It’s exciting to be able to open the season at home,” head coach Kevin Stefanski told the team’s website. “Last year’s home opener was electric, and we expect the same atmosphere. We feed off our fans’ energy and I am sure there will be a little extra juice from them with this being the first one of the 2024 season. The Cowboys are the defending NFC East champs, so it will be a great challenge and we are looking forward to it.”
The full schedule will be announced at 8 Wednesday night on NFL Network, with some games being announced between now and then. The Browns are also a strong candidate to face the Jaguars in London’s Wembley Stadium, in a game that could take place on Oct. 20.
The Browns are 3-21-1 in season openers, but have won two straight, beating the Panthers in Carolina 26-24 in 2022, and the Bengals, 24-3, at home last season. The Cowboys are 40-23-1 in openers, having defeated the Giants 40-0 last season.
The Browns are 16-13 the Cowboys during the regular season, and 2-1 in the playoffs. The Cowboys are 3-2 in the series since 1999, but lost to the Browns 49-38 in the last meeting, Oct. 4, 2020 in Dallas. The last time the Browns hosted the Cowboys was in 2016, a Browns’ 35-10 loss. This marks the fourth time the Browns have opened against the Cowboys, all at home. They’re 0-3 in those games — including Bill Belichick’s debut in 1991 — and will look to snap the streak.
The opener will mark Watson’s return to action for the first time since suffering a fractured shoulder in Week 10 against the Ravens, when he bounded out of the locker room in the second half and went 14-for-14 despite broken shoulder and a high ankle sprain to help the Browns win, 33-31. Watson went 5-1 last season before succumbing to the fractured shoulder and undergoing surgery in November. He began throwing around March 19 and is expected to be 100% for the start of the season.
