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Njoku early in the second quarter.
Jacksonville took the ensuing drive down the field and scored on a Lawrence touchdown pass to Parker Washington to again cut the Browns' lead to 7 points.
On the final play of the game, they attempted a Hail Mary pass which was batted down and fell into Darnell Mooney's hands.
The Browns scored a touchdown on their first possession on a Jerome Ford 4-yard run, set up by a 53-yard pass from Joe Flacco to Amari Cooper on the first play from scrimmage.
The Browns added a touchdown and two-point conversion late in the half on a Flacco 21-yard pass to David Njoku to take a 22–7 halftime lead.
After forcing a Houston punt early in the third quarter, the Browns went on an 18-play, 94-yard drive which took almost ten minutes off the clock, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Cooper to extend their lead to 28–7.
Houston added two late touchdowns on Davis Mills passes to Nico Collins and Andrew Beck to make the final score 36–22.
However, on the Browns' next drive, Flacco threw an interception to Jermaine Johnson II which was returned for a touchdown, cutting Cleveland's lead to 27–14.
After the Jets took the opening possession into the Browns' 10-yard line, they came up scoreless as the Zuerlein's field goal attempt was blocked by Shelby Harris.
Seven Browns players – G Joel Bitonio, WR Amari Cooper, DE Myles Garrett, TE David Njoku, LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Wyatt Teller, and CB Denzel Ward – were selected to represent the AFC in the 2024 Pro Bowl Games.