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Cleveland Browns
Colours: Brown and orange
Mascot: Chomps
Stadium: FirstEnergy Stadium
Home City: Cleveland, Ohio
Super Bowl wins: 0 (0 appearances)
Records over last 5 years: 23 wins, 57 losses, 0 playoff appearances
Best Players: Joe Thomas, Josh Gordon, Joe Haden
Bio: Only four teams in the NFL have failed to appear in a Super Bowl; the Texans, Jaguars, Lions and Browns. The Jaguars have only existed since 1995 and the Texans have only existed since 2002, making the Lions and the Browns the two least successful franchises of the NFL era.
In their last 16 seasons, the Browns have one playoff appearance and 13 double digit losing seasons. They haven’t won a playoff game since 1994, and they haven’t won their division since 1989. They haven’t won more than 5 games in a season since 2007, and have the worst record in the NFL over the past five seasons.
What must be so frustrating to Browns fans is that they have talent on both sides of the ball. Their starting receiver, Josh Gordon, led the NFL this season in receiving yards despite missing two games with a suspension. Jordan Cameron, their receiving tight end, ranked 6th among tight ends for touchdown receptions this past season and went to his first pro bowl. Their starting left tackle, Joe Thomas, is widely believed to be the best pass protector in football.
Defensively, they are just as talented. Joe Haden, their starting cornerback, routinely shuts down the opposition’s best receiving threat. TJ Ward, the starting safety, just went to his first pro bowl and is becoming one of the better run stopping safeties in the game. Their first round pick from 2013, Barkevious Mingo, has the potential to develop into a dynamic pass rusher.
The problem for Cleveland is that they have no talent at two key positions; quarterback and running back. The team started three quarterbacks in 2013, and had 32 year old free agent Willis McGahee as their primary runner from midway through the season. Without addressing those positions, expect this lack of success to continue in one of America’s most championship-starved cities.
