The difference a year makes.
Last year around this time, the Browns were being hyped by the media as a team to watch -- one that had a tough schedule but could make a lot of noise. Now, it's the opposite -- we're the cellar dwellers of the NFL again, just like that (at least, according to Sports Illustrated's Peter King):
32. Cleveland
Hey, thank me, all you Brownaholics. Two years ago in a column like this one, I wrote that Cleveland was the worst team in the league. The Browns went 10-6. This year I'm saying they're the worst team again -- and I can guarantee you they're not going 10-6, unless Brady Quinn morphs into Tom Brady. Too many holes, too tough a division; write them down for 0-4 against the Steelers and Ravens.
That's quite a statement to make; admitting you were dead wrong two years ago, then indirectly admitting you were wrong last season [by saying we'd be better], and then guaranteeing that we're not going to go 10-6 after knowing that this is a feat Eric Mangini has accomplished almost twice in a division that had Tom Brady in it when he was forced into a rebuilding effort! (Breathes after the run-on).
I think we know better than any team's fans that unless you're a powerhouse (Patriots, Colts, Giants), it's almost impossible to project how the season will go at this point. Nonetheless, I suppose it is to our benefit, pressure-wise, to be considered the underdogs.