The Cleveland Browns have their annual opportunity to end one of the NFL’s most egregious streaks this Sunday when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers.
It is bad enough that the Browns have won just three times in Pittsburgh since 1999, but it’s also been 23 years since the Browns won a regular-season game in Pittsburgh.
Let that sink in for a moment.
Now let’s turn back the clock and relive that October night in 2003 when the Browns took down the Steelers.
Cleveland was circling the drain
in head coach Butch Davis’ last full season with the team. And with quarterback Kelly Holcomb still nursing the “teeny-tiny fracture” in his leg, the Browns were back to starting Tim Couch for the nationally televised game.
Couch opened the scoring by hitting André Davis with a six-yard touchdown pass for an early 7-0 lead. Cleveland pushed the margin to 13 points in the second quarter as Couch hit Kevin Johnson with a 9-yard pass. Couch added a nine-yard touchdown run just before the half to keep the lead at 13.
Cleveland’s defense was energized in the second half, holding the Steelers to just three points, and putting an exclamation point on the evening when Daylon McCutcheon’s 75-yard interception return gave the Browns a comfortable 20-point lead midway through the third quarter.
Phil Dawson would tack on a 22-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to make the final score 33-13.
Couch finished the game 20-of-25 for 208 yards and three combined touchdowns in what turned out to be the last high point of his career. He made eight starts that season, the same as Holcomb, as the Browns followed up a playoff season by finishing 5-11.
Even the most cynical of Browns fans would never have imagined that would be the last time the Browns would walk off the field in Pittsburgh on the right side of the scoreboard in a regular-season game.
This year’s Browns team is better than the 2003 squad; it would be hard to argue otherwise, and Sunday presents an opportunity to back that up with a win.
OK, enough of the history lesson. Let’s get rolling with today’s edition of the Daily Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature
Browns, Steelers injury reports: Positive changes on Thursday (Jared Mueller): The Browns look to be trending in the right direction for Sunday’s game against Pittsburgh.
Browns Jared Verse unafraid to talk trash despite zero sacks; performance questions (Jared Mueller): Verse is fine. Come Sunday, everyone will learn.
AFC North Week 8: 3 reasons the Browns should win, 3 reasons the Steelers should win (Barry Shuck): Looking at Sunday’s key AFC North game from both sides.
Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Week 8 TV Map (Chris Pokorny): You know you want to watch. Here is how to accomplish that goal.
The Feed
If you were running the Browns, would you have tried to top the offer? Strap up and get into The Feed to let everyone know!
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Cleveland Browns
Why Browns, Steelers expect ‘fight to the finish’ in Pittsburgh (Beacon Journal): Would you expect anything different from these two teams?
Denzel Boston doesn’t let mistakes linger, and that’s exactly what the Browns want (cleveland.com): Chin up, shoulders back, and on to the next play!
Browns eye historic breakthrough — ending 23-year regular-season curse in Pittsburgh (The Athletic): This is only the fifth time since 1999 that the Browns and Steelers will play a game with both teams having a winning record.
Jared Verse out to dominate rematch with Steelers: I’m just ready to go put them hands on them (Browns Zone): The stage is set, time to put on a show.
NFL
More than anything else, Bears’ trade for DT Jeffery Simmons says they think QB Caleb Williams has arrived (Chicago Sun-Times): The Bears are apparently going all in.
What the Titans Jeffery Simmons trade says about Cam Ward (Music City Miracles): While in Tennessee, questions linger about their starting quarterback.
Jeffery Simmons traded to Bears: Does dealing multiple first-round picks work? (ESPN): While others raise legitimate questions about the price the Bears paid to acquire Jeffery Simmons.
June Jones, UH football’s winningest coach, dies (Hawaii Star-Advertiser): Former head coach June Jones, who also spent time in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons, passed away at age 73.
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