Team Spirit author Mark Stewart talks about the OVERTIME web page.

Mark picks his favorite Browns

What’s new with the Cleveland Browns? That’s what this page is all about.

The Team Spirit OVERTIME website begins where the Team Spirit books end.

That’s because football never stands still … And I can never squeeze everything I want into 48 pages!

Scroll down for team updates, player profiles, and stats you won’t find in the book. Click on the videos to the left to hear me talk about Team Spirit OVERTIME as well as my favorite players. And take a look below at some of the Browns collectibles I have in my home—pretty cool, right?

Enjoy this site, check back whenever you like, and contact me with any questions or comments.

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Updates

2022 Season

2022 Season Roundup: The Browns drove their fans crazy much of the year, looking good one week and terrible the next. Cleveland won back-to-back games only once and finished with a 7–10 record. Jacoby Brissett began the year at QB and was replaced by Deshaun Watson, who came off the suspended list. Neither passer was all that impressive. As in years past, the offense was powered by running back Nick Chubb, who powered for 1.525 yards and a dozen touchdowns. Receiver Amari Cooper caught 78 passes and also topped 1,000 yards. Myles Garrett was the standout on defense, matching his 16 sacks in 2021 with 16 more in 2022.

2022 Season Preview: Cleveland’s new quarterback, DeShaun Watson, was slapped with a long suspension for his behavior off the field. When he returns, will the Browns even have a chance to make the playoffs? That will depend on Nick Chubb, the power runner who punishes enemy tacklers, and the Cleveland defense, which stars Myles Garrett and looks terrific again heading into 2022. While some fans are predicting a gloomy 7–10 season for the Browns, others are seeing the flip-side, believing they might finish 10–7 and stay in the playoff hunt right to the end.

2021 Season

2021 Season Roundup: The Browns started well but struggled in the second half, when they played some very tough teams. QB Baker Mayfield did not improve as many experts predicted he would, but running back Nick Chubb had another excellent season. That was not enough to balance things out, as injuries to Cleveland’s receivers created problems all season long. Cleveland’s defense was usually very good, thanks to pass rushers Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney, and young cornerback Denzel Ward.

2021 Season Preview: If Cleveland can survive the rock-hard AFC North, anything is possible once the playoffs begin. On paper, the Browns have the most talent in the division—including superstars Odell Beckham Jr., Nick Chubb, Myles Garrett, and a big, fast offensive line—and some talented rookies waiting in the wings. If Baker Mayfield continues to improve at quarterback, the team will not only win its first division title since 1989, it could make its first-ever trip to the Super Bowl.

2020 Season

2020 Season Roundup: The Browns rewarded their long-suffering fans with an 11–5 record and a playoff win over the Steelers. They almost pulled out a victory over the Chiefs the following week. The season will be remembered as the Baker Mayfield Show. He threw for 3,563 yards and 26 touchdowns with only eight interceptions. Running back Nick Chubb had another 1,000-yard season and Jarvis Landry led Cleveland with 72 receptions. Lineman Myles Garrett had a career year and was the star of the Browns’ defense.

November 29, 2020: Callie Brownson stepped in as tight ends coach for a game against the Jaguars. She was the first woman in NFL history to serve as a position coach.

October 29, 2020: Defensive end Miles Garrett was named AFC Defensive Player of the Month. He had 6 sacks, 14 tackles, and forced two fumbles in four games. The Browns went 3–1 during the month.

October 25, 2020: The Browns beat the Bengals 37–34 in a game that featured one of the most exciting 4th quarters in history. During the final 15 minutes of a see-saw battle, young QB’s Baker Mayfield and Joe Burrow combined for 5 go-ahead touchdown passes. It was the first time in NFL history that had happened.

2020 Season Preview: The Browns are good enough to win the AFC North thanks to the improving play of Baker Mayfield, their young quarterback. Cleveland has given Mayfield better blockers and a sure-handed tight end, Austin Hooper. This should open things up for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. On defense, the Browns have lots of talent, but must play together as unit if they hope to make it to double-digit wins.

2019 Season

2019 Season Roundup: The Browns went 6–10 thanks to a solid defense and the running skills of Nick Chubb, who rushed for 1,494 yards. Odell Beckham Jr. caught 72 passes, but was double-teamed most games and also played through injuries. Quarterback Baker Mayfield had a good second season as a pro, but Cleveland fans expected much, much more.

September 29, 2019: Nick Chubb rushed for 165 yards and 3 touchdowns—including an 88-yard run. Combined with last season’s 92-yard run, Chubb is just the third player in history with TD runs of 85 yards or more in his first two seasons.

2019 Season Preview: Cleveland fans are expected to watch a playoff team in 2019—that would be a first since 2002. Baker Mayfield showed that he was the real deal as a rookie and this year he will be throwing to Kareem Hunt and Odell Beckham. Nick Chubb could have a breakout year at running back. The Browns defense features linemen known for giving quarterbacks fits: Olivier Vernon, Sheldon Richardson, and Myles Garrett.

2018 Season

2018 Season Roundup: After years of disappointment, Cleveland fans had plenty to cheer about in 2018. Rookie Baker Mayfield was one of the best young quarterbacks in the league, and the Browns made big plays in close games down the stretch. The team hired coach Gregg Williams after winning just twice in the first half of the season, and he helped turn things around in the final eight games.

December 23, 2018: Baker Mayfield threw three TD passes in a victory over the Bengals and was named Offensive Player of the Week. He was also named Rookie of the Week for the sixth time in 2018.

2018 Season Preview: After a winless campaign in 2017, the Browns have nowhere to go but up. Six wins are not out of the question, but it may be a few more years before they see any postseason action. With #1 pick Baker Mayfield and receiver Jarvis Landry, Cleveland has the makings of a good offense. The defense will need to catch up quickly.

April 12, 2018: The Browns made Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield the #1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

2017 Season

2017 Season Roundup: Every team wants to make history during the season, but not the kind the Browns made in 2017. They became just the second NFL club to go 0–16. Duke Johnson caught 74 balls out of the backfield and Miles Garrett led the team with 7 sacks. Cleveland fans are hoping the Browns find a new leader with the #1 pick in the 2018 draft.

2017 Season Preview: Cleveland is building a talented team through the draft, but the Browns—who won just one game in 2016—will almost certainly fall short of the postseason in 2017. The rookies who could make a difference include tight end David Njoku and pass rusher Myles Garrett.

2016 Season

2016 Season Roundup: Cleveland fans sat through a dreadful season, as the young Browns lost all but one game. Five of their 15 defeats came in games they probably should have won. The lone bright spots on the offense were Isaiah Crowell, who ran for 952 yards and seven touchdowns, and receiver Terrelle Pryor, who caught 77 passes.

2016 Season Preview: Young stars Duke Coleman and Corey Coleman should give a boost to the offense, but uncertainty at the quarterback position might keep the Browns out of the playoff picture. There is more talent on the defensive side of the ball, with a young unit that came of age in the second half 2015. If they take another step forward in 2016, things could get very interesting in the AFC North.

2015 Season

September 20, 2015: Travis Benjamin became the third player in history to score three TD’s of 50 yards or more in the same game.

2015 Season Preview: The Browns have built their team around an excellent offensive line and rugged defense. That should be enough to keep them in games. Who will win them? That’s the question. Cleveland fans are still waiting for a quarterback to step up and become a leader.

2014 Season

September 2, 2014: All of the excitement in Cleveland for 2014 surrounds rookie quarterback Johnny Manziel. However, the Browns’ defense is more likely to be a difference-maker this season. It should give division rivals Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Baltimore headaches all year. Whoever handles the ball for Cleveland will enjoy the security of one of the AFC’s best blocking groups, starring Joe Thomas, Alex Mack, and rookie Joel Bitonio.

2013 Season

December 9, 2013: Josh Gordon set an NFL record with 774 receiving yards over a four-game span. He broke the record set earlier in the season by Calvin Johnson of the Lions, who had 746. Gordon went on to lead the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards.

September 4, 2013: The 2013 Browns are in rebuilding mode, from their coach to their quarterback to their front office. The team has good, young talent—including receivers Greg Little and Josh Gordon—so opponents won’t be able to relax on defense. Cleveland’s own defense may be a work in progress, with a lot of players having to learn new roles. The fans should have fun watching rookie Barkevious Mingo go after enemy quarterbacks.

2012 Roundup

February 2, 2013: Five straight losses to begin the year killed any chance the Browns had of a winning season. But 5 wins in their next 8 gave Cleveland fans hope for the future. Kicker Phil Dawson scored 116 points and made the Pro Bowl, while rookie Brandon Weeden held his own as the team’s new quarterback.

Summer, 2012: Cleveland has a difficult schedule in 2012, especially on the road. To survive in the AFC North, they will need big contributions from their

More Go-To Guys

Ray Renfro’s son, Mike, caught what looked like the winning passing in the 1979 AFC Championship. The officials ruled him out of bounds but replays showed the catch was good. That’s what started the use of instant replay in the NFL. (Bowman Gum Co.)

Don Colo played college ball for Brown University and then played for the NFL’s version of “Brown University” in Cleveland! (Topps, Inc.)

Mack Truck! Wow what a runner. One year he and Earnest Byner both ran for 1,000 yards. (NFL Pro Set)

  • Mac Speedie — End
    Born 1/12/1920
    Died: 3/12/1993
    Played for Team: 1946 to 1952
    Coach Paul Brown discovered Mac Speedie while he was playing for a football team in the army. Brown quickly signed Speedie and made him the centerpiece of the Cleveland passing attack. Speedie was named All-Pro each season from 1947 to 1949. He once caught a 99-yard touchdown pass.

  • Ray Renfro — Running Back/Receiver
    Born: 11/7/1929
    Died: 8/4/1997
    Played for Team: 1952 to 1963
    After Mac Speedie retired, Ray Renfro became Cleveland’s most dangerous receiver. He averaged nearly 20 yards per catch for his career. Renfro played in the Pro Bowl three times. His son, Mike, was also an NFL star.

  • Len Ford — Defensive Lineman
    Born: 2/18/1926
    Died: 3/13/1972
    Played for Team: 1950 to 1957
    Len Ford started his NFL career as a receiver. After joining the Browns in 1950, he moved to right defensive end. Ford used his speed and power to become a devastating pass-rusher. He was voted All-Pro four years in a row starting in 1951. Ford recovered 20 fumbles during his career.

  • Don Colo — Defensive Lineman
    Born: 1/5/1925
    Played for Team: 1953 to 1958
    Don Colo bounced around the NFL for three years before finding a home in Cleveland. With the Browns, he helped form one of the league’s top defenses.

  • Leroy Kelly — Running Back
    Born: 5/20/1942
    Played for Team: 1964 to 1973
    Few fans had heard of Leroy Kelly when the Browns drafted him in 1964. In his first two seasons, Cleveland used him to return punts and kickoffs. When Jim Brown retired after the 1965 season, Kelly got his chance to start at running back. He rushed for more than 3,500 yards and 42 touchdowns over the next three years.

  • Kevin Mack — Running Back
    Born: 8/9/1962
    Played for Team: 1985 to 1993
    Kevin Mack was one of the league’s toughest rushers. He preferred to run through opponents instead of around them. Mack was also a great lead blocker for teammate Earnest Byner. In 1985, both players rushed for more than 1,000 yards.

More Fun Facts

Otto Graham was very good about signing photos before he died in 2003. (Author’s Collection)

  • ALL HAIL TIM
    In 1999 and again in 2002, Tim Couch won games for the Browns with two long “Hail Mary” passes. He is the only quarterback in history to throw two game-winning passes of 50 yards or more with no time left on the clock.

  • TOTAL TEAM EFFORT
    Cleveland’s 56–10 victory over the Detroit Lions in the 1954 title game might have been the greatest performance ever by a team playing for the NFL championship. The Browns intercepted six passes by Hall of Famer Bobby Layne and forced three fumbles. Meanwhile, Otto Graham threw for three touchdowns and ran for three more. Afterwards, Detroit’s coach, Buddy Parker, said, “I saw it, but still hardly can believe it.”

  • BROWN OUT
    How good was Jim Brown when he entered the NFL? In his second season, Brown led the league with 1,527 rushing yards. No other player had 800 yards that season.

League Leaders

I don’t remember Jim Brown very well, but boy do I remember Leroy Kelly. He went through defenses like a hot knife through butter! (Author’s Collection)

And for the record, it was always “Jimmy Brown” when I was a kid. I guess he preferred “Jim” because when he was an actor he went by that name. (Macfadden Publications)

Football Digest gave out an NFL Quarterback of the Year award from 1973 to 1988. Brian Sipe was the winner in 1980. (Century Sports Publishing)

  • RUSHING YARDS
    1948 — Marion Motley — 964
    1950 — Marion Motley — 810
    1957 — Jim Brown — 942
    1958 — Jim Brown — 1,527
    1959 — Jim Brown — 1,329
    1960 — Jim Brown — 1,257
    1961 — Jim Brown — 1,408
    1963 — Jim Brown — 1,863
    1964 — Jim Brown — 1,446
    1965 — Jim Brown — 1,544
    1967 — Leroy Kelly — 1,205

  • RECEIVING YARDS
    1947 — Mac Speedie — 1,146
    1949 — Mac Speedie — 1,028
    2013 — Josh Gordon — 1,646

  • PASSING YARDS
    1948 — Otto Graham — 2,713
    1949 — Otto Graham — 2,785
    1952 — Otto Graham — 2,816
    1953 — Otto Graham — 2,722

  • RUSHING TDs
    1959 — Jim Brown — 14
    1958 — Jim Brown — 17
    1963 — Jim Brown — 12
    1965 — Jim Brown — 17
    1966 — Leroy Kelly — 15
    1967 — Leroy Kelly — 11
    1968 — Leroy Kelly — 16

  • RECEIVING TDs
    1963 — Gary Collins — 13 (tied for NFL lead)
    1968 — Paul Warfield — 12

  • PASSING TDs
    1946 — Otto Graham — 17 (tied for NFL lead)
    1947 — Otto Graham — 25 (tied for NFL lead)
    1952 — Otto Graham — 20 (tied for NFL lead)
    1964 — Frank Ryan — 25
    1966 — Frank Ryan — 30
    1979 — Brian Sipe — 28 (tied for NFL lead)

  • POINTS
    1958 — Jim Brown — 108
    1968 — Leroy Kelly — 120

  • INTERCEPTIONS
    1946 — Tom Colella — 10
    1978 — Thom Darden — 10
    1989 — Felix Wright — 9
    1994 — Eric Turner — 9 (tied for NFL lead)
    2001 — Anthony Henry — 10 (tied for NFL lead)

  • SACKS
    No Brown has led the league in sacks.

Playing for the Championship

SEASON GAME OPPONENT SCORE
1946 AAFC Championship New York Yankees Won 14–9
1947 AAFC Championship New York Yankees Won 14–3
1948 AAFC Championship Buffalo Bills* Won 49–7
1949 AAFC Championship San Francisco 49ers Won 21–7
1950 NFL Championship Los Angeles Rams Won 30–28
1951 NFL Championship Los Angeles Rams Lost 24–17
1952 NFL Championship Detroit Lions Lost 17–7
1953 NFL Championship Detroit Lions Lost 17–16
1954 NFL Championship Detroit Lions Won 56–10
1955 NFL Championship Los Angeles Rams Won 38–14
1957 NFL Championship Detroit Lions Lost 59–14
1964 NFL Championship Baltimore Colts Won 27–0
1965 NFL Championship Green Bay Packers Save Lost 23–12
1968 NFL Championship Baltimore Colts Lost 34–0
1969 NFL Championship Minnesota Vikings Lost 27–7
1986 AFC Championship Denver Broncos L 23–20 (OT)
1987 AFC Championship Denver Broncos Lost 38–33
1989 AFC Championship Denver Broncos Lost 37–21

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