It had been 30 years since a team started the NFL season with an 0-1-1 record. That’s where the Cleveland Browns found themselves on Thursday, but after a 21-17 win over the New York Jets, the Browns are now, happily, 1-1-1, their first win since Dec. 24, 2016, and the 14th team in NFL history, since the 1970 merger, to start the season with that record.
It’s been 31 years since a team started the season with a 1-1-1 record. The last one to do it was the 1987 Denver Broncos, a season which gets an asterisk because the league used replacement players during a strike.
And while the results for teams with an 0-1-1 start were bleak, the Browns are in a much better place now. The Broncos made the Super Bowl in 1987, losing to Washington.
The 1974 Steelers started the season 1-1-1, and they went on to win the Super Bowl. The 1971 Dolphins started with that record too. They lost the Super Bowl.
Only one other team to start with a 1-1-1 mark made the playoffs, the 1972 Raiders who lost in the divisional round.
Here’s the list of all the teams that started a season 1-1-1 since the merger. (Via Pro Football Reference).
The Steelers, currently 0-1-1, will be looking for the Browns now for a little hope.
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