When was the last time the Cleveland Browns were must-watch television? Admittedly, they might still not be there yet, but they're winning against all odds and their own miscues, and everyone is always up for a feel-good story.
Usually, networks pass on placing the Browns in prime time because of their disappointing record. But with four (nearly five!) wins in the first six weeks of the Todd Monken era, they might take a different approach with this team.
According to Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the league actually considered moving the Browns' divisional rematch with the Pittsburgh Steelers to Sunday Night Football in Week 8.
While it didn't happen, it's certainly a telling sign of how the perception of this team is changing.
“The NFL decided Tuesday not to flex the Birds’ Week 8 matchup against the Washington Commanders (1-4-1) off NBC’s Sunday Night Football, according to league sources. Despite that, the NFL seriously considered swapping in an AFC North matchup between the Cleveland Browns (4-2) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2), which instead remains at 1 p.m. on CBS,” Tornoe wrote.
The NFL seriously considered putting Browns-Steelers back in the primetime spotlight
The Browns already beat the Steelers in prime time this season, which isn't necessarily relevant to this story (but is always nice to remember). All jokes aside, that game may have made everyone realize what the Browns are building in Northeast Ohio.
This team has aced the past couple of NFL Drafts. Maybe Paul DePodesta was the problem all along. To this day, no one knows what he actually did for the team behind the scenes, but Andrew Berry and his staff have been cooking since he returned to baseball.
Putting together such a stacked core of young players has expedited this team's rebuild. It's reached a point where the Browns are just too talented not to win games, as crazy as it may sound and as much as other fan bases might not want to give them credit.
Of course, this team hasn't been perfect, and there are still so many issues to fix. Monken clearly has things trending in the right direction. The Browns have a vision, and the coaching staff has also gotten everyone to buy in.
The Browns have been bottom-feeders for too long. It feels like they just can't help themselves, and they'll find a way to shoot themselves in the foot when things are finally going their way. That might be the case again this year; maybe this is just smoke and mirrors.
What is undeniable, however, is that this time feels different. It feels like the Browns are building something sustainable, and that not even their meddling owner and their bad fortune can mess it up.
Get ready to start seeing more of the Browns in prime time. It's inevitable.
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