Editing Cleveland Browns (section)

==Rivalries==
The Browns have rivalries with all three of their [[AFC North]] opponents. In addition, the team has had historical rivalries with the [[Denver Broncos]], [[Detroit Lions]], [[San Francisco 49ers]], and [[Tennessee Titans|Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans]].

===Divisional rivalries===

====Pittsburgh Steelers====
{{main|Browns–Steelers rivalry}}
Often called the "Turnpike Rivalry",<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2007 |title=Steelers To Take On Browns For First Place In The AFC North |url=http://kdka.com/local/Steelers.Browns.rivalry.2.564970.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071130024350/http://kdka.com/local/Steelers.Browns.rivalry.2.564970.html |archive-date=November 30, 2007 |access-date=June 2, 2013 |website=KDKA|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> the Browns' biggest rival has long been the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]]. Former Browns owner [[Art Modell]] scheduled home games against the Steelers on Saturday nights from 1964 to 1970 to help fuel the rivalry. The rivalry has also been fueled by the proximity of the two teams, number of championships both teams have won, players and personnel having played and/or coached for both sides, and personal bitterness. The teams have played twice annually since 1950, making it the oldest rivalry in the [[American Football Conference|AFC]] and the fifth-oldest rivalry in the NFL. Though the Browns dominated this rivalry early in the series (winning the first eight meetings and posting a 31–9 record in the 1950s and 1960s), the Steelers went 15–5 in the 1970s and 36–9–1 since the Browns returned to the league in 1999. The Steelers have been particularly dominant in Pittsburgh, posting a 44–7 record when hosting the Browns since 1970, including to winning streaks of 16 games (1970–85) and 17 games (2004–20).

The Steelers currently hold a 79–61–1 lead.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Cleveland Browns vs. Pittsburgh Steelers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=cle&tm2=pit&yr=all |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The Browns and Steelers met in the [[NFL playoffs|playoffs]] in {{nfly|1994}}, {{nfly|2002}}, and [[2020 NFL season|2020]], with the Steelers holding a 2–1 lead in the postseason series. Though the rivalry has cooled in Pittsburgh due to the Modell move as well as the Browns' poor play since 1999, the Steelers still remain the top rival for Cleveland.

====Cincinnati Bengals====
{{main|Bengals–Browns rivalry}}

Originally conceived due to the personal animosity between [[Paul Brown]] and [[Art Modell]], the "Battle of Ohio" between the Browns and the [[Cincinnati Bengals]] has been fueled by the sociocultural differences between [[Cincinnati]] and Cleveland, a shared history between the two teams, and similar team colors, as Brown used the exact shade of orange for the Bengals that he used for the Browns. (Though this has changed since then, as the Bengals now use a brighter shade of orange.) Modell, in fact, moved the Browns to the AFC after the [[AFL–NFL merger]] in order to have a rivalry with the Bengals. The rivalry has also produced two of the eleven highest-scoring games in NFL history. Cincinnati has the all-time edge 52–48. While the Bengals have a 28–21 edge since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, this series has been more competitive than the Browns' series with their other division rivals, and the Browns have won 9 of the last 11 meetings.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Cleveland Browns vs. Cincinnati Bengals |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=cle&tm2=cin&yr=all |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

====Baltimore Ravens====
{{main|Browns–Ravens rivalry}}
Created as a result of the [[Cleveland Browns relocation controversy|Browns' relocation controversy]], the rivalry between the Browns and [[Baltimore Ravens]] was more directed at Art Modell than the team itself, and is simply considered a divisional game in Baltimore. This matchup is more bitter for Cleveland than the others due to the fact that the draft picks for 1995 to 1998 resulted in the rosters that won the [[Super Bowl XXXV|Super Bowl]] for the Ravens in 2000. Had Modell not moved the team, these teams, drafted by general manager and former Browns tight end [[Ozzie Newsome]], might have given the Browns a title after a 35-year drought.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rav/|title=Baltimore Ravens Team Encyclopedia|website=[[Pro Football Reference]]|access-date=December 30, 2010|archive-date=October 24, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024144120/https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/rav/|url-status=live}}</ref> As of the 2023 season, the Ravens lead the overall series 36–14.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=cle&tm2=rav&yr=all |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref> The two teams have not met in the playoffs.

===Other rivalries===

====Detroit Lions====
The Browns' rivalry with the [[Detroit Lions]] began in the 1950s, when the Browns and Lions played each other in four NFL Championship Games. The Lions won three of those championships, while the Browns won one. This was arguably one of the NFL's best rivalries in the 1950s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shuck |first=Barry |date=November 19, 2021 |title=Origins of the "Great Lakes Classic" between the Browns and Lions |url=https://www.dawgsbynature.com/2021/11/19/22731360/origins-of-the-great-lakes-classic-between-the-browns-and-lions |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=Dawgs By Nature}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Buttar |first=Simmi |date=October 17, 2019 |title=Browns and Lions stood tall in 1950s |url=https://www.paducahsun.com/sports/general/browns-and-lions-stood-tall-in-1950s/article_7ce6e480-b041-59ff-9cb2-4f6772aa7b2d.html |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=The Paducah Sun}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Payton |first=Mike |date=November 18, 2021 |title=The history of Detroit Lions vs. Cleveland Browns |url=https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021/11/18/22788527/detroit-lions-cleveland-browns-history-rivalry-games-record |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=Pride Of Detroit}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=October 11, 2019 |title=A look at the NFL in the fabulous 1950s |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/10/11/a-look-at-the-nfl-in-the-fabulous-1950s/40301077/ |access-date=June 2, 2022 |website=USA TODAY|agency=Associated Press}}</ref> Since the NFL-AFL merger of 1970, the teams have met much less frequently with the Browns' move to the AFC. From 2002 to 2014, the two teams played an annual preseason game known as the "Great Lakes Classic".<ref name="The Great Lakes Classic">{{cite news|url=http://www.morningjournal.com/articles/2009/11/22/sports/mj1925578.txt|title=Great Lakes Classic has lacked luster since its beginning|date=November 22, 2009|access-date=March 21, 2009|author=Schudel, Jeff|publisher=[[The Morning Journal]]|archive-date=September 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150903214811/http://www.morningjournal.com/general-news/20091122/great-lakes-classic-has-lacked-luster-since-its-beginning|url-status=live}}</ref> As of the 2023 season, the Lions lead the all-time series 19–6.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Cleveland Browns vs. Detroit Lions |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=cle&tm2=det&yr=all |access-date=2024-08-13 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

====Denver Broncos====
{{see also|The Drive (American football)|The Fumble}}
The Browns had a brief rivalry with the [[Denver Broncos]] that arose from three AFC Championship Games from 1986 to 1989. In the 1986 AFC Championship, quarterback John Elway led [[The Drive (American football)|The Drive]] to secure a tie in the waning moments at Cleveland Municipal Stadium; the Broncos went on to win in 23–20 in overtime. One year later, the two teams met again in the [[1986–87 NFL playoffs|1987 AFC Championship game]] at Mile High Stadium. Denver took a 21–3 lead, but Browns' quarterback Bernie Kosar threw four touchdown passes to tie the game at 31–31 halfway through the 4th quarter. After a long drive, John Elway threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to running back Sammy Winder to give Denver a 38–31 lead. Cleveland advanced to Denver's 8-yard line with 1:12 left, but Broncos' safety Jeremiah Castille stripped Browns' running back Earnest Byner of the football at the 2-yard line—a play that has been called [[The Fumble]] by Browns' fans. The Broncos recovered it, gave Cleveland an intentional safety, and went on to win 38–33. The two teams met yet again in the 1989 AFC Championship at Mile High Stadium, which the Broncos easily won by a score of 37–21.

This short-lived rivalry also featured a controversial 16–13 Browns' win at [[Cleveland Municipal Stadium]] in the 1989 regular season. The game was decided by a [[Matt Bahr]] 48-yard field goal as time expired - a kick that barely cleared the crossbar. Bahr's field goal came after referee [[Tom Dooley (American football)|Tom Dooley]] ordered the teams to switch ends of the field midway through the 4th quarter, thanks to rowdy [[Dawg Pound]] fans who pelted the Broncos with dog biscuits, eggs and other debris.  The switch gave the Browns a small, timely wind advantage to finish the game.

More recently, the rivalry has cooled off as the Broncos won 11 straight meetings from 1991 to 2015 before Cleveland broke that streak with a narrow 17–16 win in {{nfly|2018}}. As of the 2023 season, Denver leads the overall series, 25–7.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=cle&tm2=den&yr=all |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

====San Francisco 49ers====
The most competitive team in the AAFC era for the Browns was the [[San Francisco 49ers]]. San Francisco finished second to the Browns in each of the four seasons that the league played. Two of the Browns' four losses in that era were to the 49ers (including a loss that ended the Browns' [[1949 Cleveland Browns season|29-game unbeaten streak]]); the rivalry did not last into the NFL years, particularly after the teams were placed in opposite conferences in {{nfly|1970}}. The rivalry has turned into a friendly relationship as many 49ers personnel helped the Browns relaunch in 1999, specifically former 49ers president and CEO [[Carmen Policy]] and vice president/director of football operations [[Dwight Clark]], who were hired by the expansion Browns in the same roles. In addition, 49ers owners [[John York]] and [[Denise DeBartolo York]] reside in [[Youngstown, Ohio|Youngstown]], {{convert|60|mi}} southeast of Cleveland. Long-time Browns placekicker and fan favorite [[Phil Dawson]] and backup quarterback [[Colt McCoy]] signed with the 49ers in 2014. As of the 2023 season, the Browns lead the all-time series 20–10.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Cleveland Browns vs. San Francisco 49ers |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=cle&tm2=sfo&yr=all |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

====Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans====
The Browns' rivalry with the [[Houston Oilers]]/[[Tennessee Titans]] dates back to the Browns and then-Oilers being placed in the AFC Central after the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.  As such, the teams played each other twice annually from 1970 until 2002 when divisional realignment placed the Browns in the AFC North and the now-Titans in the AFC South (excluding 1996-98 when the Browns were inactive). The teams have met much less frequently since 2002.  The Browns lead the overall series 37–32, and the 69 meetings with the Oilers/Titans are the third-most of any Cleveland opponent, trailing only the Steelers and Bengals.<ref>{{Cite web |title=All Matchups, Cleveland Browns vs. Houston Oilers/Tennessee Oilers/Tennessee Titans |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/game_query.cgi?tm1=cle&tm2=oti&yr=all |access-date=2024-08-04 |website=[[Pro Football Reference]] |language=en}}</ref>

The height of this rivalry was during the 1980s. Oilers head coach [[Jerry Glanville]] and [[Marty Schottenheimer]] shared several bitter exchanges during the decade and the Browns and Oilers had their only playoff meeting in the [[1988–89 NFL playoffs#AFC: Houston Oilers 24, Cleveland Browns 23|1988 Wild Card Round]], in which the Oilers came away with a narrow 24–23 victory. There have been a few memorable games in recent years. In {{nfly|2014}}, the Browns erased a 28–3 deficit to come away with a 29–28 win. In a December {{nfly|2020}} contest with playoff implications for both teams, the Browns jumped to a 38–7 halftime lead, setting a franchise record for points in the first half.  However, Tennessee rallied in the second half but came up just short as the Browns hung on for a 41–35 win.