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Feb. 12, 2008
Overview: Picked to finish last in the AFC North, the Browns didn’t disappoint in Week One, falling 34-7 to Pittsburgh. In the aftermath, QB Charlie Frye was traded to Seattle, and Derek Anderson was installed as the starter. From then on, the Browns were a different team, winning two-thirds of their games the rest of the way to finish with a 10-6 record, their best mark since returning to Cleveland in 1999.
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Date
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Opponent
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Spread
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Result
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09/09/07
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Pittsburgh
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+4½
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7-34
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09/16/07
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Cincinnati
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+7
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51-45
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09/23/07
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at Oakland
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+3
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24-26
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09/30/07
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Baltimore
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+3½
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27-13
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10/07/07
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at New England
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+15½
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17-34
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10/14/07
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Miami
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-4
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41-31
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BYE WEEK
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10/28/07
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at St. Louis
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-3
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27-20
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11/04/07
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Seattle
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-1
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33-30 (OT)
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11/11/07
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at Pittsburgh
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+10
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28-31
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11/18/07
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at Baltimore
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-1½
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33-30 (OT)
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11/25/07
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Houston
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-3½
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27-17
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12/02/07
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at Arizona
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+1
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21-27
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12/09/07
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at NY Jets
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-3
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24-18
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12/16/07
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Buffalo
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-4½
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8-0
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12/23/07
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at Cincinnati
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-3
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14-19
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12/30/07
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San Francisco
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-11½
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20-7
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Team MVP: WR Braylon Edwards’ 16 TD catches set a club record. Of NFL receivers with 60 or more catches, only Terrell Owens racked up more yards per catch. In short, Edwards was the epitome of the big-play receiver. If you wanted to make a case for Anderson or TE Kellen Winslow (82 catches, 1,106 yards, five touchdowns), you certainly could; the same could be said for OLT Joe Thomas and OLG Eric Steinbach, too.
Biggest surprise: Anderson, who threw 29 TD passes and gave the passing game new life. Anderson isn’t the most polished passer — no AFC quarterback with as many starts as him completed a lower percentage of his throws — but he was the catalyst for needed change in Cleveland. He’ll enter training camp as the starter and figures to hold off Brady Quinn unless he plays terribly.
Biggest disappointment: The defense was a sieve and played a major role in the Browns’ missing the playoffs. After the season, defensive coordinator Todd Grantham was fired and replaced by DB coach Mel Tucker. Tucker’s biggest tasks: fixing a run defense that’s long been a problem and bolstering the pass rush. The secondary improved as the ’07 season progressed, but it can still be exploited by a good passing game.
Offseason outlook: Next season, expectations will be as high as they have been for the Browns this century. If the Browns are active in free agency, it will be with an eye on the defense. Re-signing RB Jamal Lewis is a priority. The Browns do not have a first-round pick after having dealt it to Dallas so they could draft Quinn.
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