What happened the last time the Cleveland Browns started 2-0?
By Chad Porto
The Cleveland Browns did not have a good season.
Browns faithful should heed this warning, starting 2-0 was not a good thing for the last Browns team to do so. The 1993 squad, the last one to go 2-0 to start a season, went just 7-9 to start the season. They beat the Bengals and the 49ers, and would then go on to win a third straight game against the Raiders.
In fact, they’d be 5-2 after Week 10, but would then lose seven of their next nine to finish the year 7-9.
Not only was it a disappointing year but the Browns said goodbye to arguably the two most popular players in franchise history. Beloved quarterback Bernie Kosar was shipped out of town after going 3-3 by then head coach Bill Belichick. This would mark the start of the Vinny Testaverde era that would continue through into the team’s relocation to Baltimore.
It wasn’t just Kosar who’s 1993 was the last in Cleveland, as legendary linebacker Clay Matthews also played his last season in Cleveland that year, before leaving for Atlanta in the offseason.
1993 would also serve as the best season ever for 9th overall draft pick Tommy Vardell. Vardell was drafted 9th overall in 1992 and hardly played, and after racking up over 30 touchdowns in two seasons at Stanford, was expected to be a force to be reckoned with but only mustered 644 yards and three touchdowns.
Even though he failed to live up to his draft status, he played nearly a decade in the NFL, spending most of his time as a fullback.
It wasn’t all bad, however, as Eric Metcalf went to his first of two Pro Bowls while a member of the Browns.