The Cleveland Browns will kick off their 64th NFL season on Sunday when they visit Lincoln Financial Field to play the also-rebuilding Philadelphia Eagles. With a turnover-heavy offseason behind them, here is what Browns fans need to know about the first contest of the year.
Are the Browns favored?
No, but it’s closer than you might think. Neither team is expected to wreck the league in 2016 and per the CBS Sports app Philadelphia enters as 3.5-point favorites on Sunday. Considering that most teams will get -3 by simply playing at home, Vegas does not have a world of confidence in the Eagles.
Relative Fan Suffering
While the Cleveland Cavaliers won the 2016 NBA Finals to become NBA World Champions of the World, Philadelphia has not hosted a parade since the Phillies won the 2008 World Series. Philadelphians are working hard on regaining their “long-suffering” fan identity between baseball ineptitude, basketball tanking, hockey mediocrity, and a full football rebuild. Considering strictly football, Eagles fans are actually enduring a longer title drought than the Browns. Philly won the 1960 NFL Championship, but has not won a league title since. By comparison, the Browns’ 1964 championship gives them a four-year head start on the Birds. In more recent history, Cleveland, as you know, has not qualified for the playoffs since 2002 compared to the Eagles modest three season drought (last playoff appearance 2013). Shorter term it’s the Browns who have suffered more but the big picture goes to Philly.
Storyline that Only Browns Fans Care About
As my colleague Michael Bode chronicled, Week 1 has proven to be a vicious socks-full-of-batteries welcome to the annual football season. You’d have to go back to 2004 for the last time Cleveland defeated their Week 1 opponent (a 20-3 pounding of Baltimore at home). For perspective’s sake, we have gone through three presidential elections and seen two new popes since that day. So as the Browns take the field looking for their second Week 1 victory since 1999, fans across the region will tune in to see if the team can start undefeated for once.
All-Time Record
The Browns lead the all-time series 31-16-1. From 1950-1969 the two clubs played each other at least once per season with the Browns taking that stretch 26-10-1. Since the Browns’ return, however, Cleveland and Philly have played four contests with the Eagles taking all four. You would have to go back to 1994 for the last Browns win over the Eagles (a 26-7 triumph in Pennsylvania). Matt Stover kicked four field goals that Sunday to accompany an Earnest Byner touchdown run and a Mark Rypien-to-Mark Carrier touchdown pass. Philly’s current four game win streak is the longest in the series’ history.
Familiar Faces
Ohioans will recognize a number of Eagles who played their amateur football inside the Buckeye state.
• Connor Barwin (DE) – Cincinnati: The eighth year veteran from Detroit spent a few years as a Bearcat. Entering his fourth season with Philadelphia, Barwin started all sixteen games for the Eagles in 2015 recording 79 total tackles, 7 sacks, and one forced fumble.
• Brandon Brooks (G) – Miami (OH): A fifth year guard from Milwaukee, Brooks was a three-time 2nd-team All-MAC Redhawk before being drafted by Houston in 2012. Brooks started fourteen games with the Texans last season, and signed with Philly during the offseason.
• Brent Celek (TE) – Cincinnati: This Queen City native played his college ball at UC before joining Philadelphia in 2007. He has played his entire career with the Eagles and is ranked fifth in franchise history for receptions (371).
• Malcolm Jenkins (S) – Ohio State: Buckeye fans will no doubt recognize Malcolm Jenkins, an Ohio State product who now calls Philadelphia home. A three-time All-Big Ten defender and 2008 All-American, New Orleans drafted Jenkins with the 14th overall pick in 2009. He played five seasons in the Big Easy, won a Super Bowl in 2009, and joined Philly for the 2014 season. Last year MJ started all sixteen games, recording 120 tackles, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and two interceptions (one of which he took to the house).
• Jason Kelce (C) – Cincinnati: A Cleveland Heights man, Kelce played four seasons in Cincinnati earning All-Big East first team selection as a senior. Kelce has played for the Eagles since 2011 and last season started every game on the offensive line.
Intriguing Draft-Based Storylines
Browns fans will recall that in 2012 the Indianapolis Colts and St. Louis Rams held the top two picks in the draft. Everyone knew that Indy would select Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, which they did, but there was some conjecture about what the Rams would do with their selection. The Browns and Joe Banner’s front office reportedly put together a package of picks to acquire the number two selection. The apple of their eye was prized Baylor QB Robert Griffin III. Alas, the Washington DC club put together a more enticing combo so St. Louis dealt with the Burgundy and Gold instead. Flash forward to 2016. Now it’s the Browns who held the No. 2 pick. Instead of drafting North Dakota State quarterback Carson Wentz, the Browns announced a deal to trade that pick to the Philadelphia Eagles for a bevy of present and future picks. It’s all very full circle: RGIII, whom the Browns could not acquire out of college, now plays for Cleveland and his first game in an orange helmet comes against Wentz, the Eagles’ QB of the future whom the Browns almost drafted. Football is funny sometimes.
The interesting aspect of Week 1’s game is that no matter who wins, it is long-term good news for the Browns. Cleveland owns Philly’s Round 1 pick in 2017 so a Browns win provides short-term enjoyment, but a Browns loss just improves the team’s draft position for next year. Is September too soon to talk about the 2017 NFL Draft? Perhaps. Considering the expectations for the Browns in 2016 though it’s natural to look ahead. Though the last time these two franchise’s met a journeyman quarterback led his new team on a late touchdown drive to defeat a rookie quarterback and rookie head coach. No doubt Cleveland would love to replay that script with different actors.