Playoffs are off the table, but the Browns will at least have some impressive stats to show for another lost season.
Thursday’s 24-19 upset helped snapped the Steelers’ five-game winning streak, a fate the Baltimore Ravens suffered only five weeks earlier in a 29-24 loss at home.
As a result, the Browns became the first team below .500 since the merger to snap two division rivals’ respective five-game winning streaks in the same season, according to NFL Senior Researcher Tony Holzman-Escareno.
The 2024 Browns are the only team since the 1970 merger to be below .500 and snap two divisional opponents’ 5+ game win streaks in the same season.
The only other teams to do this, regardless of record, were the 1999 Bills, 1992 Colts, and 1991 Cowboys. #DawgPound | @NFLPlus https://t.co/A9Rz7Wm55Q
— Tony Holzman-Escareno (@FrontOfficeNFL) November 22, 2024
Not to be outdone, the Browns also won their seventh straight Thursday Night Football game after Jameis Winston led a last-minute drive capped off with Nick Chubb’s two-yard touchdown run.
In snowy conditions with several contributions from Winston, defensive end Myles Garrett, and wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, Kevin Stefanski told reporters after the game that he had his team ready to play right until the final whistle.
“I told the team last night to be ready to win the game on the last play of the game, that’s just how the AFC North works,” Stefanski said.
The Browns have made a habit of winning night games in the past, particularly at the Dawg Pound.
Thursday’s game was the first of the season, but the Browns won a blowout over the Jets under lights at home late last year and also knocked off both the Steleers and Bengals twice in 2022.
“The team draws energy from night games, it was unique to see it. I stopped looking at pictures on the sidelines because you couldn’t tell. Our guys love playing under lights, in front of these fans, add the snow element – it was really cool,” Stefanski said.
The Browns will play under the lights again next week on Monday Night Football, only this time at Mile High Stadium in Denver. Fittingly, their last night game of the season is also their final home game in Week 17 against the Dolphins.
