Ranking the Browns 2024 road destinations from 1 to 9

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

Browns fans like to travel. Which is why the NFL full schedule release has become a highly anticipated event with them. More so, I believe, than the NFL draft.

Fans want to know the dates and times of road games to make travel plans for the coming season. The full schedule finally will be revealed on NFL Network on May 15 at 8 p.m.

Before I covered the Browns as a job, one of my friends used to organize bus trips to one Browns road game every year. They were a blast. He met his future wife on one of them.

Oldtimers may remember the devastating knee injury Greg Pruitt suffered in a game in St. Louis in 1979. I was there to see it. That was bad. That was also the trip where one in our entourage spent the night in jail and missed the bus ride back home.

But I digress …

I run into countless fans at airports who say they pick one road game per year to attend. With that in mind, I am going to rate the Browns’ nine road trips in 2024 from 1. to 9. in order of worst to first.

9. Washington Commanders

I suppose if you’ve never visited D.C. and experienced the historical sights – Lincoln Memorial, White House, Capital Parks, Arlington Cemetery, et. al – this deserves to be near the top of this list. In fact, every American should visit our national’s capital at some point in their life. But when it comes to pure football, this is among the worst venues in the NFL. FedEx Field – aka Commanders Field – is about 11 miles east of D.C. in Landover, MD. You can take the subway from D.C. to the stadium, about a 24-minute ride for $4 round trip. It’s cheaper to fly into Baltimore-Washington International and then drive about 37 miles to FedEx Field. The stadium is the worst and needs to be demolished. I once waited over an hour for an Uber outside the stadium.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

Paycor Stadium (nee Paul Brown Stadium) is an upgrade over the 1970s-era concrete bowl Riverfront Stadium. But that’s not saying much. There is night-time activity in surrounding areas, extending across the Ohio River into Newport, KY. This is an economical trip, a 3 ½-hour drive from Northeast Ohio.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars

If the Browns play the Jaguars in London, this trip would trump anything on the schedule. But if they play the Jaguars in Jacksonville, FL, this is not a trip you’d circle on your calendar. A 40-minute ride south to St. Augustine, America’s oldest city, might hold your interest. Golf enthusiasts might drive 26 miles to TPC Sawgrass. The World Golf Hall of Fame used to be nearby, but it’s been relocated to Pinehurst, NC. I’ll never forget Jacksonville being the site of the last game the Browns played in 1995 before they were moved to Baltimore. It was Christmas Eve. By the time the media finished their work, all the restaurants were closed. We slinked into a bar and begged the kitchen to make us something to eat. This officially is how the old Browns era came to an end. Sad.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

The shortest road trip – 134 miles – this is one every Browns fan should make. Acrisure Stadium (nee Heinz Field) actually is a fine venue and it is something to behold when the stadium cranks up Renegade by Styx prior to the beginning of the fourth quarter. The problem is the Browns NEVER win there. If you go, a ride up Mount Washington on the Duquesne Incline is a must. The North Shore area between Acrisure Stadium and PNC Park has been developed nicely with shops and night clubs.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

The Browns were snubbed from playing the Eagles in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in favor of the Packers, so their game reverts to Lincoln Financial Field. I never spent much time in Philadelphia until last summer when the Browns had two days of practices with the Eagles prior to their preseason game. I loved it. There’s a lot of history to see in Philly – Independence Hall, etc. – but the Reading Terminal Market stole the show. So much energy and great food.

4. Denver Broncos

A $10 train ride from the hinterlands of Denver International Airport takes you to the downtown hub of Union Station. The Mile High City just has an invigorating, healthy feel. If motivated, you can walk from downtown hotels to Empower Field at Mile High. Old Mile High Stadium was so much better, though. In the John Elway era, the rickety stadium shook. It reminded me of an old wooden roller coaster. This is another venue Browns fans want to avoid because they rarely win here.

3. Baltimore Ravens

When the AFC North division was being formed in 2002, the Browns (led by former President Carmen Policy) lobbied to have Indianapolis as the fourth team rather than Baltimore. Fortunately, former Steelers owner Dan Rooney, who wanted Baltimore, prevailed. This is a great visit, but I’m biased. I’ve been to Little Italy’s in Cleveland, Boston, and New York. I rank Baltimore’s the best. The restaurants are plentiful and awesome. St. Leo’s Church has a convenient Saturday Mass. I like that you can walk from any of the Inner Harbor hotels to M&T Bank Stadium. The meandering takes you through beautiful Camden Yards. On the day before the game, Fell’s Point, Fort McHenry National Monument and the National Aquarium at Inner Harbor are worthwhile destinations.

2. Las Vegas Raiders

I’ve never been to Vegas. I’ve heard it’s fun. So I’m looking forward to this trip.

1. New Orleans Saints

I’ve covered Super Bowls, a Final Four and several Browns games in New Orleans and have never not had a good time. Noisy, nocturnal Bourbon Street, which stretches about 13 city blocks, is loaded with, um, interesting establishments. The dining in New Orleans is second to none. The Superdome – now branded the Caesars Superdome – will host its eighth Super Bowl following the 2024 season. The Browns opened the 1987 season in New Orleans. That very weekend, Pope John Paul II visited New Orleans. I checked into my hotel and when the elevator door opened, a flock of cardinals came out. I mean, like 12 of them.