| 2001 Cleveland Browns season | |
|---|---|
| General manager | Dwight Clark |
| Head coach | Butch Davis |
| Home field | Cleveland Browns Stadium |
| Local radio | WTAM · WMJI |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | T–3rd AFC Central |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers | LB Jamir Miller |
The 2001 season was the Cleveland Browns' 53rd as a professional sports franchise, their 49th as a member of the National Football League, and the first season under head coach Butch Davis. The team improved on their 3-13 record from the previous season, but for the seventh straight year did not qualify for the postseason.
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Gerard Warren | Defensive tackle | Florida |
| 2 | 33 | Quincy Morgan | Wide receiver | Kansas State |
| 3 | 65 | James Jackson | Running back | Miami |
| 4 | 97 | Anthony Henry | Defensive back | South Florida |
| 5 | 134 | Jeremiah Pharms | Linebacker | Washington |
| 6 | 165 | Michael Jameson | Defensive back | Texas A&M |
| 7 | 203 | Paul Zukauskas | Offensive lineman | Boston College |
| 7 | 245 | Andre King | Wide receiver | Miami |
Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
| Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
| |||||
The most notable game from the 2001 Cleveland Browns season came on a December 16 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in what became known as "Bottlegate". The Browns were driving toward the east end zone for what would have been the winning score. A controversial call on fourth down gave the Jaguars the ball. Browns' receiver Quincy Morgan had caught a pass for a first down on 4th and 2. After Tim Couch spiked the ball on the next play, referee Terry McAulay reviewed Morgan's catch, claiming that the replay officials had buzzed him before Couch spiked the ball. (NFL Rules state that once the next play is started, the officials cannot under any circumstances review any previous plays.) Upon reviewing the play, McAulay determined that Morgan never had control of the ball, thus the pass was incomplete, and the Jaguars were awarded the ball. Fans in the Dawg Pound began throwing plastic beer bottles and other objects on the field. [2] McAulay declared the game over and sent the teams to the locker rooms. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue then called to override the referee's decision, sending the players back onto the field, where the Jaguars ran out the last seconds under a hail of debris. [3]
After the game, McAulay clarified that they first reviewed whether or not the electronic pager had buzzed before Couch had spiked the ball. In a discussion with the Replay Official, Bill Reynolds, it was determined that Reynolds buzzed down before the spike. After the game was called, Tagliabue called NFL Supervisor Dick McKenzie and informed him that the game had to be finished to completion. Neither McAulay nor Reynolds suggested to Tagliabue that the game should be called, which was within the power of the Commissioner's Office. Davis would later comment that he was told that the buzzer went off at the same time as the snap. Couch had initially believed that the officials were going to penalize the Browns for intentional grounding for Couch faking a spike before spiking it, but was then told that the spike was legal. The referees then began discussing the play prior to the spike. President and Chief Executive Officer Carmen Policy refused to criticize the actions of the fans and the decisions of the officiating crew. [4]
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | Recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 9 | Seattle Seahawks | L 6–9 | 0–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 72,318 | Recap |
| 2 [upper-alpha 1] | September 23 | Detroit Lions | W 24–14 | 1–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 73,168 | Recap |
| 3 | September 30 | at Jacksonville Jaguars | W 23–14 | 2–1 | Alltel Stadium | 57,875 | Recap |
| 4 | October 7 | San Diego Chargers | W 20–16 | 3–1 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 73,018 | Recap |
| 5 | October 14 | at Cincinnati Bengals | L 14–24 | 3–2 | Paul Brown Stadium | 64,217 | Recap |
| 6 | October 21 | Baltimore Ravens | W 24–14 | 4–2 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 72,818 | Recap |
| 7 | Bye | ||||||
| 8 | November 4 | at Chicago Bears | L 21–27 (OT) | 4–3 | Soldier Field | 66,944 | Recap |
| 9 | November 11 | Pittsburgh Steelers | L 12–15 (OT) | 4–4 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 73,218 | Recap |
| 10 | November 18 | at Baltimore Ravens | W 27–17 | 5–4 | PSINet Stadium | 69,353 | Recap |
| 11 | November 25 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 18–0 | 6–4 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 72,918 | Recap |
| 12 | December 2 | Tennessee Titans | L 15–31 | 6–5 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 72,818 | Recap |
| 13 | December 9 | at New England Patriots | L 16–27 | 6–6 | Foxboro Stadium | 60,292 | Recap |
| 14 | December 16 | Jacksonville Jaguars | L 10–15 | 6–7 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 72,818 | Recap |
| 15 | December 23 | at Green Bay Packers | L 7–30 | 6–8 | Lambeau Field | 59,824 | Recap |
| 16 | December 30 | at Tennessee Titans | W 41–38 | 7–8 | Adelphia Coliseum | 68,798 | Recap |
| 17 [upper-alpha 1] | January 6 | at Pittsburgh Steelers | L 7–28 | 7–9 | Heinz Field | 59,189 | Recap |
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
| AFC Central | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |||
| (1) Pittsburgh Steelers | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 352 | 212 | W1 | ||
| (5) Baltimore Ravens | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 303 | 265 | W1 | ||
| Cleveland Browns | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 285 | 319 | L1 | ||
| Tennessee Titans | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 336 | 388 | L2 | ||
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 294 | 286 | L2 | ||
| Cincinnati Bengals | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 226 | 309 | W2 | ||
2001 was the first of two seasons since the Browns were reactivated in 1999 in which the same quarterback (Tim Couch) started all 16 games. The second was (Baker Mayfield) in 2019.
Rookie Cornerback Anthony Henry had 10 interceptions including one ran back 97 yards for a touchdown.
Timothy Scott Couch is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons with the Cleveland Browns. He played college football at Kentucky, where he set the Southeastern Conference record for single-season passing yards and won Quarterback of the Year as a junior. Selected first overall by the Browns in the 1999 NFL Draft, Couch was the franchise's first draft pick following their reactivation as an expansion team.
The Dawg Pound is the name of the bleacher section behind the east end zone in Cleveland Browns Stadium, the home field of the Cleveland Browns, a National Football League (NFL) franchise based in Cleveland, Ohio.
Terry McAulay is a former American football official who worked in the National Football League (NFL) for the 1998 through 2017 seasons. He was the referee for seven conference championship games and three Super Bowls. He was the Coordinator of Football Officials for college football's Big East and subsequently the American Athletic Conference from 2008 to 2017.
The 2007 Cleveland Browns season was the franchise's 59th season as a professional sports franchise and its 55th season as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The season began with the Browns attempting to improve upon their 4–12 record from the 2006 season, in which the team finished in fourth place in the AFC North. The Browns also attempted to overcome the many injuries that plagued the team throughout the 2006 season. The Browns remained under the supervision of head coach Romeo Crennel and they played all of their home games in Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 1999 Cleveland Browns season was the Browns 51st season overall and 47th in the NFL. It marked the return of professional football to the city of Cleveland, Ohio for the first time since the 1995 season, when the franchise was temporarily deactivated following the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, which ultimately established the Baltimore Ravens. While technically an expansion franchise, the team officially and legally are considered a continuation of the previous franchise, as the history and colors of the team remained in Cleveland. The franchise was still alive as a legal entity between 1996 and 1998 and its assets kept in a trust managed by the NFL until Al Lerner became the owner in 1998. That season the Browns were given full expansion team treatment via an expansion draft and receiving the number one overall draft pick of the 1999 NFL Draft.
The 1990 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 41st season with the National Football League.
The 1991 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 42nd season with the National Football League. On August 5, Browns founder Paul Brown died at the age of 82.
The 1995 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 50th season overall and 46th in the National Football League. It ultimately became their final NFL season until 1999, their final season at Cleveland Stadium, and Bill Belichick's final year as Browns head coach. The team finished 5–11, fourth in the AFC Central, though most of the season was overshadowed by the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy. The team was documented in NFL Network's A Football Life.
The 2000 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 48th season with the National Football League and 52nd overall. It was the second season of the "New Browns", which returned to the NFL in 1999.
The 2002 season was the Cleveland Browns' 54th as a professional sports franchise, their 50th as a member of the National Football League, and the second season under head coach Butch Davis.
The 2003 Cleveland Browns season was the franchise's 55th season as a professional sports franchise and its 51st season as a member of the National Football League. The Browns were unable to replicate the success from the previous season, and they ended up winning only five games. They failed to return to the playoffs. This season would begin a stretch, which was unbroken until the 2020 season, in which the Browns would not make it to the playoffs in any capacity.
The 2000 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 68th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League.
The 2001 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 69th season as a professional sports franchise and as a member of the National Football League. After finishing the previous three seasons a combined 22–26, the Steelers returned to the top seed in the AFC, rolling to a 13–3 record in their first playoff berth and AFC Central title since 1997 and playing at Heinz Field. The Steelers went 7–1 in their new home stadium, with the only loss coming to the defending Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.
The 2008 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 60th season as a professional sports franchise and its 56th season as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Browns finished with a 4–12 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs. The season marked Romeo Crennel's fourth year as head coach of the Browns. Cleveland played all of their home games at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. To end the 2008 season, the Browns offense failed to score a touchdown for 25 consecutive quarters and were shut out in their final two games. The Cleveland Browns failed to make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season.
In gridiron football, replay review is a method of reviewing a play using cameras at various angles to determine the accuracy of the initial call of the officials. An instant replay can take place in the event of a close or otherwise controversial call, either at the request of a team's head coach or the officials themselves.
The 2011 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 63rd season as a professional sports franchise and its 59th season as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The team had hoped to improve on its 2010 season, where it finished with a record of 5–11 and placed third in the AFC North, however, the team was eliminated from playoff contention in Week 14. This season marked the second season under the leadership of team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert, as well as the first season under head coach Pat Shurmur. The Browns played all of their home games at Cleveland Browns Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio.
The 2018 season was the New England Patriots' 49th in the National Football League (NFL), their 59th overall and their 19th under head coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots entered the season as two-time defending AFC champions.
Bottlegate, also referred to as The Beer Bottle Game, was an officiating controversy in an American football game in the 2001 season of the National Football League (NFL) between the visiting Jacksonville Jaguars and the Cleveland Browns.
