This Is The Year
Browns fans have every reason not to believe, but we really should.
Sunday, September 12th, 1999: In the stadium now known as Huntington Bank Field, soon to be demolished and not replaced, the Browns made their triumphant return to the NFL. In a football-mad city like Cleveland, it is safe to say that anticipation was high. Pittsburgh 43, Browns 0.
Sunday, September 7, 2003: Back in that same stadium. The Browns are coming off their first playoff berth since the return but the less said about that playoff game the better. Colts 9, Browns 6.
Sunday, September 7, 2008: Again on the shores of Lake Erie. The Browns were 10-6 in 2007, they found their quarterback in Derek Anderson, and narrowly missed out on the playoffs on a tiebreaker. Dallas 28, Browns 10.
Sunday September 13, 2015: Finally, we’re not in Cleveland. 2014 was a decent year, then Alex Mack got hurt and Kyle Shanahan made a PowerPoint. Opening Day 2015 in the Meadowlands, the Browns kick off the season against the Jets. Johnny Manziel and Josh McCown both got snaps in this one. Jets 31, Browns 10.
Sunday September 9, 2018: Baker Mayfield makes his debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home—or so we hoped. The Browns have just gone 1-31 over two seasons. Steelers 21, Browns 21, tie game at the end of overtime.
Sunday September 8, 2019: Mayfield has arrived. The play-caller that shepherded him to a record-setting rookie season is the head coach. The Muni Lot lines started 24 hours before the game. The most hyped I’ve seen Browns fans for an opener. Tennessee 43, Browns 13.
Sunday September 13, 2020: Kevin Stefanski’s debut, in the long shadow of a pandemic in Baltimore. Ravens 38, Browns 6.
Sunday December 4, 2022: Not in September, but the Browns true debut in 2022 was in Houston late in the season when Deshaun Watson finally put on a Browns uniform. The Browns were down 5-0 into the second quarter when Donovan Peoples-Jones returned a punt 76 yards for a touchdown. In the second half, Denzel Ward returned a fumble and Tony Fields returned a pick and the Browns won 27-14. Deshaun Watson’s final line: 12-22 for 131 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception.
Opening Day has not been hospitable to the Browns, historically. Their record, since the return sits at 3-21-1. I did not mention the Dwayne Rudd helmet debacle or the heartbreaking loss to the Chiefs in ‘21.
You’re reading this and thinking, “Who cares what happened 25 years ago, the Browns now and the Browns then have nothing in common but the name and color scheme.” That’s absolutely true and there’s no reason that the streak of difficult games has to continue. There’s every opportunity for Cleveland to blow Dallas out of the water on Sunday.
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