Great News, Cleveland: the Browns Are Going to the Super Bowl!

Somehow I missed this last week, but thanks to Hashmarks' James Walker, I am happy to report that the Cleveland Browns are going to the Super Bowl. At least according to the Dallas Morning News' Rich Gosselin, one of the best best NFL columnists anywhere.

The Browns are one of only six NFL teams that have never been to a Super Bowl. So let's send Cleveland to the 2008 NFL championship game against the defending champion New York Giants. Go ahead, skewer me. But my loyal readers/e-mailers also skewered me last November when I forecast a Giants-Patriots Super Bowl in this same Internet space.

That's what makes the NFL so intriguing – nothing is ever as obvious as it seems. As we sit here the opening week of July, there are probably 20 teams that believe they can be in Tampa next February playing for an NFL title. The Browns and Giants are certainly two of them.

Gosselin isn't just waving his hands and making outrageous proclamations (well, at the very least, he's not waving his arms); he points out that Cleveland returns all 22 starters from last year's surprising 10-6 team (edit: um, well, except for this pretty important guy), and they've added Donte' Stallworth, Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers this offseason.

Still, suggesting the Browns will emerge as the AFC's representative ahead of New England, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and even division rival Pittsburgh, seems a tad optimistic. Do I think it'll happen? Uh, no. But as Gosselin suggests, there are probably 20 teams with Super Bowl aspirations and it's not completely insane to think the Browns are one of them. Okay, maybe it is, but, it's July, who really knows what the NFL landscape will look like in six months?

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-09-2008 @ 10:56AM

tomward277 said...

Returns all 22 starters? Did Leigh Bodden play the nickel last season or is best best NFL columnist a bit of a stretch?

7-09-2008 @ 10:58AM

ryan said...

tomward277,

I think Bodden played nickel. Or maybe Gosselin (and me) missed one. Updated above.

7-09-2008 @ 1:37PM

asdf said...

jurivicius is probably going to be out for awhile too...don't forget that.

and, i know you have a steelers' bias, but the browns have a better chance than they do. the browns have at least 2 guys who can actually block someone.

7-09-2008 @ 1:20PM

kevin said...

leigh bodden didnt play nickel he was the starter but had lots of injuries. and jurevicious says he could be ready to play by the season opener

7-09-2008 @ 1:38PM

asdf,

I can not dispute your last sentence.

7-09-2008 @ 8:05PM

Mr.G said...

The way Bodden played last year,he wasn't worth a "nickel", is more like it.Anybody who actually watched the Browns more than twice ,knows that Brandon McDonald is an upgrade at the position.

7-10-2008 @ 4:46AM

Rick Vogt said...

ASDF, the Steelers couldn't block anyone last year and they still beat you twice. Matter of fact it's 9 loses in a row if I'm not mistaken. So they have been able to block you, if you get my drift.

7-14-2008 @ 12:29AM

George B Vieto said...

It would be a great NFL feel good story if the Cleveland Browns go to the Super Bowl. The Browns can do it since Romeo Crennel worked for the Patriots and knows how to get the players on the right track.

7-27-2008 @ 9:30AM

Ken Redon said...

Did anyone see who the Browns play this year, I love the Browns but they will be lucky to go 6 and 10. The defense is still the problem, Super Bowl no way!