Useless nuggets of information from Sunday’s Browns game that you can certainly live without…
HOME WHITES: The Browns hadn’t worn white jerseys for a home game since Oct. 23, 2005 - a 13-10 loss to the Detroit Lions. Their record when wearing the white jerseys at home since 1999 is 6-9 (.400), compared to a home record of 28-54 (.342) when wearing brown or orange jerseys.
CHANGING THEIR STRIPES: The Bengals now lead the all-time series, 40-36. Cincinnati is 8-5 in Cleveland since the Browns’ return in 1999 after going 8-17 from 1970 through 1995.
BRUCE ALMIGHTY: If Browns fans haven’t blocked out the time period in which he played, they would have recalled when Bruce Gradkowski appeared in two games with the Browns in 2008, starting one, a 31-0 thumping to the Steelers. Gradkowski’s final numbers with the Browns were far from impressive: seven of 21 for 26 yards, zero touchdowns and three interceptions. The Browns did not score a single point with Gradkowski at the controls.
MCCOY TO MCCOY: That catch by Colt McCoy on the first play of the game was actually his second career reception - Peyton Hillis threw the first to him on a trick play in New Orleans last year, good for a 13-yard gain.
LET’S JUST START IN WEEK TWO: The Browns have lost 13 of their last 14 openers and are 7-22 on opening day since 1980. Their all-time record in their first game of the season is 30-32-1.
OPENING IN-STATE: This was the seventh time the Browns had opened the season against the Bengals. They defeated Cincinnati in 1977, 1993, and 1994, and lost in 1974, 1975, and 2005.
DROP KICK THE PUNTER?: Richmond McGee turned in one of the worst games ever by a Browns punter, averaging just 36 yards per kick (31.6 net), a touchback and no kicks inside the 20. By contrast, Bengals’ punter Kevin Huber had a 47.8 average (38 net) with a touchback and two kicks placed inside the 20.
LOST IN A FLASH: When Joe Haden was caught with his pants down on the game-winning touchdown, the wonderful afternoon he’d put together vanished in a split-second: three combined tackles, one sack, one quarterback hit, and five passes defended.
STRONG IN THE MIDDLE: In between the drive that resulted in the field goal that gave the Bengals a 13-0 lead and the drive that ended with the quick-snap, the Bengals punted on seven consecutive possessions, picking up only five first downs and 75 total yards.
AVOIDING THE YELLOW LAUNDRY: For as miserable as the penalty situation was for the Browns in the first half (10 for 72 yards), they turned things around in the second, drawing just one penalty for five yards.
WHAT HAPPENED?: After a promising first half that saw him pick up 37 yards on eight carries, Peyton Hillis was held to just 20 rushing yards on nine carries in the second half.
SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER: The Browns have lost seven straight games in the month of September and 10 of their last 11 September games. Their last win in September came on Sept. 28, 2008, in Cincinnati. They haven’t won a September home game since Sept. 30, 2007, when they knocked off Baltimore.
NOT MUCH TO GO ON: Dating back to last season, the Browns have now scored 17 points or less in six straight games. Not surprisingly, they’ve lost five of the six.
NOT-SO-ELITE COMPANY: Pat Shurmur missed an opportunity to become the first Cleveland head coach since Bud Carson in 1989 - and the sixth overall - to win his first game (Paul Brown, Blanton Collier, Nick Skorich, and Sam Rutigliano). Instead, he joins the ever-growing list of Browns’ head coaches who lost their first game: Forrest Gregg, Marty Schottenheimer, Bill Belichick, Chris Palmer, Butch Davis, Romeo Crennel, and Eric Mangini. Of those seven, all but Gregg suffered that first loss at home.
PICKING UP A PATTERN: By taking a lead into the fourth quarter and then blowing it, the Browns picked right up where they left off last year. On four occasions in 2010 they held a lead in the final period but wound up losing the game.
UNEXPECTED: While still developing as a quarterback, Colt McCoy still was expected to be an upgrade over what the Bengals would field. Yet on Sunday, both Andy Dalton and Bruce Gradkowski out-performed McCoy, albeit in limited action. Dalton (10 of 15 for 81 yards, 1 TD 0 INT) scored a quarterback rating of 102.4, while Gradkowski (5 of 12 for 92 yards, 1 TD 0 INT) notched a 96.5. McCoy, meanwhile, (19 of 40 for 213 yards, 2 TD 1 INT), managed just a 70.1.
ONE PLAY SHORT OF SUCCESS: Take away Cedric Benson’s icing-on-the-cake touchdown run in the final moments and the Browns actually did a nice job of containing him, holding him to just 82 yards on 24 carries for a 3.4 average.
WHERE WE RANK: Averaging 4.2 yards per play, the Browns’ offense ranks 29th in the NFL after Week One, while their 17 points scored ties for 22nd. The Cleveland defense allowed 4.6 yards per play, putting in 7th in the league, though the 27 points permitted puts the Browns tied for 19th.