Cleveland Browns avoid infamy with win

The Cleveland Browns gave themselves and fans a Christmas Miracle by defeating the San Diego Chargers. They best gift was avoiding infamy.

The Cleveland Browns won on Saturday. Many Browns fans, including this writer, did not think a win was possible this year. But Christmas miracles do happen.

There are a lot of positives to take from the Browns beating the San Diego Chargers. The win validates the work this team has put in over the year. It helps the front office justify their plan for rebuilding. It inspires confidence in the team moving forward into Sunday’s season finale.

But the most important thing this win accomplishes is the fact that this team will now be completely forgotten by NFL analysts and fans.

Quick, who was the last team to go 0-16? Yep, you guessed it, the 2008 Detroit Lions.

Now without looking it up, who was the last NFL team to go 1-15? Can’t name it off the top of your head? Well, neither can anyone else. By the way, the last team to go 1-15 was the 2009 St. Louis Rams.

The 2016 Browns will be a forgotten team in the history of the NFL. It may appear on one of those Top 10 lists of bad teams, but it will not be the worst.

The Christmas present that Browns delivered to fans was the avoidance of infamy. The Browns will not be mentioned in the same breath as the 2008 Detroit Lions. Every game next season will not have an announcer mindlessly repeating the fact that the Browns were 0-16.

Browns fans get to avoid an entire off-season of listening to pundits wonder if the Browns will be able to win a game next year given the radical nature of this rebuilding project.

Browns fans have been spared a special misery. They have been spared a lifetime of dredging up the 0-16 season of 2016. It is truly a Christmas miracle and a gift Browns fans can treasure for years to come by simply forgetting this season ever occurred.

For me personally, and I suspect many of you as well, this win felt like winning the Super Bowl. I cried in relief and joy that the frustration I was carrying over this season was lifted. I could not help but smile and have a euphoria of happiness for the past few days. This win made the season bearable and almost even special. I will remember this season fondly because of this win. The 2016 Browns will be one of my favorite teams of all time.

Next: Browns bowl watch: QB Brad Kaaya

I can now wear my Browns gear proudly in public. I know that out there is worse team that the 2016 Browns and that this season will be completely forgotten.