Who started at quarterback in the first regular-season game in Browns history?
If you said Otto Graham, then you’re wrong. It was Cliff Lewis.
Yes, Lewis, a native of the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood, got the nod against the Miami Seahawks on Sept. 6, 1946 at Cleveland Stadium as the teams began playing in the new All-America Football Conference. He completed 2of-3 passes for 31 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown to wide receiver Mac Speedie, before giving way to Graham in the second quarter. Graham finished the game, a 44 –0 win, and never failed to start another game throughout his 10-year career, all of which was spent with the Browns, leading them to the championship game in each season, garnering seven titles.
Head coach Paul Brown put Lewis in there at the start to see what he had, and while he wasn’t a bad quarterback, the coach knew Graham would be so much better. He had recruited Graham to play quarterback and thought he would be perfect for the t-formation offense he was going to run. Briwn was absolutely right. Graham is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Could it be that the current Browns head coach Todd Monken is doing the same thing by starting Deshaun Watson at quarterback in the first two games this season. Watson was absolutely horrible, as was as the rest of the club’s offense, the defense and the team overall, last Sunday in the 34-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the opener. Despite that, he will start again on Sunday on the road for a second straight time against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Everybody — that includes me — expects Shadeur Sanders will start for the Browns in their home opener the following Sunday against the Carolina Panthers. By that time, after another projected horrible outing, it will become clear to Monken that Watson isn’t his guy.
Again, at least that’s the way it seems. If so, then it would be a nice tie back to that for season 80 years ago. But if not, well, then it will be a nightmare afternoon in that home ooener and maybe also a nightmare season.
Steve King
