CLEVELAND — The last time Cleveland won four of its first five games to start a season, Bill Belichick was its head coach. Current Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski hadn’t even entered high school.
With Sunday’s 32-23 victory over the Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland moved to 4-1 for the first time since 1994. The Browns went on to finish 11-5 that year to make the playoffs, defeating New England in the wild-card round. But following a losing season a year later, then-owner Art Modell relocated the franchise to Baltimore and fired Belichick.
Sunday at FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland delivered one of its biggest victories since.
The Browns dominated the first half offensively, then forced Colts quarterback Philip Rivers into a pair of critical mistakes in the second, resulting in nine defensive points.
Indianapolis’ defense entered the weekend ranked No. 1 in the league in fewest yards allowed with 236 per game. Yet even with starting running back Nick Chubb sidelined by a knee injury, Cleveland rolled up 284 yards in the first half alone and scored on all four possessions before halftime, with Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham Jr. propelling both touchdown drives with a series of spectacular receptions.
In the second half, Cleveland’s defense turned it on as Ronnie Harrison Jr. intercepted Rivers for a 47-yard pick-six on the opening possession. Then in the first fourth quarter, Myles Garrett forced Rivers into an intentional grounding from the end zone, giving the Browns a safety and a 29-20 lead.
Cleveland returned to the NFL in 1999 — one year before Belichick took over the Patriots — but has made the playoffs only once since. The Browns currently own the league’s longest active postseason drought at 18 years.