Wednesday, Sept. 2 (PM) – It appeared to be a game of similar teams, similar head coaches and similar quarterbacks when the expansion Browns visited the Philadelphia Eagles in the preseason finale 16 years ago today, on Sept. 2, 1999.

The re-born Browns were starting over again after a three-year absence from the field with an offensive-minded coach in Chris Palmer and young stud quarterback in rookie Tim Couch, taken at No. 1 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft.

After being just 3-13 and 6-9-1 the previous two seasons, the Eagles were being re-born, too, just not quite as dramatically. Coach Andy Reid, also with an extensive offensive background, was going with his own rookie hopeful at quarterback, Donovan McNabb, selected right behind Couch at No. 2.

Both teams knew it would take a while to get things going again, but their sights were set high nonetheless.
The Browns faltered down the stretch and lost the game 30-17, finishing their first preseason of the expansion era with a 2-3 record.

It didn’t take long to dash either team’s expectations. The Browns finished a franchise-worst 2-14, while the Eagles were but 5-11.

However, things changed dramatically the following season – at least for one club. Philadelphia flipped its record in 2000 and went 11-5 to make the playoffs for the first time since 1996. Reid and McNabb were off and running.

But the Browns, with Couch missing much of the year with a broken thumb, were only 3-13, causing Palmer to get fired after compiling a 5-27 record.

And in subsequent seasons as Reid and the McNabb were making the Eagles one of the top teams in the NFL, Couch faltered and then before too long was out of the league as the Browns were through one head coach – and, after Couch’s departure – one quarterback after another. Since then, they’ve made the playoffs just once and have had only two winning records.

But no one could have envisioned all of that on that night 16 years ago when what appeared to be two clones played at Veterans Stadium.