This could be the year the Dawg Pound is rewarded for its loyal fanfare. These Cleveland Browns are loaded with talent on both sides of the ball, and I think this coaching staff could be positioned to get the most out of everyone in 2024.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski comes from an offensive background, and over his first three seasons in Cleveland, the Browns excelled at pounding the rock, finishing third, fourth and sixth in rushing yards. Last year, though, the offense lost star running back Nick Chubb to a season-ending knee surgery in Week 2, and the Browns’ ground attack took a step back, finishing 12th. With Chubb starting this season on the reserve/physically unable to perform list, Cleveland’s remaining backs (Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr. and D’Onta Foreman) will need to pick up the slack until the four-time Pro Bowler is back in the fold. This, of course, places even more pressure on another former Pro Bowler who enters the 2024 season in a searing spotlight.

Cleveland’s campaign really hinges on the performance of Deshaun Watson, who is still trying to knock off the rust after missing the entire 2021 season amid allegations of sexual misconduct, serving an 11-game suspension in 2022 for violating the NFL’s personal-conduct policy and then managing just six starts in an injury-riddled 2023. Over his first two seasons with the Browns, Watson hasn’t come anywhere close to meeting the expectations accompanying his fully guaranteed, $230 million deal.

But I think the quarterback, who is about to turn 29 years old, could rediscover his magic under new offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. The former NFL QB helped Cam Newton make a splash as a young player, experience that could help him rebuild Watson into the gamebreaker who initially took the league by storm with the Houston Texans. While the skeptics will point to Dorsey’s failed stint in Buffalo, the offensive architect helped the team rank second in points scored and total offense in his lone full season coordinating the Bills’ unit (2022).

Before Watson’s career flew off the tracks over the past few years, he was one of the league’s brightest young stars. He finished with a passer rating of 103.0 or better in three of his four seasons with Houston, guiding the Texans to back-to-back AFC South titles in 2018 and ’19. In 2020, he led the NFL with 4,823 passing yards, posting a 33:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and 112.4 passer rating in the process. His work in Cleveland — 79.1 passer rating in 2022, 84.3 in ’23 — obviously pales in comparison. But it’s possible Watson’s sharp decline can be attributed to a rust and poor scheme fit. While Stefanski will continue to call offensive plays, Dorsey has been installing a revamped scheme that should take better advantage of Watson’s skills as a dynamic playmaker, simultaneously maximizing the performances of potent pass catchers like Amari Cooper, David Njoku and offseason trade acquisition Jerry Jeudy. If the offensive line can just get healthy, the Browns could see their QB1 thrive under Dorsey’s tutelage.

And if the offense produces a few fireworks, the defense should certainly be able to hold up its end of the bargain. That unit is already championship-caliber, as Myles Garrett and Co. flourished under the direction of Jim Schwartz in 2023. The blitz-happy defensive coordinator directed a group that led the NFL in several categories, including total defense (270.2 yards per game), passing defense (164.7 ypg), third-down percentage (29.1%) and first downs allowed (253). This earned Schwartz Assistant Coach of the Year honors, while Garrett was named Defensive Player of the Year. Cleveland’s suffocating defense befuddles opponents by utilizing an assortment of five-man pressures and sticky man-to-man coverage — and it returns nearly all of its key pieces in 2024, boasting top-notch players at all three levels. The secondary, in particular, boasts a wealth of talent.

If Dorsey can help Watson get back on track, this is one of the best overall rosters in the NFL. Long story short: The Browns could emerge as top-tier contenders in the loaded AFC.