Cleveland Browns

11 in a row: Browns continue opening day misery

Published Sep. 13, 2015 9:58 p.m. ET

foxsports

Week 1 has become an exercise in futility for the Cleveland Browns, regardless of the head coach, quarterback or owner.

The Browns made it 11 straight openers in the loss column Sunday with a 31-10 setback against the New York Jets. Browns fans started off with a glimmer of hope as new starting quarterback Josh McCown marched the offense down the field 90 yards on the team's opening drive, only to fumble the ball away while diving for the goal line. Adding insult to injury, McCown suffered a concussion on the play and was lost for the game.

Backup quarterback Johnny Manziel came on in relief and staked the Browns to a 7-0 lead with a long scoring strike to Travis Benjamin, but then turnovers reared their ugly head, even when they got a turnover of their own. When Tashaun Gipson had the ball wrestled away from him by Jets receiver Brandon Marshall after his interception of Ryan Fitzpatrick, the Dawg Pound knew what was coming, even if Cleveland still had a 7-0 lead.

Sure enough, the Jets found the end zone two plays later, and before you know it were leading 31-10 after two more Manziel turnovers.

The Browns now stand at 1-16 on opening day since re-entering the league in 1999. Their last Week 1 win came in 2004 against the Baltimore Ravens under Butch Davis, who resigned 10 games later with a 3-8 record. Davis is one of seven head coaches that have lost openers in Cleveland since 1999.