The second coming of the Cleveland Browns is nothing at all like the original version. Once one of the NFL’s most dominant franchises, the Browns faltered once they were relocated from the NFL to the AFC Central Division in 1970, but at least those Browns were competitive, playing in three AFC Championship Games between 1986-89. Those Browns became the Baltimore Ravens in 1996 and it wasn’t until 1999 that the Browns were reborn as an expansion team.
In 18 seasons, the Browns have enjoyed just two winning campaigns and made one playoff appearance, losing a 2002 AFC wildcard game to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Meanwhile there have been 14 seasons of double digits losses, including a 1-15 slate in 2016 that saw the Browns win their second-last game of the season to avoid a winless campaign.
Hue Jackson is the ninth head coach since the Cleveland Browns were reinvented in 1999 and the reports are that Jackson, formerly the offensive co-ordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, has infused the Browns with positive energy and an upbeat attitude.
Best Cleveland Browns Betting Lines
We provide the best Browns betting lines below so keep your eye on them and find the game that is most appealing. Don’t forget to take into account the variety of betting types.
Cleveland Browns Regular Season Schedule
This is where you will find all the details of the Cleveland Browns regular season schedule. The Browns open the 2017 campaign at home against their hated AFC North rivals the Pittsburgh Steelers.
So, if you want a safe bet pick the Steelers.
The Browns have lost an NFL record 12 successive season openers. In fact, in 17 of the 18 seasons since the Browns were reinvented the team has come out of the gate 0-1. Of those losses, 13 have come at home.
What Are The Cleveland Browns Standings
The Cleveland Browns standings the AFC North are located right here and a good bet as to where the Browns will be located is the number that comes between three and five.
While it’s unlikely that the Browns will again flirt with a winless season, it is hard to see them winning more than three or four games at the most.
How To Win Cleveland Browns Bets
The Browns have finished fourth in the AFC North for six straight seasons, seven of the last eight and 11 of the past 13 years. Now that's consistency but not the kind of consistency someone looks for.
The Browns have played just three playoff games since 1990 and none since 2002. George W. Bush was in his first term in the White House the last time the Browns earned a postseason berth and Bill Clinton was in his first term in the White House the last time the Browns won a playoff game.
The Browns have never won the AFC North title and last won a division title of any kind when they were champions of the AFC Central in 1989.
The last Browns coach to win a playoff game? Bill Belichick. The team he beat? The New England Patriots. Belichick was fired one week before the original Browns announced their move to Baltimore, so maybe becoming the Ravens wasn't the worst thing that happened to the franchise in 1996.
The Browns and Detroit Lions are the only two teams who were part of the NFL during the 1970 AFL-NFL merger who have never appeared in a Super Bowl game.
Granted, the original Browns moved to Baltimore and have won a pair of Super Bowls as the Ravens, but good luck trying to sell anyone in Cleveland that those wins count. In fact, if you dare mention the Ravens to a Browns fan, your best bet is to immediately duck and run.
It's astonishing to think how dominant the Browns once were. In the four-year history of the AAFC, they won the title every year. Joining the NFL in 1950, Cleveland played in the NFL championship game in each of its first six seasons and seven of the first eight.
Curiously, Cleveland's last NFL title came at the expense of Baltimore, a 27-0 shutout of the Colts in 1964, so perhaps Baltimore stealing the original Browns three decades later was just some sort of cruel revenge.
Revenge, after all, is a dish best served cold.
