After an intense training camp, the Cleveland Browns leaders explained why they're ready to hit the ground running against Cincinnati Bengals

Week 1 in the NFL is notoriously unpredictable. Even some of the best teams in football, with the best quarterbacks in football find themselves susceptible to losing early on in a new season. 

The Cleveland Browns Week 1 opponent, the Cincinnati Bengals, are a prime example of that. Zac Taylor's squad has started each of the last two seasons off with a 1-3 record, forcing star quarterback Joe Burrow to have to play hero late in the season to make a push for the playoffs. 

This year, the Bengals are looking to avoid such a disastrous start to the season when they travel to Cleveland for Week 1 on Sunday. It's why Taylor decided to actually play his starters more in the preseason last month. 

But Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski treated the build up to the regular season a little differently this year too. His training camp was noticeably more physical and deliberate overall, culminating in most of his starters playing in the team's final preseason game two weeks back. 

Sunday will be an opportunity to reveal whether or not these new methods by both teams will pay off in the form of a fast start. Browns veteran QB Joe Flacco believes they're ready. 

"I think the focus on training camp is yourself," said the 40-year-old. "It's looking inward and finding out what we can be better at, what we want our identity to be. And I think Week 1 is a lot about doing those kind of things. So if we can go out there and live up to what we've kind of set up for ourselves and the expectations we've set, then I think all those other things will fall into place. It's about what we can do to kind of just play the type of game we want to play."

Stefanski's new approach predates even the last month or so of training camp. Even going back to the start of the offseason program this spring, it became apparent that there was a different intensity out on the practice field. 

It was all done in an effort to get his team in the right mind set to to hit the ground running this time of year.

"I feel like we set ourselves up pretty well throughout minicamp, OTAs just to see the type of team we are and the type of team that we are going to be," top wideout Jerry Jeudy said. "I feel like Coach Stefanski and the coaching staff did a great job and just helping us transition through that and just know what we are as a team."

Changes were necessary after a 3-14 season in 2024. Week 1 last year was a colossal disaster for the Browns, who looked completely out classed, 33-17, by a Dallas Cowboys team that won only seven games themselves. The loss paved the way for a 1-6 start to the season for Cleveland. 

This year there's no rest for the weary. The Browns embark on a five week gauntlet against five teams who all made the playoffs last year after Sunday's matchup with Cincinnati. Stealing one against the Bengals – a division foe the franchise knows well and has had plenty of success against – would set a the tone for a season where expectations are low in Cleveland. 

Pro Bowl cornerback Denzel Ward knows just how valuable that can be. 

"I think the team's been, we started off fast [at camp], been working hard every day," he said. "Coming out there, looking forward to get that first win of the season. So I think we're going to start fast. That's the goal and that's the plan and just got to give full effort." 

Starting the season with a win can be a massive momentum builder for any team, even those expected to win five games or less. The Browns have been laying the groundwork to pull off a Week 1 upset for months now. They'll put it to the test on Sunday.