Since the resurrection of the Cleveland Browns in 1999 as an expansion team, hard times have been the norm on the shores of Lake Erie.
They have finished with six or fewer wins eight times since then, finished with more than eight wins just twice and have been to the playoffs once — in 2002 after a 9-7 finish.
But they’ve won three of their last five games, after an 0-3 start, including wins in back-to-back weeks over the defending Super Bowl champion Saints and the New England Patriots.
They also scored 30 points against the Saints and piled up 34 on New England.
And this week the Browns could really rattle the cage when the Jets come to town. A win today and a team that’s been trying for years to just get to the corner may finally have turned it.
Must-see game of the week
Patriots at Steelers 6:20 p.m., KUSA-9
The skinny: The old offense-vs.-defense deal here. And for their part in that equation, the Patriots are riding the right arm of Tom Brady more than ever. They dumped Randy Moss, have some holes on defense and are one of only three teams in the league with a winning record who have also surrendered at least 185 points. The Steelers are the Steelers — they currently lead the league in both scoring defense and run defense.
The difference will be: How often the Steelers get to Brady, since the Patriots make only token efforts to run the ball much of the time. The Steelers will certainly attack the line of scrimmage, and at the moment they are tied for fifth in the league in sacks and tied for third in forced fumbles. Brady is 5-1 in his career starts against Pittsburgh, with 11 touchdown passes and just three interceptions.
The call: Steelers 24-17
Catch ’em if you can
Jets at Browns 11 a.m.
It’s a tall order for a rookie QB to decode the Jets’ defense, given the variety of fronts the Jets show an offense. The Browns’ Colt McCoy is expected to start this one and will have to play it safe. The Jets have won seven consecutive games on the road, including all four this season.
The call: Jets 28-20
Texans at Jaguars 11 a.m.
The loser in this one is going to have a difficult time keeping itself in the AFC South race. The Jaguars are coming off a bye, while the Texans are coming off a crushing loss to the Chargers. The Texans have lost their last three games in Jacksonville, and Jaguars QB David Garrard is 5-2 against the Texans as a starter.
The call: Texans 31-23
Titans at Dolphins 11 a.m.
The Titans spent plenty of time this week trying to get WR Randy Moss, above, worked into the offense. Moss will get his share of snaps, and look for Titans offensive coordinator Mike Heimer- dinger to give him a shot or two at a big play. Folks have been inclined to say Chris Johnson is having a down year, but he’s still third in the AFC with 721 yards rushing and second in the league with eight rushing touchdowns.
The call: Titans 24-20
Seahawks at Cardinals 2:15 p.m.
For the Cardinals, what was once a high-powered, diverse offense is now 31st in the league, averaging just 256 yards per game. For its part, Seattle is 31st in scoring at just 16.3 points per game. So whichever team moves the ball and gets a lead could have enough to put this one away. The Seahawks, who are still tied for the NFC West lead, have been outscored 74-10 in their last two games.
The call: Cardinals 21-16
Quick hitters
Lions at Bills 11 a.m.
Not every losing record in the league is equal. Five of the Lions’ losses have come by a total of 21 points, and four of those five have been to teams that currently lead their respective divisions.
The call: Lions 30-20
Vikings at Bears 11 a.m., KDVR-31
These are two of the more mistake-prone teams in the league — the Vikings are a brutal minus-9 in turnover margin this year — but most folks in the league are watching to see if the Vikings players have had enough of coach Brad Childress.
The call: Bears 27-24
Bengals at Colts 11 a.m.
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis has never defeated the Colts in three previous meetings. A big reason for that is Colts QB Peyton Manning, who is 6-0 in his career against Cincinnati and has thrown at least three TD passes in three consecutive starts against the Bengals.
The call: Colts 33-21
Panthers at Buccaneers 11 a.m.
The Panthers’ offense, which figures to start rookie Jimmy Clausen at QB for the fourth time this season, has largely been in neutral. Carolina has had just one game with more than 200 yards passing, and it is last in the league in scoring (11 points per game).
The call: Buccaneers 23-9
Cowboys at Giants 2:15 p.m.
For a team that has already fired its coach, this is not the matchup the Cowboys needed. The Giants have punished quarterbacks this season, and as ugly as Dallas’ loss in Green Bay was, this has a chance to be even worse.
The call: Giants 35-6
Rams at 49ers 2:15 p.m.
Rams rookie QB Sam Bradford has won four of his last six starts, and a big part of that is Rams RB Steven Jackson, who has three 100-yard rushing games in the last four outings.
The call: Rams 21-20
