Eight-point underdawgs going into Sunday’s battle in Tampa, the Browns earned Todd Monken his first win as an NFL head coach with their 23-19 upset. Bucs QB Baker Mayfield’s grudge match against the team he took to the 2020 playoffs was ruined by a bend-but-don’t-break defense and the resurgence of his expensive successor. The much-maligned Deshaun Watson outplayed him by throwing for two second-half touchdowns and avoiding any costly mistakes. We had 22 Backers on hand at the Northville Sports Dento witness the heroics, at least until the two-minute warning turned into a two-hour warning.
Kudos to the Browns for a solid team effort (aside from a penalty-plagued first quarter and some loose tackling) in rebounding from their Week 1 stinker. Particular credit goes to Watson, rookie WR Denzel Boston for his second long touchdown in two games, and defenders Mason Graham, Myles Harden, and Carson Schwesinger, who (in case you missed the Browns’ last stop after the weather delay) corralled Mayfield on a key third-down scramble.
Congrats to Rich Stradtman, winner of our bi-weekly 50/50 raffle ($40/$40 in this case) to benefit our chosen charity for 2026, Dementia Friendly Services. We’ll continue our “Change for Charity” challenge with the Beer City Browns Backers each week, so please keep bringing your metal money to our watch parties.
And Matt Surella went home with a 1994 Browns Fan & Media Guide by correctly answering the following trivia question: The Buccaneers started last season 2-0 despite trailing in the final minute of both games. The only other team in NFL history to do that was the Cleveland Browns, in which year? (see answer below)
CLUB NOTES
We still have our new club T-shirts in stock, so check out the selection next week, or order them directly from their creator, club member Meredith Degenhardt, at mereditch131@gmail.com or this Google Form.
We’ll soon be reaching out to invite the broader Browns community to our 20th anniversary celebration on Feb. 7 featuring special guest “Top Dawg” Hanford Dixon, among other luminaries. So if you haven’t saved your spot yet, don’t get shut out —please sign up ASAP. To whet your appetite, here’s Dave’s story about our venue, Slows Bar BQ, voted the metro area’s best barbecue by readers of Hour Detroit.
No one has yet claimed the Browns coat and hat someone left at the Den last season. Are they yours? Let us know!
WEEK THREE PREVIEW
The Browns look to even their all-time series against the Carolina Panthers in their 2026 home debut Sunday at 1 p.m. The defending NFC South division champs lost 57-37 to the Bears, then dominated Kevin Stefanski’s Falcons 34-3, so we know they can score points (only Buffalo has more). Come join us at the Den to see if our fledgling offensive line can help Quinshon Judkins establish a rushing attack, if Jared Verse can notch his first sack in brown and orange, and — most importantly — if the Browns can propel themselves to a winning record for the first time since 2023.
We’ll start the festivities with our victory cheer, since the weather delay dispersed us all too soon last week. Our raffle prize will be a limited edition print of a vintage Browns huddle. And we’ll be back in our accustomed room to resume our Backer of the Week introductions.
That’s it for now, so bark hard, keep the faith, have a great week, and we’ll see you soon.
Brownsgirl (Susan) and Ace Davis (Dave)
https://maybethisyear.com/Facebook P.S. trivia answer: 1979, the launch of what became known as the Kardiac Kids! |