Cleveland Browns: Best “one hit wonder” performances since 1999

4. Derek Anderson’s 2007 season

Derek Anderson is something of an anomaly for a Browns quarterback. The 6-foot-6 gunslinger, drafted in 2006, actually saw marginal success during his time in the orange and brown. Throughout 2007, Anderson showcased that maybe, just maybe, he could be Cleveland’s franchise quarterback.

2007 was an odd year for the AFC, and in the best of ways. For one, the Patriots went 0-16 but would go on to lose the Super Bowl to the New York Giants. Ironically enough, the Giants were armed with their own one hit wonder in wide receiver David Tyree.

The AFC was unusually stacked throughout 2007. This was marked by the Cleveland Browns going 10-6, just their second winning season since coming back to the NFL in 1999. Perhaps more incredible is that the Browns, although they did go 10-6, didn’t make the playoffs.

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To quote SB Nation writer, video creator,  and one of the best follows on Twitter, Jon Bois, in his video “The Browns live in Hell“:

"“The Browns won three of their last four to post their only ten-win season in franchise history, and yet they still missed the playoffs. Historically, more than 80% of ten-win teams make the playoffs. Not even luck is on [The Browns’] side.”"

The moral of the story here, though, is that the Browns posted a ten-win season. Not only that, but they did it on the back of a young quarterback that virtually no one had heard of: Derek Anderson.

Anderson’s eye-opening 2007 season included nearly 4,000 yards passing and 29 touchdowns in 15 starts. After that though, the eyes that he opened were promptly shut; Anderson only started 16 games after his miraculous 2007 season, posting a 10-20 TD-INT ratio.

Still, Anderson is remembered by many fans as the man who helped give the “New Browns” franchise their best season ever. They may not have made the playoffs, but a double-digit win season has to account for something.