3. Two weeks later, Chris Palmer does his greatest coaching job, and the expansion Browns avenge a 43-0 loss to the Steelers earlier in the season with a 16-15 win. In Pittsburgh, no less. Watching in Cleveland, I started hyperventilating as Phil Dawson’s game-winning kick went through. Thankfully, my mother supplied a paper bag. Had I been smart, I’d have used the bag to cover my head for the rest of 1999. The Browns finished 2-14.

4. Butch Davis brought optimism, competitiveness, and hope in 2001. Five years later, Browns fans shake their heads about the man’s era, which was filled with failed draft picks and overall chaos. But in 2001, he looked like a magic man. And on a rainy October day in Cleveland, he led the Browns to a 24-14 home win over the defending Super Bowl champions, the Baltimore Ravens. Tim Couch threw two late TD passes, one to Johnson, one to rookie Quincy Morgan, and gave the fans a moment we had only dreamed about. The win also improved the Browns to 4-2.

5. Davis looked like Superman a few weeks later, when, led by some running back named Ben Gay, the Browns again beat the Ravens, this time in Baltimore. A sweep over the Ravens made the season a success. Again, the success didn’t last, but for as much heat as Davis has taken, Browns fans should be grateful to him for giving them hope – and joy – by beating Baltimore twice.

Honorable Mentions:

2002: Quincy Morgan catches a last-second 50-yard pass against Jacksonville as time expires to beat the Jaguars, in almost a carbon-copy of New Orleans in 1999.

2004: Jeff Garcia leads the Browns to a 20-3 win over Baltimore in the season opener.

I’m not really sure if I feel better or worse about the Browns after writing this.