After finishing 11-5 and winning a playoff game in 2020, the Browns are an attractive team on this year’s schedule. The club has three primetime games plus another nationally televised contest on Christmas with the Packers.
But there’s one quirk that could make for interesting fodder later on in the season.
Because of their Week 13 bye, the Browns will play the Ravens in back-to-back games.
The Browns will travel to Maryland in Week 12 for a Sunday Night Football matchup with their division rival. Then after their week off, the Ravens will come to Cleveland in Week 14.
Baltimore plays the Steelers in Pittsburgh between the two contests with the Browns.
It’s the first time the Browns have played a regular-season opponent in back-to-back games since 1957, when the club took on the Eagles in both Week Three and Week Four. The two teams split those matchups, with the home team winning each contest.
However, the Browns did just play the Steelers in back-to-back weeks last year. Cleveland defeated Pittsburgh in Week 17 to earn a playoff berth. And then the Browns stunned the Steelers in Pittsburgh with a 48-37 victory in the wild-card round, giving the franchise its first postseason victory since 1994.