2023 Cleveland Browns Season

Schedule

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

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. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow was limited to a career-low 82 passing yards. On offense, the Browns were led by Nick Chubb's 106 rushing yards on 18 carries. Quarterback Deshaun Watson had 154 passing yards, 45 rushing yards, a passing touchdown, and a rushing touchdown, despite a 55.2% completion percentage and one interception. Kicker Dustin Hopkins converted all three of his field goal attempts in his Browns debut. The Bengals' lone score came on an Evan McPherson field goal.

With the win, the Browns opened the season 1–0 for the second consecutive year. This marked the first time the Browns won consecutive season openers since 1993 and 1994.

Week 2: at Pittsburgh Steelers

After starting the season with a win, the Browns traveled to Pittsburgh to for a second straight division rivalry game, this time with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pittsburgh scored on an Alex Highsmith interception returned for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage to take a 7–0 lead. Cleveland responded with a Dustin Hopkins 43-yard field goal to cut the Steelers lead to 7–3, but failed to get closer on the next drive as Hopkins missed a field goal attempt on the next drive. Early in the second quarter, Browns' Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb suffered a severe knee injury and was removed from the game; the injury ended Chubb's season. 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. Pittsburgh responded with a Chris Boswell field goal and a Kenny Pickett 71-yard pass to George Pickens to take a 16–11 lead, but the Browns added another Hopkins field goal before halftime to cut the Steelers' lead down to two points.

On their first drive of the third quarter, Pittsburgh scored on a Boswell 50-yard field goal. The Browns responded with a 1-yard touchdown run by Pierre Strong Jr., set up by a 69-yard run by Ford two plays earlier, to take a 22–19 lead after a Watson run for the 2-point conversion. However, in the fourth quarter T. J. Watt recovered a Watson fumble and returned it for a touchdown to take the lead. The Browns were not able to respond, resulting in a 26–22 Steelers win.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 1–1. This was the Browns' 20th straight regular season loss in Pittsburgh.

Week 3: vs. Tennessee Titans

The Browns returned home for a Week 3 battle with the Tennessee Titans. Cleveland had a 12-play drive on the first possession of the game which culminated in a Dustin Hopkins 48-yard field goal to give the Browns a 3–0 lead. After a Tennessee field goal tied the game early in the second quarter, Cleveland responded with a Deshaun Watson touchdown pass to Jerome Ford and another Hopkins field to take a 13–3 lead into halftime.

The Browns defense held the Titans scoreless through the second half. On offense, the Browns added two touchdowns on a Ford run, the first rushing touchdown of his career, and a 43-yard pass from Watson to Amari Cooper, to give the Browns a 27–3 win.

With the win, the Browns improved to 2–1.

Week 4: vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Browns stayed home to take on the Baltimore Ravens, in an early battle for the top spot in the AFC North. In the week leading up to the game, starting quarterback Deshaun Watson was limited in practice due to a shoulder injury. He was ultimately declared inactive for the game after pre-game warmups. Backup quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson made his first career start in Watson's place.

After teams exchanged punts to start the game, a Brandon Stephens interception was returned to the Browns' 10 yard-line. This set up a Lamar Jackson touchdown run on the next play to take a 7–0 lead. The Browns responded with a Dustin Hopkins field goal to get on the scoreboard, but the Ravens dominated the rest of the game. Jackson added a second touchdown run and two touchdown passes to Mark Andrews to give the Ravens a 28–3 victory. Meanwhile, the Ravens held Thompson-Robinson to 121 yards in the air and recorded three interceptions. The Browns were held to 166 total yards and 93 rushing yards (40 of which coming on a single Pierre Strong Jr. run in the game's final minute).

With the loss, the Browns entered their bye week at 2–2.

Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers

The Browns returned from their bye week with a game against the 5–0 San Francisco 49ers. 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. However, San Francisco could not capitalize as kicker Jake Moody missed a long field goal attempt. 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.

The Browns opened the second half with a Dustin Hopkins field goal to tie the score and took a 13–10 lead late in the third quarter on another Hopkins field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, another Walker interception set the 49ers up at the Cleveland 8-yard line, and they would score a touchdown the next play to retake a 17–13 lead. The Browns took the ensuing drive 14 plays for 43 yards and cut the 49ers' lead to one point with Hopkins' third field goal of the half. 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. Moody missed the kick wide right, preserving the Browns' win.

With the win, the Browns improved to 3–2. Hopkins was named AFC Special Teams Player of the week after his four field goal performance which included the game-winner. Hopkins also became the first player in franchise history to kick a field goal of at least 50 yards in four straight games.

Week 7: at Indianapolis Colts

After their three-game home stand, the Browns opened a string of five away games in seven weeks with a trip to Indianapolis to take on the Colts. 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. Later in the quarter, a Minshew touchdown run gave Indianapolis a 14–7 lead. In the second quarter, Cleveland tied the game on a Kareem Hunt touchdown run. Colts kicker Matt Gay lined up for a 60–yard field goal attempt on their next drive, but it was blocked by Myles Garrett, setting up a Dustin Hopkins 44-yard field goal to give the Browns a 17–14 lead. Indianapolis scored a touchdown on their next drive, but on their following drive, Garrett forced a Minshew fumble in the end zone, which was recovered by Tony Fields II in the end zone. A 54-yard field goal by Hopkins gave the Browns a 27–21 lead at halftime.

The Browns opened the scoring in the third quarter with a Hopkins field goal to extend their lead to 30–21. However, the Colts took the ensuing drive 75 yards, culminating in a touchdown run by Jonathan Taylor to cut the Browns' lead to 30–28. 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. That lead lasted less than a minute, as Minshew quickly found Michael Pittman Jr. for a 75-yard touchdown pass to give the Colts a 38–33 lead. After the teams exchanged three-and-outs, the Browns drove 80 yards in 12 plays, with Hunt scoring a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Browns a 39–38 lead with 15 seconds remaining. A Colts fumble in the final seconds sealed the win.

With the win, the Browns improved to 4–2. Garrett was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording two sacks, two forced fumbles, and a blocked kick. Hopkins was named AFC Special Teams Player of the week for a second consecutive week. He kicked four field goals on the day, three of which were over 50 yards, and became the first player in NFL history to make a field goal of at least 50 yards in five consecutive games.

Week 8: at Seattle Seahawks

The Browns traveled to Seattle for a game with the Seahawks. Seattle raced to an early 14–0 lead on a Jake Bobo 3-yard touchdown run and a Geno Smith 12-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Lockett. However, the Browns defense strenghtned after that point, allowing them to get back into the game. They added two touchdowns of their own on a P. J. Walker 18-yard pass to David Njoku and a Kareem Hunt 1-yard run. These sandwiched a Jason Myers field goal to give Seattle a 17–14 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Cleveland had drives of ten plays and nine plays and made it inside the Seattle 10-yard line, but could only come away with a pair of Dustin Hopkins field goals to take a 20–17 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. Seattle turned the interception into a Smith touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, giving Seattle a 24–20 lead with 38 seconds remaining. Cleveland was unable to move the ball on their final drive.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 4–3.

Week 9: vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Browns returned home to take on the Arizona Cardinals as starting quarterback Deshaun Watson returned to game action following his shoulder injury.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Browns got on the scoreboard early in the second quarter with a Dustin Hopkins field goal. The Browns added a Watson touchdown pass to Amari Cooper and a second Hopkins field goal to take a 13–0 lead into halftime. The Browns continued to dominate in the second half, adding a Watson touchdown pass to Watson touchdown pass to David Njoku and a Kareem Hunt touchdown run for a 27–0 win. The Browns' defense dominated the Cardinals the entire game. In addition to posting a shutout, the defense had seven sacks, three takeaways, and allowed just 58 total yards.

With the win, the Browns improved to 5–3. This marked the Browns' first shutout win since 2007.

Week 10: at Baltimore Ravens

The Browns traveled to Baltimore for round two of their rivalry game with the Ravens. 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 went up 14–0 on a Keaton Mitchell 39-yard touchdown run. After the two sides exchanged field goals, the Ravens led 17–3 after the first quarter. The Browns closed the gap to 17–9 by halftime with a pair of short field goals by Dustin Hopkins.

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. However, the Browns came back with a 17-play drive that took over ten minutes off the clock, scoring on a Kareem Hunt 3-yard run to make the score 24–17 after a successful two-point conversion. On the Ravens' next drive, they got close to field goal range, but a Myles Garrett sack of Jackson on third down forced a Ravens punt to start the fourth quarter. However, James Proche fumbled the ensuing punt return, which was recovered by the Ravens on the Cleveland 12-yard line. A Ravens touchdown on an Augustus Edwards 3-yard run increased their lead to 31–17. The Browns then quickly drove down the field for a Watson touchdown pass to Elijah Moore to cut the Ravens' lead to 31–24, and a prompt Greg Newsome interception returned for a touchdown cut the Ravens' lead to 31–30 after Hopkins missed the extra point. After the Browns defense forced a punt, Watson led the Browns on a 12-play drive culminating in a Hopkins 40-yard field goal as time expired for a 33–31 win.

With the win, the Browns improved to 6–3.

The following week, it was revealed Watson suffered a fracture to his right shoulder during the game, requiring season-ending surgery.

Week 11: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Browns returned home to face the Pittsburgh Steelers, hoping to even the season series after a Week 2 loss in Pittsburgh. Rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson made his second career start following the season-ending injury to Deshaun Watson. 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. A Dustin Hopkins 25-yard field goal just before halftime gave the Browns a 10–0 lead at the break.

In the first minute of the third quarter, Jaylen Warren cut the Browns' lead to 10–7 with a 74-yard touchdown run. Pittsburgh added a Chris Boswell field goal to tie the game early in the fourth quarter. After the teams exchanged punts, the Browns got the ball back with 1:18 remaining. Thompson-Robinson drove the Browns into the red zone by completing four of five passes for 39 yards to set up a go-ahead 34-yard field goal. Hopkins made the field goal with two seconds remaining to give the Browns a 13–10 lead. An unsuccessful hook and ladder play by Pittsburgh ended the game.

With the win, the Browns improved to 7–3.

Week 12: at Denver Broncos

The Browns traveled to Denver to take on the Broncos, looking to win four straight games for the first time since 2020. Meanwhile, the Broncos were riding a four-game winning streak of their own. Denver scored the only points of the first quarter on a Samaje Perine 3-yard touchdown run to take a 7–0 lead. The Broncos doubled their lead early in the second quarter on a Russell Wilson 2-yard touchdown run. Cleveland was able to get on the board with a pair of field goals late in the second quarter, to close Denver's lead to 14–6 at halftime.

In the third quarter, the Browns found the end zone on Dorian Thompson-Robinson touchdown pass to Harrison Bryant, the first touchdown of Thompson-Robinson's career. However, a failed two-point conversion kept the Browns down 14–12. Late in the third quarter, Denver added a Wil Lutz field goal to extend their lead to 17–12. After Thompson-Robinson suffered a concussion late in the third quarter, he was replaced by third-string quarterback P. J. Walker. 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. The Browns offense was not able to get going with Walker under center, while Denver added a field goal and a safety for a 29–12 win.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–4.

Week 13: at Los Angeles Rams

The Browns stayed in the western United States to take on the Los Angeles Rams. With Dorian Thompson-Robinson remaining in the concussion protocol, Joe Flacco was named the team's starting quarterback. Flacco became the fourth starting quarterback for the Browns in 2023, tying a franchise record for most starting quarterbacks in a single season.

The Browns scored on their opening drive as Flacco connected with Jerome Ford on a 24-yard touchdown pass to take a 7–0 lead. 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. Cleveland tied the score on a Dustin Hopkins field goal, but a Havrisik field goal late in the second quarter gave Los Angeles a 13–10 halftime lead.

The Browns tied the score late in the third quarter on a Hopkins field goal. However, the Rams retook a 20–13 lead after three quarters on a Stafford touchdown pass to Demarcus Robinson. The Browns scored a touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a Flacco pass to Harrison Bryant, but a missed extra point kept the Browns behind 20–19. After forcing a punt, the Browns had the opportunity to take the lead but Flacco threw an interception. After that, the Rams scored the final 16 points of the game to win 36–19.

With the loss, the Browns fell to 7–5.

Week 14: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars

After their two-game road trip, the Browns returned home to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Cleveland opened the scoring on its first drive, with a 34-yard touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to David Njoku to take a 7–0 lead. 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. Later in the quarter, Jacksonville recovered an Amari Cooper fumble at the Browns' 12-yard line and quickly scored a touchdown on a 10-yard pass from Trevor Lawrence to Evan Engram to cut the Browns' lead to 14–7 at halftime.

Jacksonville took the first possession of the second half but quickly fumbled in their own territory. The Browns cashed in for a Kareem Hunt touchdown run to extend their lead to 21–7. Later in the quarter, the Jaguars took advantage of a short field from another Browns turnover and scored on a Travis Etienne run to cut the Browns' lead to 21–14. Early in the fourth quarter, the Browns went for it on fourth and 3 from the Jacksonville 41-yard line. This play resulted in a touchdown pass from Flacco to David Bell, the first touchdown of Bell's career, extending the Browns' lead to 28–14. 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. After a Browns' punt, Jacksonville elected to go for a fourth and 3 from their own 38-yard line, but failed. The Browns could not move the ball on the next drive, but Dustin Hopkins kicked a 55-yard field goal to give the Browns a two-possession lead at 31–21. Jacksonville scored on its next drive on a 2-yard pass from Lawrence to Engram, set up by a questionable pass interference call on Anthony Walker Jr.. A failed 2-point conversion attempt made the score 31–27 with 1:37 remaining. However, Jacksonville could not recover the onside kick and the Browns were able to run out the clock.

With the win, the Browns improved to 8–5. The Browns became the eighth team to win a game with four different starting quarterbacks since quarterback starts were recorded in 1950. This also marked Flacco's 100th career win as a starting quarterback. Hopkins set a franchise record with his 31st made field goal of the season, besting the previous record of 30 held by Phil Dawson.

Week 15: vs. Chicago Bears

The Browns stayed home to take on the Chicago Bears. After both teams punted on their first four possessions, the Bears opened the scoring on a Justin Fields 5-yard touchdown pass to Cole Kmet which was set up by Eddie Jackson intercepting a Joe Flacco pass and returning the ball to the Cleveland 1-yard line. The Browns responded on their next drive going 84 yards and scoring on a Flacco 2-yard touchdown pass to David Njoku to make the score 7–7 at halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Chicago extended its lead to 14–7 on a Tremaine Edmunds 45-yard interception return touchdown. Chicago extended its lead to 17–7 later in the quarter on a Cairo Santos 41-yard field goal. Early in the fourth quarter, Cleveland cut Chicago's lead to 17–10 on a Dustin Hopkins 33-yard field goal. The Browns later tied the game on a 51-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Amari Cooper. After forcing a Bears' three-and-out, the Browns took a 20–17 lead on a Hopknis 34-yard field goal with 36 seconds remaining. This field goal was set up by a pair of Flacco passes to Njoku for 31 and 34 yards. The Bears drove to around midfield. On the final play of the game, they attempted a Hail Mary pass which was batted down and fell into Darnell Mooney's hands. However Mooney could not hang onto the football ball and kicked it into the air, which was promptly intercepted by D'Anthony Bell to preserve the win.

With the win, the Browns improved to 9–5. The Browns set a franchise record with their fifth win this season in which they had the game-winning score in the final two minutes of regulation. They also secured their first winning season since 2020, and their fourth since returning to the NFL in 1999.

Week 16: at Houston Texans

The Browns traveled to Houston to play the Texans in a game with playoff implications for both teams. 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 doubled their lead to 14–0 early in the second quarter on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Flacco to Cooper. However, Houston's Dameon Pierce returned the ensuing kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown to cut the Browns' lead to 14–7. During that play, Browns' kicker Dustin Hopkins injured his hamstring attempting to chase Pierce, forcing Hopkins' early exit and limiting the Browns' kicking options. 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. In the fourth quarter, the Browns extended their lead to 36–7 on a Kareem Hunt touchdown run. Houston added two late touchdowns on Davis Mills passes to Nico Collins and Andrew Beck to make the final score 36–22.

With the win, the Browns improved to 10–5. Cooper was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week with 11 receptions, 265 yards, and two touchdowns. His 265 receiving yards set a franchise record, breaking the previous record of 261 yards held by Josh Gordon. Flacco was named FedEx Air Player of the week after completing 27 of 42 passes, 368 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. He became the first Browns player to record at least 350 passing yards in consecutive games and became the second to have 300 passing yards in three straight games, joining Josh McCown.

Week 17: vs. New York Jets

The Browns returned home for a Thursday night game against the New York Jets. Both offenses scored touchdowns on their first drive, with the Browns scoring on a Joe Flacco 7-yard pass to Jerome Ford and the Jets on a Trevor Siemian pass to Breece Hall. On the Browns' next drive, they added another touchdown on a Kareem Hunt run to take a 13–7 lead following a failed extra point. The Browns extended their lead to 20–7 on a Ronnie Hickman interception return late in the first quarter. In the second quarter, Cleveland added another touchdown on a Flacco pass to Elijah Moore to take a 27–7 lead. 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. The Browns scored a touchdown on their next drive on a Flacco 50-yard touchdown pass to Ford, while the Jets closed out the half with a Greg Zuerlein field goal to make the score 34–17.

Defense reigned in the second half. 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. After several punts and turnovers, each team kicked a field goal in the second half to make the final score 37–20.

With the win, the Browns improved to 11–5 and clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2020 and the third time since returning to the NFL in 1999. The Browns finished 8–1 at home. Flacco became the first player in Browns history to have at least 300 passing yards in four consecutive games.

On December 31, Baltimore defeated Miami to clinch the AFC North. This assured the Browns of the 5-seed and marked the Browns’ 31st consecutive season without a division title, the longest active streak in the NFL.

Week 18: at Cincinnati Bengals

With Cleveland being assured of the into the 5-seed no matter what the outcome of this game or any other game in Week 18, the Browns announced they would rest some starters for the game; Jeff Driskel was named the starting quarterback. The Browns set a franchise record for most starting quarterbacks in a season and become the first team since the 1987 New England Patriots to start five quarterbacks in a season.

With most Cleveland starters not playing, Cincinnati dominated the first half and raced to a 24–0 halftime lead on the strength of two Joe Mixon touchdown runs, a Jake Browning touchdown pass to Andrei Iosivas, and an Evan McPherson field goal. In the second half, Cincinnati extended its lead to 31–0 on a second touchdown pass from Browning to Iosivas. The Browns added two late touchdown passes from Driskel to David Bell to make the final score 31–14.

With the loss, the Browns finished the season 11–6. They finished 3–5 in away games.

Standings

Division

Conference

Team leaders

Regular season

Schedule

Game summaries

AFC Wild Card Playoffs: at (4) Houston Texans

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. Bitonio, Cooper, and Garrett were selected as starters, while Njoku and Ward were selected as reserves. Owusu-Koramoah and Teller were originally selected as alternates, but made the roster as injury replacements. This marks the sixth consecutive and sixth overall selection for Bitonio, fifth selection for Cooper and Garrett, fourth for Teller, third for Ward, and first for Njoku and Owusu-Koramoah.

In addition, P Corey Bojorquez, S Grant Delpit, K Dustin Hopkins, and C Ethan Pocic were selected as alternates.