In sticking with the preperation for the big Monday Night Football game between the Browns and the Giants, we here at J Beanie have put together a great list for all the Browns fans out there. Today we are talking about the ten best games for the “new” Browns since 1999.
10) DA’s comeback – Browns 31, Chiefs 28 – Dec. 3, 2006 - Charlie Frye breaks his wrist with the Browns down 28-14. DA, no one knew him at this point, comes in and leads a comeback to send the game into overtime. Remember his 33-yard, slow motion run in overtime to set up a Phil Dawson game-winning field goal?
9) Home opener win – Browns 20, Ravens 3, Sept. 12, 2004 – The last, and only, season opening win at home. The Browns have played at home to start every year since 1999 and this was the time they had a 1-0 record.
8 ) Shootout win over Cincy – Browns 51, Bengals 45, Sept. 16, 2007 - One week after the season looked more dead than the careers of New Kids on the Block, the Browns pull a NKOB and come together for a big win. DA emerges as the teams quarterback and the offense rides this game to big season, that is until they played in Cincy.
7) The Snow Bowl – Browns 8, Buffalo 0 – Dec. 16, 2007 - It was basically a white out. They couldn’t find the yard lines to spot the ball, you couldn’t see the game for several minutes at a time because of the snow and the wind, but somehow Dawson kicked two field goals, one from 49 yards out that no one thought was possible to make.
6) OT win over seattle – Browns 33, Seahawks 30 (OT), Nov. 4, 2007 - This got a higher rating since I was at the game. Here’s what I wrote about it: “But I can’t say enough about the fans and the atmosphere inside the stadium. Trailing 21-6, no one was discouraged. Upset, yes, but not discouraged. In past years, the stadium would have been half empty by halftime because you knew they weren’t coming back. Not this year. Even down 15, the fans knew the Browns would get back in this game. No one left. The stadium was just as full at 7:00 was it was at 4:00. The cold, the deficient, nothing could make the fans stop cheering this team. And the cheering never stopped. Everyone was up on their feet for all important plays in the second half and no one sat down from the time the 89-yard, 14 play drive that tied the score, started.” And let’s not forget Jamal Lewis’s 4 touchdowns, Kellen Winslow’s 11 catches for 125 yards, the two defensive stops on fourth down and Phil Dawson redeeming his missed extra point with the game winning field goal.
5) First win with “new” Browns – Browns 21, Saints 16, Oct. 31, 1999 – You got to remember this one. The first win for the Brown since coming back to football. Not only is that memorable, but it’s how they win came about. Down 16-14, Tim Couch throws a hail mary that was caught by Kevin Johnson in the front corner of the endzone falling out of bounce. (Couldn’t find a picture of this game.)
4) First win over Steelers – Browns 16, Steelers 15, Nov. 14, 1999 - After getting blowout in the season opener 43-0, a 48-yard field goal by Phil Dawson won the game as time expired. So the Browns can beat the Steelers in their first year of expansion with a bunch of guys who probably didn’t deserve to be in the NFL, but we can’t beat them now that they have a respectable team. Interesting. You know who the Browns leading rusher was in this game? Karim Abdul-Jabbar. No way any remembered that name. And yes, that is him below.
(Side note: The Browns had their bye week on Week 17 in 1999 and 2000, does that make any sense?)
3) The goal line stand – Browns 24, Falcons 16, Dec. 29 - A win meant the playoffs. The Falcons drove to the Browns one-yard line and the Browns stuffed them (three times I think) putting the Browns in the playoffs for the first time in the expansion era.
2) Sunday nighter over the Steelers - Browns 33, Steelers 13, Oct. 5, 2003 - This may be the best game the Browns have played since 1999. On national television, the Browns and Tim Couch ripped apart the Steelers. It is also the last time the Browns have beat Pittsburgh.
1) The Dawson Game – Browns 33, Ravens 30 (OT), Nov. 18, 2007 – I would argue Dawson has been the most important Brown since 1999. This was the game he kicked the game tying, 51-yard field goal that hit the upright and the curved bar (now called Dawson bar) the refs originally ruled no good. Once the right call was made, Dawson, rightfully so, won the game in OT. Also in this game, Sean Jones returned an interceptions 100 yards, the longest in Browns history.
Honorable mention and some memorable losses:
Jaguars 15, Browns 10 , Dec. 16, 2001 – Bottlegate.
Browns 24, Lions 14, Sept. 23, 2001 – Ty Detmer throws seven picks and somehow the Browns only won by 10.
Browns 34, Bengals 17, Oct. 17, 2004 – Jeff Garcia and Andre Davis connect for a 99-yard touchdown.
Browns 21, Jaguars 20, Dec. 8,, 2002 – A win on another hail mary, this time Tim Couch to Quincy “somehow how I caught this but couldn’t catch anything else” Morgan.
Cardinals 27, Browns 21, Dec. 2, 2007 – K2 makes incredible catch on hail mary but was ruled out of bounce dispite being pushed out and still getting one foot in. This end, although not alone, cost the Browns a playoff spot.
Chiefs 39, Browns 37, Sept. 8, 2002 – The Dwayne Rudd game. Classic Browns football.
Steelers 36, Browns 33, Jan. 5, 2003 – The playoff loss; the “blocked field goal but Steelers recovered on third down”; the “not getting out of bounce when we could have kicked a field goal at the end of regulation to win the game”; the “Holcomb throws 3 TD’s and we still can’t win” game.
I remember that first win against the Saints. I was a freshman in college and went screaming and sprinting around my dorm hallway. There was no other Browns fans on the floor and no one else was watching the game. They were ready to put a strait jacket on me. It was about as excited as I have ever been for a sports event. Man, that ‘99 team was horrible.
“Browns 24, Lions 14, Sept. 23, 2001 – Ty Detmer those seven picks and so how the Browns only won by 10.” You’re not going to find grammar like that just anywhere.
What about the “Northcut’s dropped pass on 3rd down that would have given the Browns a first down to possibly run out the clock” to the list from the Steelers playoff loss.
D – what are you talking about? My grammar is perfect.
I was going to let it slide until you did it again but it’s “out of bounds”, not “out of bounce”. Typical Browns fan…ignorant.
The Dwayne Rudd game was awesomely hilarious.
This post disgusted me until I realized that other than these games, there are like 4-5 other wins in the history of the new Browns.
im assuming that bounce=bounds… all three times you wrote it wrong
How terrible is it that the MVP of the last ten years of our football team hands down has to be our kicker?!?!
Man i miss Tim Couch…
Number three would have been my number one, not saying number one wasnt an incredible game, but it got us in the playoffs, and i was there. The atmosphere was fucking incredible. Plus Schutz was in from chicago to go with me. Yes it was three stops and dwayne rudd could throw his helmet all he wanted after his performance on those three plays.
Great post today by the way, you were right when you had something good for me today. (besides your pee pee wrapped in a hot dog bun)
Funny story about that Lions game. It was obviously right after 9/11 and that was the day that we started bombing Afghanistan so the network had the Browns game in a really small corner of the television while most of the screen was the news coverage. One of my roommates called the network bitching about how he could barely see the Browns game and that they should put the game on the main screen.
That’s a die hard Browns fan.
Yeah sorry about the “out of bounce.” I do that all the time. No idea why. Stupidity?
Seal – what does my pee pee wrapped in a hot dog bun have to do w/ anything? I’m confused where that even came from.
D – I agree w/ your roommate. Bombing Afghanistan happens all the time. A Browns win is much more rare.
The Atlanta game was the best. Put them in the playoffs and the place was crazy. Better atmosphere than the Seahawks game. The muni was still going four hours after the game becuase everyone stayed around to watch Favre beat the Jets to clinch a wildcard spot for the Browns.
So, my post yesterday got ignored. Did anyone notice Courtney Brown’s still in the leauge?
Seal with 3 posts in a row? Is he our resident “W” this week?
yeah sorry graig, i thought about that right after it happened… way too W-esque.
GFB – the Atlanta game was higher than the Seattle game and i’m sure if i was at the Atlanta game it would have a chance to be No. 1. But if I remember correctly, the Browns could have loss the game and still made the playoffs because the Jets lost.
I never didn’t Courtney Brown was still in the league. Who’s he play for?
Wow, Seal. G just called you W. That’s funny
And W, if you are out there, your banned can be suspended for one day if you want to comment on the Browns but it will be back in affect tomorrow when we talk college football.
I never didn’t Courtney Brown was still in the league.
that is a quote from your last post… what the fuck does that even mean???!!!
He was on the Dallas sideline on Sunday getting high fives from Jerry Jones.
I’m pretty sure they still needed the Jets to lose. And Browns trivia past 1984 I’m pretty solid on.
Fuck off Seal. You know what that what I meant. I think I’m drunk.
i love you
thats my line Seal.