BROWNS ENJOYING THE SPOILS OF BEING GOOD

By STEVE KING

We said here when it occurred — and it was also said by everybody elsewhere — that their 41-35 defeat of the Tennessee Titans last Sunday, highlighted, of course, by blowing out to a record-setting 38-7 halftime lead, was a seminal victory for the Browns.

And now the Browns are getting a chance to reap the benefits of that.

The Browns’ road game against the New York Giants on Dec. 20, which had been scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., has now been flexed by the NFL to Sunday Night Football and an 8:25 kickoff. Along with their meeting with the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Football against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium, it gives the Browns’ two prime-time, national TV airings in a row.

Yes, part of the league’s decision to do that was the opportunity to get the New York TV market intimately involved in SNF since the resurgent and red-hot Giants are tied for first with Washingtonin the NFC East at 5-7, but the other part was the opportunity to showcase the resurgent and red-hot Browns and their feel-good story. Both teams head into this weekend riding four-game winning streaks.

In addition, the 9-3 Browns are — get this — ranked sixth in the NFL this week by Sports Illustrated and in a number of other places as well They trail, in order, in the SI poll only the Kansas City Chiefs (first at 11-1), Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1), Buffalo Bills (9-3), Green Bay Packers (9-3) and New Orleans Saints (10-2).

Wow.

It’s what happens when you win.

And one more thing: If the Browns continue to win, then don’t be surprised if their regular-season finale against Pittsburgh on Dec. 27 at Cleveland is also flexed by the NFL from its current 1 p.m. start to 8:25 on SNF.

As a cool little sidelight, around that date, whatever time the game is played, marks the 56th anniversary of the Browns’ 27-0 victory over the heavily-favored Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL Championship Game on that same footprint at Cleveland Stadium.