How Browns fans watch the 2018 NFL playoffs

Cleveland Browns fans have plenty of familiar faces to watch in the NFL players. They just might not like what they see.

How do Cleveland Browns fans watch the 2018 NFL playoffs?

It’s basically the same way Clevelanders used to watch the MLB and NBA playoffs years ago. During the entire event, fans play a little game called, “Man, that guy used to be with a Cleveland team.” It’s incredible how many skilled athletes and coaches on playoff-caliber teams used to be a part of the Cleveland organization.

For instance, watching cornerback Joe Haden play for the Pittsburgh Steelers in his first ever playoff game on Sunday was like seeing your ex on a date with a more successful new boyfriend.  Haden looked so happy out there that it’s hard not to get just a little bit jealous. Especially when you hear him talk about his brand-new “significant others,” per 247sports.com:

"“It felt really good. Just playing with these dudes, being on this team, it just gives me a whole different understanding and perspective of playing ball and what it’s really about.” “This is my first time in the playoffs so I’m just super, super excited about it. Knowing a lot of teams are just packing up, ready to go home and we still have a lot of ball left.”"

Oh Joe, it wasn’t you, it was the cap. The Browns wanted that $7 million salary cap space they got by breaking up with, er, cutting you. Of course, your 97.7 passer rating and six touchdowns in coverage the previous season made it a lot easier to part ways, but that still doesn’t make it any easier to watch you play for the enemy.

Haden’s comments were probably meant for the Browns, essentially his NFL ex, the team that’s rebuilding and unloading most of its older players. Watching the Steelers get outcoached and beaten by the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday was easy on the eyes for most Browns fans, but seeing a player who was a fan favorite during his seven years in Cleveland defending well for someone different causes just a tinge of regret.

Same with watching New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick.

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Believe it or not, that man has more wins (36) as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns since 1988 than any other head coach. In fact, Belichick has more wins as the last five Cleveland head coaches – Hue Jackson, Mike Pettine, Rob Chudzinksi, Pat Shurmur and Eric Mangini – combined, according to 247sports.

That’s what the Browns get for firing him, many have said.

Only technically, the Browns never fired Belichick. Art Modell’s yet-to-be named Baltimore franchise fired him. Even still, seeing Belichick brilliantly draft a wimpy looking sixth rounder named Tom Brady (this, after the 1999 Patriots lost six of their final eight games) and turn him into arguably the best quarterback ever causes a lot of Cleveland fans to fantasize how Belichick would do that for the 2018 Browns.

And then there’s Pat Shurmur.

When he coached the Browns from 2011 to 2012, Shurmur  was a lousy 9-23, but that’s still eight more wins than the current head coach has mustered. It was Shurmur’s offensive play calling and ability to develop young quarterback talent that got him hired in Cleveland. Those skills helped Colt McCoy post the best season of his professional career to date in 2011, throwing for 2,733 yards and 14 touchdown passes in 13 games.

And now Shurmur’s rocking Minnesota’s world instead as the Vikings offensive coordinator.

The way he expertly coordinated the Viking’s offense past the Saints’ No. 2-ranked defense on Sunday was incredible. Somehow, Shurmur did something neither the Los Angles Rams or the Houston Texans could figure out, which was how to best use journeyman quarterback Case Keenum.  It will be tough to watch Shurmur interview with the New York Giants for the head coaching job because Browns fans know the team needs his exact skills for the upcoming seasons.

How will Browns fans watch the Super Bowl?

If it ends up being a matchup between Belichick’s Patriots and Shurmur’s Vikings, it will be like watching the parents you ran away from having a blast with their brand new set of kids.  Depressing, in other words.

The Browns need those who are in charge now – owner Jimmy Haslam, general manager John Dorsey and Jackson – to learn from past mistakes and continue to build up the team for the future.

Next: Browns eyeing Mike Mularkey as OC?

Only for most of Browns fans, the time for the future is now.