The Browns of Paul Brown lost the NFL Championship Game three times in Detroit in the 1950s. The modern-day Browns have managed only one victory in Detroit since.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns and NFL analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
DETROIT, MI
Four downs on Browns (1-2) v. Detroit Lions (2-1)
First down: Motown misery.
How is it possible the Browns have won only one game in Detroit in the history of this one-time, white-hot NFL rivalry? It’s true. The Browns are 1-10 in Detroit. That includes three losses to the Lions in the NFL Championship Game – the Super Bowl of the 1950s. The Lions coached by Buddy Parker were Paul Brown’s nemesis. Brown’s dynasty teams faced the Lions seven times in the 1950s. The Browns won once – a 56-10 triumph in the 1954 NFL Championship in Cleveland. It was small consolation for Brown. The Lions denied the Browns the NFL Championship in 1952, 1953 and 1957. The Detroit hex continued long after both teams fell on hard times. The only Cleveland victory in Detroit came in 1983 when the last remnants of Sam Rutigliano’s Kardiac Kids outlasted the Lions, 31-26, behind Brian Sipe’s four touchdown passes. And you thought the Browns’ worst places to win were Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Denver. Nope. It’s Detroit.
Second down: A battle of ideologies.
The Lions’ run game is awesome, of course. Led by Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery, the Lions are ranked fourth in rushing with 149 yards a game. Both backs found the end zone twice against the Ravens. When Lions offensive coordinator John Morton was questioned about the Browns’ No. 1-ranked run defense, which is limiting three opponents to 57.3 yards a game, he shrugged, “I don’t think they’ve seen a run game like ours yet.” Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz bit his lip to avoid trading barbs. Myles Garrett weighed in on the singular matchup of this game at his weekly podium appearance on Friday in the locker room. “He’s entitled to say what he wants,” Garrett said of Morton. “We have the pillars to see who’s right, and I think it’ll be a battle of ideologies, and I think our DC also had some things he said, and we have to be the ones to put it into action and so we have to meet and see who’s right. They want to run the ball as much as possible and we love stopping the run.”
Third down: Pedal to the metal.
The Lions are coming off offensive games of 52 points against the Bears and 38 against the Ravens. They’re No. 2 in scoring at 34.3 points a game. So how does that explosive offense affect the way the Browns’ game-plan and call the game offensively? “Yeah, it’s a great question,” offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said. “They’ve been a fun offense to watch for years now. They have playmakers all over the field. They do a great job of getting the ball in those guys’ hands and allowing them to be really good players. I think offensively you’re conscious of what’s going on, on the other side, but we know regardless of who we’re playing offensively, we still have to execute and do our job.” What about Joe Flacco, quarterback/author of a 15.3-points per game offense? Does the Lions’ offense add to pressure on him to score? “When you get into that world about worrying about the other side of the ball, then you just do your whole team a disservice,” Flacco said. “That’s for Jim [Schwartz] and Myles and Denzel and all those guys to worry about, and they’ve been doing a really good job this year.”
Fourth down: No premature celebrations, please.
Lions coach Dan Campbell hates to punt. Or, he loves to go for it on fourth down. No team has attempted more fourth-down plays than the Lions since Campbell took over as coach in 2021 – 159. The Browns are second, by the way, with 155. Detroit’s 91 conversions (57.2%) rank first in that time; the Browns have 81 (52.3%). “Usually you give up eight yards and punt team is coming off the field, right? These guys, it’s not the case,” Schwartz said. “And it’s not just in the plus territory. I mean, the NFL is trended toward a lot of teams going for it on fourth down in plus territory [past midfield]. These guys will go for it in their own territory. They’ll go for it midfield, they’ll go for a little bit longer for it, fourth downs. So just knowing that going in, it layers your calls just a little bit different. It really doesn’t change our attitude with the play. But, you know, maybe what you’re willing to give up on a third down might not be the same this week as in other weeks.” So, don’t celebrate a third-down stop? “Definitely got to have quick celebrations,” cornerback Denzel Ward said. “Just gotta stay locked in knowing they could go for it no matter where on the field.”
The pick: Lions 20, Browns 17.
My record: 0-3.