By Avi Carr-Gloth

The Cleveland Browns of old are gone.

No more searching for a quarterback savior.

No more worrying about a coach who creates more headlines off the field than on it.

No more four or five-win seasons that are bad, but not bad enough to get a top 5 pick.

No more 1-31 and keeping the head coach.

Being “the Cleveland Browns” of something no longer carries as an insult.

These Cleveland Browns are different. While Baker Mayfield has had his share of ups and downs, he has stabilized the most important position on a team that has been the gold standard for quarterback instability. Kevin Stefanski has accomplished more in his first year as head coach than most Browns coaches have in their entire tenure (which has sometimes lasted just one season). The team could have as many as seven Pro Bowlers this season and that’s a conservative estimate.

The general conversations surrounding the Browns this season have been about their potential opponents in the wild card round. That alone is a major accomplishment for this franchise. However, most of their wins have been against teams with losing records. The Browns were 1-3 against teams with winning records before thrashing the Titans on Sunday. After Cleveland’s win in Nashville, it may be time to wonder how far they can go in the playoffs once they get in. Even the division title is still up for grabs after Pittsburgh’s loss against Washington. Could there be a playoff game in Cleveland this January? Everything is on the table for the Browns.

Last season, the Browns seemed like they had the roster to end the league’s longest playoff drought. The addition of Odell Beckham Jr. in particular had many believing that 2019 was the year Cleveland would put it all together. Instead, they fell flat, finishing a disappointing 6-10 and further extending the Browns’ playoff drought to 18 years. 2019 was a season-best remembered by horrendous coaching, an infamous helmet swing, and Baker Mayfield commercials that were tough to watch as the interceptions piled up. While they looked good on paper, they were all bark and no bite.

Now, the commercials are funny, the head coach could win Coach of the Year, and no helmets are being swung at opposing quarterbacks (for now at least). The offensive line has been transformed from one of the worst into one of the league’s premier offensive units in one offseason. Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt spearhead the top rushing offense while Jarvis Landry continues to play at a high level. The defense still needs some work, particularly in the secondary, but they cause turnovers and get to the quarterback. Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are young studs that will anchor the defense for years to come.

Through Week 13, there are only three teams with more wins than the Browns. Three! Most of those wins may be against teams with losing records such as the Jaguars, Cowboys, and Texans, but those are games they would lose last year. Next year will be a tougher schedule with the NFC North and AFC West on tap. The Steelers and Ravens should be high-quality opponents again next year and the Bengals should have a healthy and more experienced Joe Burrow.

It takes years of sustained success to change the perception of a football team. One good season won’t wash away the Browns’ historic ineptitude, and it doesn’t guarantee future success; just look at the 2017 Jacksonville Jaguars. However, these Browns feel different. They have the feel of a team that will be around for a while and a quiet confidence about them that hasn’t been around since Bernie Kosar. The Cleveland Browns are back.

It’s only right that in a year as backward as 2020, the Cleveland Browns are awesome.

Avi is a sports writer for La Tonique Media.