Tag: Browns history

Browns can improve to 2-0 for the 1st time since 1993

On this date in 1993 the Cleveland Browns improved to 2-0. It was the last time the team opened a season with two wins.

Where were you on September 13, 1993?

It’s been 29 long years since that date so that memory might be a bit fuzzy. For Browns fans, it can be difficult to remember the last time the team was 2-0 in a season. But it did happen on this date 29 years ago today.

For a refresher, the Browns were 1-0 after thumping the Bengals in Week 1 of that season. Bill Belichick’s Cleveland team hosted the San Francisco 49ers for Monday Night Football on the fateful date. Bernie Kosar hit Michael Jackson for a 30-yard TD pass before the half to give the Browns a 20-13 lead.

The only scoring in the second half came on a Matt Stover field goal, giving the Browns a 23-13 win and a shiny, unblemished 2-0 record. Cleveland’s defense picked off Steve Young three times and Jerry Ball notched a strip-sack of the future Hall of Famer which Michael Dean Perry recovered.

Those 49ers would advance to the NFC Championship that year. Belichick’s Browns would win again the following week to go to 3-0 and advance to 5-2 at the bye week. An injury to Kosar derailed the season and the Browns finished a disappointing 7-9.

Cleveland looks to make it 2-0 when the Browns host the 0-1 New York Jets at FirstEnergy Stadium on Sunday. To put in perspective how long it’s been since they were 2-0, that game in 1993 happened four days shy of my 21st birthday. I turn 50 on Saturday.

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Controversial ending marred the last Browns-Raiders matchup

Carlos Hyde got the game-winning first down but the NFL decided otherwise

When the Cleveland Browns host the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 8, the home fans are hoping the Raiders are the only foe the Browns are combatting. That was not the case in the last matchup between these two teams.

Flashback to Week 4 of 2018. The Browns have a 42-34 lead late in the game after Nick Chubb gashed the Raiders defense for a 41-yard TD. The Browns defense had just held up against the Raiders, forcing a Derek Carr incompletion to Amari Cooper on 4th down. It’s 3rd-and-2 with under two minutes to play and the game is over when Carlos Hyde runs for two yards up the middle.

Except a booth review initiated from the league office decides that there is conclusive evidence Hyde didn’t make it. Not one person watching the game, including FOX officiating analyst Dean Blandino, believed there was any justification for overturning the spot — especially in a game where an obvious mis-spotting of the ball earlier in the game was not overturned. Referee Walt Anderson and his crew also missed an obvious illegal procedure penalty on an earlier Raiders scoring drive.  

The Raiders went on to win in overtime. 

The call, which angered the FOX broadcast crew in real-time, left the Browns players incredibly frustrated.

This is how it looked in the NFL’s official game book:

(1:41) 34-C.Hyde up the middle to CLV 19 for 2 yards (56-D.Johnson; 59-T.Whitehead). Officials to measure for 1st down – Unsuccessful. The Replay Official reviewed the first down ruling, and the play was REVERSED. 34-C.Hyde up the middle to CLV 18 for 1 yard (56-D.Johnson; 59-T.Whitehead). Officials to measure for 1st down – 1st down.

Here’s hoping referee Bill Vinovich and his officiating crew don’t interject themselves into the outcome of Sunday’s game at FirstEnergy Stadium. Here’s also hoping the NFL doesn’t force them to do that, either.

Editor note – A portion of this article previously appeared in a piece I wrote for RealGM Football. 

Flashback: The Hue Jackson era ended two years ago today

A look back at what happened and some of the aftermath of the Hue Jackson era

Facebook isn’t good for much these days, but the “On this date” feature that popped up on Thursday morning was a quick eye-opener.

On this date, October 29, 2018, the Cleveland Browns fired head coach Hue Jackson. The Browns were 2-5-1 and coming off an ugly loss to the Steelers, one that featured a lot of finger-pointing and contentious activity on the sidelines between Jackson, offensive coordinator Todd Haley and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.

Ownership finally had enough of Jackson and his 3-36-1 record since the start of the 2016 season. Haley also got the axe, losing the power struggle with Williams. The gruff defensive coach became the interim head coach, promoting little-known Freddie Kitchens to offensive coordinator in the process.

Two years later, Jackson is unemployed. Haley is coaching high school football in Florida. Williams is running the defense for the winless Jets on another coaching ship that can’t take on much more water before sinking.

It’s fun, and more than a little maudlin, to look back at the immediate aftermath of Jackson’s firing. Here are some of the pieces we published:

Report: Baker Mayfield ‘not going to exactly miss Hue Jackson’

5 potential permanent replacements for Hue Jackson

Odds have Zac Taylor, Lincoln Riley favorites to become Browns next head coach

The Browns have come a long way in two years.

Flashback to the last time the Browns were 4-1

A look back to what was happening the last time the Cleveland Browns were 4-1

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Where were you on October 2nd, 1994?

It’s hard to remember back that far. Many Browns fans weren’t even born yet, having no recollection at all of the last time the Cleveland Browns had a 4-1 record.

Cleveland hit that 4-1 mark for the first time since a Week 5 win over the New York Jets in the 1994 season with Sunday’s 32-23 triumph over the visiting Indianapolis Colts. Bill Belichick’s Browns beat Pete Carroll’s Jets 27-7 in old Municipal Stadium to propel the last 4-1 start in Cleveland.

It was a much different NFL back then. Vinny Testaverde was the Browns QB, leading the team to a 6-1 start. They finished 11-5 and beat Bill Parcells’ Patriots in the Wild Card round for Cleveland’s last postseason victory. The Titans were still the Houston Oilers and AFC Central rivals with the Browns. The Jaguars, Panthers and Texans did not exist yet.

Mike “The Human Rain Delay” Hargrove led the Cleveland Indians to a 66-47 record in the strike-shortened MLB season. One year later they made a trip to the World Series for the first time since 1954.

Mike Fratello’s Cavaliers were just beginning a season that culminated with a 43-39 record, led by Mark Price, Chris Mills and Tyrone Hill.

The Cleveland Crunch had just captured the NPSL title behind Hector Marinaro and Zoran Karic.

It was also a much different world. We were in the immediate aftermath of the O.J. Simpson Bronco chase. Cell phones were rare conversation pieces. The internet was essentially a string of message boards. The No. 1 song was Boyz II Men’s “I’ll Make Love to You” in the middle of a 15-week run at the top of the charts. The Shawshank Redemption was popular in theaters, though it couldn’t knock off action star Meryl Streep in The River Wild.

As for me, I was in the middle of my second junior year at Ohio University…which is why I don’t really remember much about that Browns team.

Browns vs. Colts: Final score, keys to the game, 3 stars and more

Browns offense erupts in historic display in Dallas

The Cleveland Browns offense set several historic marks in the 49-38 win in Week 4 over the Cowboys

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The Cleveland Browns won their third game in a row in spectacular offensive fashion. Kevin Stefanski’s Browns blew the hooves off the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4, running for over 300 yards in a 49-38 win in Dallas.

While Dallas QB Dak Prescott threw for over 500 yards and four TDs as the Cowboys rallied late, it was the Browns own commanding performance on offense that wins the day. Cleveland came out running and never stopped.

The Browns ran for 74 yards on eight carries in the first quarter, while also throwing for 85 more. Jarvis Landry’s TD pass to Odell Beckham Jr. got the Browns on the board with expertly executed trickery.

Watch: Jarvis Landry hits Odell Beckham Jr. with the TD pass

The Browns kept the foot on the gas. Take a gander at the team’s drive chart from midway through the third quarter, at which they lead 38-14:

Even with Nick Chubb sidelined with a knee injury, the Browns continued to gash the soft Cowboys defensive front. D’Ernest Johnson ran for 95 yards in relief duty, while Kareem Hunt hit 71 yards and scored twice in 11 carries. Cleveland had three separate runners top 70 yards on the ground, and Chubb added 43 in the first quarter before he departed.

It made for a historic occasion. No Browns team had ever done that before,

Beckham’s huge day also made history. By scoring two receiving TDs and the 50-yard game-sealing run, “OBJ” became just the fourth player this century to score two by air and one by ground. He joins Mike Williams, Javon Walker and David Patten in pulling off the feat since 2000.

Baker Mayfield was efficient, if not prolific. In throwing for 165 yards, two TDs and no INTs, Mayfield avoided a turnover for the third straight game. Last week marked the first time he’d ever gone two full games without a giveaway.

Cleveland also posted at least 30 points for the third week in a row. It’s the first time since Weeks 10-12 in 1968 they’ve pulled off that feat. That ’68 unit did it six games in a row behind Hall of Famers Paul Warfield, Leroy Kelly and Gene Hickerson.

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Browns have chance to set a new course with win over Cowboys

The Browns can improve to 3-1 for the first time since 2000 with a Week 4 win in Dallas

A win on Sunday in Dallas would make the Cleveland Browns 3-1 on the young season. That might not seem like a major accomplishment for most teams, but for the Browns it’s truly something different.

Cleveland has not had a 3-1 record since the 2000 season, the second year of the rebirthed franchise. On October 7, 2000, the Browns beat the San Diego Chargers 20-16 on a fourth-quarter comeback led by Tim Couch. The second-year QB hit Kevin Johnson for the game-winning TD with just over a minute remaining, and Corey Fuller broke up Doug Flutie’s final pass to preserve the win and the 3-1 record.

That marked the third time in four seasons, spread around a three-year pause, that the Browns started 3-1. They did it in 1994 and 1995 as well behind the passing of Vinny Testaverde and the coaching of Bill Belichick.

Since then, the Browns have barely attained the mediocrity that comes with a 2-2 record after four games. They’ve done it just six times — 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007 2011, and 2014.

Sunday in Dallas can change that. The Browns are underdogs against the 1-2 Cowboys, but they should feel confident in their ability to match up with “America’s Team”. It would crack a 20-year barrier to success that hangs heavily over the franchise and the fans.

Fingers crossed…

Ozzie Newsome: A look back at the Browns legend 30 years after his retirement

Ozzie Newsome: A look back at the Browns legend 30 years after his retirement

Believe it or not, it’s been 30 years since Ozzie Newsome hung up his cleats. The greatest tight end in Cleveland Browns history last played in the 1990 season.

Newsome spent his entire 13-year career in Cleveland, quickly establishing himself as a fan favorite and standout as the team’s first-round pick out of Alabama in the 1978 NFL Draft. He was the team’s offensive player of the year as a rookie even though he transitioned from wide receiver to tight end.

He was one of the pioneers of the flexed-out TE spot. Newsome was a mismatch, too fast and nimble for linebackers and too big and smart as a receiver for the strong safeties of the era. It led to sustained greatness.

Always classy and well-respected by opponents, Newsome racked up 89 catches in both the 1983 and 1984 seasons, unprecedented numbers for a tight end. He finished 2nd in the NFL in receptions in both years. Newsome never missed a game, playing 198 total. He caught at least one pass in 195 of them, including 150 in a row at one point, the second-longest streak in history at that time.

When Newsome retired, his 662 career receptions ranked 4th in NFL history and the most of any tight end. Even 30 years after his retirement, Newsome’s 7.980 receiving yards is nearly 1,500 more than the next Browns receiver (Dante Lavelli) on the list. His reception total leads Lavelli (also second here) by an incredible 276 catches.

Newsome, of course, continued with the franchise in the front office upon his retirement. He made the move to Baltimore and took over as the GM, building the Ravens into one of the most consistently successful franchises over the last 20 years. It’s a bitter pill for Browns fans, no doubt, but you seldom heard a bad word about Ozzie Newsome in Cleveland.

Here are some of the top photos of Newsome over the years, including his Hall of Fame induction in 1999:

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1963: The year 3 active Cleveland Browns players all tragically died

Ernie Davis, Don Fleming and Tom Bloom all passed away in the first 6 months of 1963

Most Browns fans, especially those born afterward, look back at the early 1960s as a triumphant time for the franchise. Cleveland was a perennial power, a team that didn’t have a losing record from 1957-1974. But there was some very real tragedy and heartbreak in the middle of that glorious run of yearly title contention.

In 1963, three active Cleveland Browns players all died tragically.

Tom Bloom hadn’t yet suited up for the team, but the Browns’ 6th-round pick from Purdue was expected to play a role for the team. The Browns were planning on moving the Boilermakers’ MVP full-time to safety, where he also thrived in college. Bloom died in January of 1963 (the draft was held in December at that time) in a car accident.

The most well-known is Ernie Davis. The No. 1 overall pick in the 1962 NFL Draft was aiming to follow in Jim Brown’s footsteps: from standout rusher at Syracuse to All-Pro for the Browns. Alas, Davis was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after the Browns acquired him and he never played a down for the team. Davis passed away in Cleveland on May 18th.

Davis was a tremendously popular figure, a Heisman Trophy winner with a transcendent smile. President John F. Kennedy sent a eulogy to his funeral in Davis’ hometown of Elmira, New York, an event which over 10,000 attended. His No. 45, which he never actually wore in a game for the Browns, was retired by the franchise.

Don Fleming was the last of the tragedies. The safety was coming off a breakout 1962 season, his third in the NFL, when he was killed in an industrial accident while working in the offseason. Fleming and another man were electrocuted when a crane they were working on in Orlando accidentally brushed into a power line. They were killed instantly.

Fleming was killed on the same day, June 4th, that the Browns announced he had signed a new contract with the team. His No. 46 jersey is retired by the Browns and the practice field at Hiram College, where the Browns held training camp for several years, was named in his honor.

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Browns are favored in Pittsburgh for the 1st time since 1989

Bud Carson’s Browns blanked Bubby Brister and the Steelers 51-0 in that game

The last time the Cleveland Browns were favored in a game in Pittsburgh, Bud Carson was making his debut as the head coach for the Browns. Clay Matthews returned a fumble for the Browns first touchdown and Tim Manoa ran for two scores in a 51-0 shellacking.

That was September 10th, 1989, the season opener for a Browns team that would eventually advance to the AFC Championship game. The Steelers were coming off a 5-11 season and trotted out Bubby Brister at QB. The Browns held him to 82 yards passing and five total first downs.

It’s been a very long time. Most of the Browns roster wasn’t even alive. Coach Freddie Kitchens was a high school freshman. And given how the Steelers still have a better record this year than the Browns, it’s a little odd to see. But here we are.

At BetMGM, the Browns are 1.5-point favorites in Pittsburgh. Some other books have the Browns favored by as many as 2.5 points, but the 1.5 figure is the standard.

Nobody is expecting 51-0, but the line in that game back in 1989 was just two points. Not saying, just sayin’…

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