We finally made it, week one of the 2021 Cleveland Browns season is here. Optimism reigns throughout NFL fandom. Fans of all 32 NFL teams believe in the success of their favorite team. On Tuesday morning, if their team lost, fans will tie themselves in knots rationalizing how the loss really doesn’t matter. Cowboy fans this morning, “They took the Super Bowl champs to the final gun and Dak looked great. The team needs to find a kicker.” If Cleveland losses on Sunday to the Chiefs, Browns fans will be doing the same thing, including clutching their pearls about the kicker. You know your team is good if your only worry is about the kicker. Last year the Browns got boat raced by the Ravens in game one and still won eleven games and a playoff game.
This weekend the national talking heads will remind Browns fans that since 1999 the Browns are 1-20-1 in opening games. They’ll tell you the Browns have never beaten a team coached by Andy Reid and Chief’s QB Patrick Mahomes is 10-0 in September with 32 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Some talking heads have reasoned the Browns won’t win this year because the team hasn’t had back to back wining seasons in 32 years. That’s true, but from 1985 to 1989 the Browns were very successful. I count 1985 because even though the Browns finished 8-8 they made the playoffs. I bring up this period in Browns history because the Browns roster was very talented, they had a innovative head coach and a young brash quarterback. Sound familiar? I contend the 2021 Cleveland Browns are more talented then any of those teams.
So what’s going to happen? I have no idea. I do know this should be a great game between two very good teams. I have full confidence in the reigning NFL coach of the year and his staff. The Browns have a top five offense and a lot of new talent on defense. Kansas City is a tough place to play, but the majority of the team already knows that having played their last game in K.C. As for the stats I mentioned earlier, streaks are meant to be broken. Remember each team comes into this game having lost their last game and only one will start the season 1-0. It would be great if it was the Cleveland Browns. If it is, there’ll be some national media types tying themselves in knots rationalizing it really doesn’t matter, it’s just one game, the Browns got lucky, the sun was in Mahomes eyes, I was drunk when I picked the Chiefs to win, I thought KC was playing Cincinnati. Enjoy the games everyone and Go Browns.