NFL Team by Team Guide: Cleveland Browns
The Browns were named after their original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, one of the most influential men in NFL history. The franchise was a charter member of the All-American Football Conference and was founded in 1946. The Browns became a member of the NFL in 1950.
The Browns are unique in that they are the only NFL team without a logo on their helmet. They are also unique in that the franchise was moved to Baltimore in 1995. In 1999, the franchise resumed play as an expansion team. Since returning to the NFL, the Browns have had only two winning seasons and now have the longest playoff drought (17 seasons) of all NFL teams.
The Browns have not been to the NFL playoffs for a while, but they still have a rabid fan base. They appear occasionally on Thursday Night Football and Monday Night Football. Regional broadcasts of Browns games are available on CBS and fans can watch Cleveland’s complete schedule via live stream using a streaming service like HULU, YouTubeTV, or AT&T TV Now.
Home of the Browns
For the entire first chapter of the franchise history, the Browns played home games at Cleveland Stadium. After the franchise moved, the new expansion Browns began play in a new stadium built on the site of the old Cleveland Stadium. Now known as FirstEnergy Stadium, the home of the Browns seats 67,895 fans for home games. Located in the east end of the stadium in the section that holds the notorious Dawg Pound, a group of highly energetic Browns fans.
Championship History
The Browns are one of four NFL teams that have never reached a Super Bowl. The franchise had much more success in the pre-modern era. Cleveland won four straight AAFC championships from 1946 to 1949. The Browns won NFL championships in 1950, 1954, 1955, and 1964.
The Browns have won 11 conference championships, all before 1969. They also claimed 12 division championships, six of which were AFC Central titles (1971, 1980, 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1989).
Cleveland has made 28 appearances in the postseason. The most recent trip to the NFL playoffs was in 2002. The Browns were a perennial playoff team in the 1980s making the postseason seven times in the decade (1980, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989).
Best of the Browns
As the namesake of the franchise, Paul Brown was a legendary coach and innovator. He won 67 percent of his NFL games (159-80-5) and is credited with some of football’s most important innovations. Brown was the first coach to use film to scout opponents. He was the first to hire a full-time staff of assistants. The practice squad, face mask, and draw play were all creations of Brown.
Another Brown played prominently in the success and history of the Cleveland franchise. Jim Brown joined the Browns in 1957 as the team’s No. 1 draft pick. He would earn a Pro Bowl berth in each of his nine NFL seasons. He was a first-team All Pro in eight of nine seasons. He was second-team in the other. Brown won the NFL Rookie of the Year award in 1957 and went on to the lead the NFL in rushing yards in all but one of his nine seasons. Brown finished his career as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 12,312 yards. Brown is the only player in NFL history to average over 100 yards rushing per game. He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 1971.
Author: Dan Anderson