Pat McManamon, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Browns' misery index continues to get more miserable

The weekly check of the Cleveland Browns misery index shows the team has entered more uncharted territory for futility.

With Sunday’s overtime loss to Green Bay, the Browns became the first team to start consecutive seasons 0-13. They have lost an NFL-record 30 consecutive games on Sundays, and have tied the 2007-10 Detroit Lions for the worst 45-game stretch in league history — 4-41.

In addition, DeShone Kizer and Jack Trudeau are the only quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to lose their first 12 starts. No quarterback has started his career with 13 losses in a row. Trudeau and Kizer have 12, Stan Gelbaugh and (Hall of Famer) Troy Aikman 11.

The Browns are the eighth team in the Super Bowl era to start a season 0-13. Two of those teams finished winless, three had one win, one had two wins. and the 1986 Colts won their final three games.

The Browns have a 99 percent chance to earn the first pick in the draft, and they are underdogs in all of their final three games. ESPN Analytics gives the Browns a 30 percent chance to beat the Ravens on Sunday.

Since the Browns started the 2014 season 7-4 (with Brian Hoyer at quarterback), they have gone 4-46. That’s seven games worse than the 49ers, who have the second-worst record in that time.

Finally, there is coach Hue Jackson, whose career in Cleveland started 1-28. If the Brown lose Sunday, Jackson will match the record of Phil Handler, who started 1-29 with the Chicago Cardinals. (There is a qualifier with Handler though. In 1944, the lack of players due to World War II forced the Cardinals to merge with the Pittsburgh SteelersĀ for a season. The Card-Pitt team -- as it was called -- was co-coached by Walt Kiesling and Handler.)

All stats are courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information, including these:

  • The Browns have lost 41 games since the start of 2015.

  • Tom Brady has lost 40 games since the start of 2005.

  • While losing 41 games, the Browns have won four.

  • While losing 40 games, Brady has won 145.

And so it goes.

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