What if Things Had Worked Out for Bill Belichick?

As the Browns head up to Foxborough to take on the Patriots it leaves the mind wondering what if? What if things had worked out for Bill Belichick head coach of the Cleveland Browns. Would Tom Brady have been selected as a Cleveland Brown? Would a franchise synonymous with losing and total incompetence have turned it around decades earlier? 

But let us back up a second and hop in the time machine back to 1991 before the hoodie, before Belichick was a name associated with a gold standard of winning and professionalism. And in the fall of 1991 as Nirvana’s breakthrough album Nevermind was changing the musical landscape forever, a 39 year old Belichick was entering his first season as head coach of the Cleveland Browns. 

Over his first three seasons as a head coach Belichick was met with minimal success as the team finished in third place in the AFC North in all three seasons. Then in 1994 Belichick had his only winning season as head coach of the Cleveland Browns and then would go on to beat the New England Patriots in the WC game before being bounced by rival Pittsburgh. 

After a disastrous 5-11 1995 season the team moved to Baltimore and Belichick departed for the New York Jets. It would be another four years before Bill even got a head coaching job and another 6 before his next winning season as a head coach. 

Now the Browns certainly haven’t helped themselves in the discussion about success post Belichick following the team’s return in 1999. I won’t detail them all here but the Browns have gone through a slew of coaches and quarterbacks and Belichick became…well Bill Belichick. 

Belichick has also tortured the Browns since becoming head coach of the Patriots in 2000 going 7-2 against them and winning all five home games against Cleveland. However, as the Browns face off once again with their former coach it is a new era in both Cleveland and New England. No longer are the Browns the laughingstock on the NFL, and no longer are the Patriots the NFL’s golden boys. One thing is for sure Kevin Stefanski can make a huge step towards becoming the next Belichick with a signature win on Sunday.