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3 observations about the Cleveland Browns' 2023 schedule

The NFL released its full 2023 schedule on Thursday, including the Cleveland Browns' 17-game slate.

CLEVELAND — On Thursday, the NFL released the entirety of its 2023 regular season schedule, including the Cleveland Browns' 17-game slate.

What follows are three observations about the Browns' 2023 schedule, which begins with a home matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 10.

Up and at 'em

You don't have to look hard to find the most intriguing stretch on Cleveland's schedule.

After opening at home against the two-time defending division champion Bengals, the Browns will head to Pittsburgh for a Week 2 matchup against the Steelers on Monday Night Football. Then, Cleveland will return home to host a pair of games against the Tennessee Titans and the Baltimore Ravens, before enjoying the earliest bye week possible in Week 5.

Add it all up and the Browns will have faced all three of their division opponents, as well as what appears to be one of the more beatable opponents on their schedule before their bye. Cleveland will also play three of its four pre-bye week matchups at home and only have to travel a total of 134 miles to Pittsburgh in that span.

Suffice it to say, three early division games should set the tone for the remainder of the Browns' 2023 campaign. While a 2-2 start -- at least -- might not be necessary, anything less could lead to difficult questions being faced during the bye week, which is considered a natural point in the schedule for teams to make significant adjustments.

Wild, wild west

Following their bye, the Browns still won't have to travel far -- at least not immediately -- with a home game against the San Francisco 49ers followed by a road game against the Indianapolis Colts. Altogether, Cleveland won't have to travel more than 134 miles until Oct. 22 (Week 7) and 450 miles until Oct. 29 (Week 8).

The Browns, however, will still be able to accumulate plenty of frequent flyer miles, starting with a Week 8 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. After that, Cleveland will host the Arizona Cardinals, before returning to the road to face the Baltimore Ravens (Nov. 12).

Following a Nov. 19 home game against the Steelers, the Browns will once again head west -- and likely, stay there. With its Week 12 and 13 matchups both coming on the road against the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams, respectively, Cleveland is in a position to potentially stay on the road in between games in order to minimize its travel. The decision will ultimately be up to Stefanski, but all indications point to the Browns remaining away from home for the two-week stretch.

With what appears to be a relatively easy back half of the schedule awaiting, how Cleveland manages the middle of its schedule -- and the travel -- will go a long way toward determining the outcome of the Browns' season.

Questionable quarterbacks

One potentially overlooked aspect of the Browns' schedule is how it could affect the quarterbacks they'll be facing.

While some of the signal-callers Cleveland will play are essentially set in stone (barring injury), other situations are more up in the air. For example, the Browns playing the Titans in Week 3 would seem to indicate that it's more likely Cleveland will be facing veteran Ryan Tannehill than second-round pick Will Levis.

Conversely, it's viable that No. 4 overall pick Anthony Richardson could be the Colts' starting quarterback by the time the Browns head to Indianapolis on Oct. 22. It also remains unclear when -- or if -- Kyler Murray will make his 2023 debut for the Cardinals as he continues to recover from a torn ACL, leaving some uncertainty surrounding the Browns' Week 9 matchup against Arizona.

Other opponents with quarterback questions on Cleveland's schedule include the 49ers (Week 6) and the Houston Texans (Week 16). Of course, plenty can (and will) change between now and the start of the season. But the schedule already possesses plenty of clues regarding which quarterbacks the Browns can expect to face.

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