Four weeks ago, after the Browns upset Carolina to move to 2-1, we asked if you were in yet on Monken’s young bunch. With three more wins under the Brownies’ belts since then, the answer is increasingly obvious: oh ya, baby! We nearly packed our room at the Northville Sports Den yesterday for SEMBB’s largest watch party in years. Forty-five Browns Backers, young and old, joined in to witness yet another tight battle in Nashville. Another early touchdown drive surrendered, another timely Denzel Ward interception, another rookie wide receiver balling out, and — most importantly — another late Deshaun Watson-led drive capped by another walk-off field goal and another 27-24 win.
Accenting those patterns was the welcome resurgence of several second-year playmakers — Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, and Harold Fannin, Jr. — in harmony with a fantastic, 152-yard effort by rookie K.C. Concepcion. Better run-pass balance and superb YAC (yards after catch) led to Cleveland highest offensive output of this still-young season and Watson’s first 300-yard passing game in brown and orange. The defense shows some vulnerabilities, but it held fast at a key moment in the second quarter, stopping the three straight plays from their own one-yard line to keep the Titans from regaining a two-touchdown lead. It was the Browns’ third victory this season over QBs drafted first overall.
Congratulations to Laurie Herron, who won the raffle prize: a set of four vintage Browns smoked glass tumblers. Thanks to John Hancock Marshall for the eloquent trip down Browns and SEMBB memory lane as our Backer of the Week. Our weekly trivia prize was an insulated Browns lunch bag, which went to David (apologies for fumbling away your last name!). His correct answer to the following question is shown below:In two straight seasons, the Browns travelled to Tennessee and overcame 14-point fourth-quarter deficits to upset the Titans. Which Browns quarterback threw for over 300 yards and three TDs in each of those victories?
CLUB NOTES
Thanks to the generosity of several of our Backer brethren — including an extraordinary collection that Lee and Denise May donated yesterday — we will now be setting up a table with Browns merchandise for sale, with all proceeds benefiting our club and its chosen charity, Dementia Friendly Services. Next Sunday we’ll be rolling out a unique selection of vintage Browns T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, sweatshirts, and hats, with more items to be added in future weeks. So bring some extra cash to go shopping (and it being 2026, Venmo works too).
Plans for our 20th anniversary celebration on Feb. 7 remain on track, but we need you to make your reservation as soon as possible, and no later than December 1, so that we have room for you to join “Top Dawg” Hanford Dixon and SEMBB loyalists past and present at Slows Bar BQ in downtown Ann Arbor.
WEEK EIGHT PREVIEW
It’s Steelers week! The real test for any aspiring playoff team is to win division games on the road, and Sunday at 1 p.m. will be the Browns’ first chance this year to do so. First place is on the line!
Cleveland has one of the NFL’s youngest rosters, while the other guys, among the league’s graybeards, are returning from Paris to, ugh, Pittsburgh. Will they be fresh enough to protect Aaron Rodgers better than they did a month ago, when five different Browns sacked him? Both teams are stronger on defense than offense, so expect a close-fought, hard-hitting battle of longstanding rivals in which explosive plays and mistakes could have an outsized impact.
Let’s rock the Den again to root on our rising, surprising team. You’re in, right? In addition to our vintage merch sale, the convivial festivities will include a 50/50 raffle for our charity. And please check your couch cushions and car compartments for loose coins to boost our ongoing Change for Charity challenge.
Bark hard, keep the faith, have a great week, and we’ll see you soon.
Brownsgirl (Susan) and Ace Davis (Dave)
https://maybethisyear.com/ P.S. trivia answer: Tim Couch in 2001 and 2002. |