Re: NFL 2016-17 II: Playoffs, Super Bowl, and Offseason
#14 - Cleveland Browns
Points: 130.1904
Super Bowl Championships: 0*
NFL Championships: 4** (1950, 1954, 1955, 1964)
Playoff Appearances: 28 (16-20 (0.444))
The Cleveland Browns come in at #14 on this list, the highest of any team to have never won a Super Bowl (let alone appear in one). The Browns joined the upstart All-America Football Conference in the closing days of World War II, and quickly established themselves as a powerhouse, winning all 4 AAFC Championships between 1946-1949. After merging with the NFL following the 1949 season, Cleveland showed that it was truly the best team in professional football, winning the 1950 NFL Championship. The Browns would dominate their new league, advancing to 6 consecutive NFL Championship games between 1950-1955, including back-to-back titles in 1954 and 1955. Cleveland made 5 more trips to the NFL Championship game in the 1950s and 1960s, and won their fourth (and, to date, last) NFL Championship in 1964. Indeed, from 1946-1972, there was perhaps no better franchise in professional football than the Browns. During that stretch, Cleveland had only 1 losing season, went 253-91-10 (0.729),won 18 division titles, appeared in 15 AAFC or NFL Championship Games, and won 8 league titles. Cleveland did not have near the same success in the rest of the 1970s, but rebounded in the 1980s winning 5 more division titles, and advancing to 3 AFC Championship Games in 7 playoff appearances. Unfortunately for the Browns, they were unable to sustain that success into the 1990s, advancing to the playoffs only once before being "deactivated" following the 1995 season.*** Since "reactivating" the franchise in 1999, the Browns have largely struggled. Cleveland has had only 2 winning seasons, and 1 trip to the playoffs, to go along with 14 double-digit loss campaigns. The Browns significant history in the 25 years or so following World War II has them ranked as high as they are, but without a significant turnaround in the years to come, Cleveland will likely struggle to maintain its ranking on this list.
#14 - Cleveland Browns: 130.1904 Points
#15 - Kansas City Chiefs: 110.0519 Points
#16 - Minnesota Vikings: 105.6669 Points
#17 - Philadelphia Eagles: 105.0247 Points
#18 - Baltimore Ravens: 96.1919 Points
#19 - Buffalo Bills: 95.567 Points
#20 - Seattle Seahawks: 87.379 Points
#21 - Detroit Lions: 82.3896 Points
#22 - Tennessee Titans: 78.9047 Points
#23 - Los Angeles Chargers: 68.583 Points
#24 - New York Jets: 57.2376 Points
#25 - New Orleans Saints: 51.8186 Points
#26 - Arizona Cardinals: 49.1015 Points
#27 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 44.2051 Points
#28 - Cincinnati Bengals: 42.3729 Points
#29 - Atlanta Falcons: 40.6032 Points
#30 - Carolina Panthers: 38.3619 Points
#31 - Jacksonville Jaguars: 9.9472 Points
#32 - Houston Texans: 9.4392 Points
*The Cleveland Browns defeated the reigning NFL Champion Philadelphia Eagles 35-10 to begin the 1950 NFL Season in what was dubbed "The World Series of Pro Football" and an early precursor to the Super Bowl.
**The Cleveland Browns won 4 AAFC Championships (1946, 1947, 1948, 1949).
***The NFL considers Art Modell's move of the Browns to Baltimore to be a deactivation of the Cleveland franchise and Baltimore being a new franchise.