The Cleveland Browns' fanbase is quite familiar with the term "misery". Since the team's return in 1999, the Browns have had 40 different starting quarterbacks and only four winning seasons. In addition to the organization's struggles, they recently had two consecutive seasons with a combined record of 1-31 back in 2016 and 2017.
Despite having a better record than the 2016 and 2017 teams, Browns' star defensive end Myles Garrett told reporters that he thought this season was more disappointing due to the expectations heading into this year.
"It's probably a more disappointing season because of what we expected out of ourselves."Myles Garrett
So, where does this season rank on the all-time misery index for the Cleveland Browns?
Heading into the 2024-25 season, many fans and media members expected the Browns to be a competitive team after making it to the playoffs with backup quarterback Joe Flacco in the prior season. Cleveland returned a majority of the key defensive players from the pervious season, and franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson was finally healthy.
However, this quickly changed in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. Watson played one of his worst games of his career, as he completed a measly 24-of-45 passing attempts for 169 yards and two interceptions. The brutal 33-17 loss at home foreshadowed what was to come for the remainder of the season.
After a Week 2 victory on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Browns proceeded to los five-straight games, which included Watson's season-ending injury in Week 7 against the Cincinnati Bengals. But, there was hope for the struggling franchise.
Backup quarterback Jameis Winston rejuvenated the fanbase the next week after throwing for 344 yards and three touchdowns in the Browns' 29-24 victory against the Baltimore Ravens. Fans across the league fell in love with Winston's passion for the game of football and the city of Cleveland.
The mid-season surge from Winston quickly ended, as the veteran quarterback won only one of the next four games he started for the Browns. After a painful offensive performance against the Kansas City Chiefs at home in Week 15, Cleveland would start second-year quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Bailey Zappe for the finale three games of the season.
With expectations of a potential playoff run this season, this year was gut-wrenching for the Cleveland Browns' passionate fanbase.
