Cleveland Browns 2023 schedule: Bengals to start, end season, plus 2 primetime dates
The Battle of Ohio will serve as the start and the finish to the Browns' 2023 regular-season schedule, which was officially released Thursday night.
The Browns open the season at Cleveland Browns Stadium against the two-time AFC North champion Cincinnati Bengals at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10. They will also conclude the season in Cincinnati on a date to be determined following the Week 17 games.
The NFL has two potential slots for Week 18 games at 4:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 6. The remainder of the games will be played at 1 p.m. and 4:25 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 7, with one being played at 8:15 p.m. Sunday.
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It's the fifth time in team history the Browns have opened and closed the season against the same opponent. The only other time they have done so since 1963 was in 2017 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“Everybody loves schedule release day,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said in a statement. “It’s fun to finally see when all the games are happening, and to open it up with the division champs in the Battle of Ohio in front of our fans is outstanding. I know our players, coaches and staff are excited to get going at home right away in the AFC North.”
Browns get Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday, New York Jets on Thursday
The Browns are currently scheduled to play in two primetime national TV games. The first is in Week 2, when they travel to Pittsburgh on Sept. 18 to play the Steelers on "Monday Night Football."
The other scheduled primetime appearance for the Browns comes in Week 17, when they play host to the New York Jets and newly acquired quarterback Aaron Rodgers on "Thursday Night Football." The game, which will be televised on Amazon Prime, will kick off at 8:15 p.m. Dec. 28.
The Browns have won seven consecutive "Thursday Night Football" home games, and five in a row on TNF. One of those wins includes a 2018 victory over the Jets that snapped their 18-game losing streak.
Cleveland Browns gets early AFC North challenges, Week 5 bye week
After the Pittsburgh trip, the Browns play host to the Tennessee Titans in Week 3 on Sept. 24 and the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4 on Oct. 1. They will be one of the first teams to get a bye when they have theirs in Week 5.
The Browns will have played all three AFC North teams in the first four games.
“We like having the bye week where it is,” Stefanski said. “It’s going to be four really tough games to start, and then we’ll take a breather."
The Browns come out of the bye week with a home game in Week 6 against the NFC runner-up San Francisco 49ers (Oct. 15), one of only three games in Cleveland between Week 6 and Week 13. The others are Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals (Nov. 5) and the Week 11 rematch against the Steelers (Nov. 19).
Back-to-back western trips await Cleveland Browns after Thanksgiving
The Browns will play at the Indianapolis Colts in Week 7 (Oct. 22) before going to Seattle in Week 8 to play the Seahawks on Oct. 29. They also get the rematch with the Ravens in Baltimore in Week 10 on Nov. 12.
The other time the Browns play back-to-back road games is in Week 12 and Week 13, when they go to Denver to play the Broncos (Nov. 26) and then to Los Angeles to play the Rams (Dec. 3). There's a chance the Browns elect to stay out west between those games, something Stefanski has talked about this offseason.
"That’s the meat of our schedule — being on the road and trying to find a way to win against really good opponents," Stefanski said. "That’s the competitive aspect of this I think our guys are excited about.”
Monday Night Football flex window arrives in December
The game in Los Angeles marks the start of the new "Monday Night Football" flex window that runs from Week 13 to Week 17. For the first time, the NFL and ESPN/ABC can chose to move a Sunday afternoon game to Monday night in that window with 12 days advance notice.
For the Browns, that window includes road games against the Rams and at the Houston Texans, which is currently scheduled to play played at 1 p.m. Christmas Eve. They also have back-to-back home games in Week 14 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, currently scheduled for Dec. 10, and Week 15 against the Chicago Bears.
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A date has not been announced for the Bears game, as it could fall anywhere between Saturday, Dec. 16, and Monday, Dec 18. The NFL Network has a Saturday tripleheader on Dec. 16 along with the normal Sunday windows and the new Monday night flex.
The only Browns games not currently scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. are the two primetime games and the three western road games in Denver, Los Angeles and Seattle. That doesn't include either the Bears game or the game at Cincinnati.
Super Bowl participant Chiefs, Eagles among preseason opponents
The Browns also announced their complete list of preseason opponents, although dates and times remain to be determined for three of their four games. After the Aug. 3 Hall of Fame Game in Canton against the Jets, they will play their lone home preseason game against the Washington Commanders in Week 1 of the preseason (Aug. 10-13).
Preseason road games against the two Super Bowl participants will round out the preseason schedule. They will travel to Philadelphia in Week 2 of the preseason for two joint practices and a preseason game against the NFC champion Eagles before concluding the exhibition season in Week 3 at the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Cleveland Browns 2023 schedule
Preseason
Thursday, Aug. 3, *vs. New York Jets, 8 p.m., NBC
TBD, WASHINGTON COMMANDERS, TBD, TBD
TBD, at Philadelphia Eagles, TBD, TBD
TBD, at Kansas City Chiefs, TBD, TBD
*- denotes Hall of Fame Game at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, Canton
Regular season
Sunday, Sept. 10, CINCINNATI BENGALS, 1 p.m., CBS
Monday, Sept. 18, at Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:15 p.m. ABC
Sunday, Sept. 24, TENNESSEE TITANS, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Oct. 1, BALTIMORE RAVENS, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Oct. 8, BYE WEEK
Sunday, Oct. 15, SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS, 1 p.m., Fox
Sunday, Oct. 22, at Indianapolis Colts, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Oct. 29, at Seattle Seahawks, 4:05 p.m., Fox
Sunday, Nov. 5, ARIZONA CARDINALS, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Nov. 12, at Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m., Fox
Sunday, Nov. 19, PITTSBURGH STEELERS, 1 p.m., CBS
Sunday, Nov. 26, at Denver Broncos, 4:05 p.m., Fox
Sunday, Dec. 3, at Los Angeles Rams, 4:25 p.m., Fox
Sunday, Dec. 10, JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS, 1 p.m., CBS
TBD, CHICAGO BEARS, TBD, TBD
Sunday, Dec. 24, at Houston Texans, 1 p.m., CBS
Thursday, Dec. 28, NEW YORK JETS, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime
TBD, at Cincinnati Bengals, TBD, TBD
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on Twitter at @ceasterlingABJ.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns 2023 NFL schedule includes 2 primetime games
