A startling fact hit home for me the other day. The Cincinnati Bengals won precisely one more football game than the Cleveland Browns did during the 2025 season. Can you believe that?
I say this to anyone who'll listen all the time: The great state of Ohio deserves so much better re: how their NFL franchises are operated. Ohio loves football. The Bengals and Browns can't stop bungling their way to irrelevance and/or incompetence — no matter who's in charge upstairs or how strong their talent is on the field in any given year.
The great thing about being on the Bengals' side of the fence is that Cincinnati looks like a first-class organization compared to what the Browns are doing these days.
Although I remain bullish on Todd Monken's future as Cleveland's head coach, his hiring has officially triggered the departure of an elite defensive coordinator. The Browns' strength is their defense, and that Jim Schwartz's heated exit could mean their unit takes a step back in 2026.
Good news for the Bengals, eh?
Browns alienate DC Jim Schwartz as he flees Cleveland for (presumably) far greener pastures
NFL Media's Ian Rapoport reported on Schwartz's exit, which is a massive blow to the Bengals' intrastate AFC North rival.
Per Rap Sheet, Cleveland tried to convince Schwartz to stay, but the writing was on the wall. Schwartz wanted the head coaching gig after three years of stellar service in his defensive coordinator post. It wasn't meant to be.
Can't say I blame Schwartz for feeling a type of way. He stuck by the most dysfunctional franchise in the NFL, had their defense playing at an elite level to remain competitive myriad offensive deficiencies, and earned the respect of Browns players to the highest degree.
All I know is, reigning NFL single-season sack record holder Myles Garrett reacted like this once the buzz began that Schwartz wouldn't stay after Monken got hired:
Myles Garrett’s IG story after the news yesterday. Not great, Bob. pic.twitter.com/NJF6Iil6Lt
— The Dawgs - A Cleveland Browns Podcast (@thedawgspodcast) January 29, 2026
Bengals fans should feel a rush of relief now that Schwartz is out of the division. He was a clear upgrade over his predecessor, Joe Woods, and gave Joe Burrow as much trouble as any opponent has in his career.
Garrett has a heck of a lot to with that, but Schwartz was in charge of the call sheet and critical to developing the Browns' other key defenders.
With Cleveland's dubious quarterback situation still a mystery, and the Browns breaking in a new staff that has such little talent to bank on from the offense as a whole, Schwartz leaving is yet another huge blow.
It's already shaping up to be another horrendous offseason for the Dawg Pound, and it hasn't even started in earnest yet. That should give Cincinnati supporters confidence that, even if the Bengals botch another free agency period and the draft again, at least they won't finish last in the AFC North.