Tom Brady is retiring from the NFL. A look at his career vs. the Browns

Disclaimer: As of this update, there has been some, “Well maybe he’s not retiring” stuff coming out. It’s weird, but I’m leaving the post below stand for now, as if he is retired.

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Peyton Manning was my favorite quarterback of all time. With the Browns not making the playoffs or winning very much as I was growing up, I craved the Manning vs. Brady match-ups each year, either during the regular season or the playoffs. It was like good vs. evil, with me always cheering for Manning.

In 2016, I made a post on Dawgs By Nature that highlighted Manning’s retirement, including that he went 7-0 against the Browns during his career. After Manning retired, the rivalry with he and Tom Brady was gone, and he kept trudging on in his career. I always respected what Brady was able to accomplish at quarterback, and we may never see someone play at such a high level like he did into his early 40s.

Today, Brady officially announced his retirement from the NFL. Like I did with Manning back in 2016, let’s look back at all of the Browns’ games against Brady over the years. In eight games against Cleveland, he had a rating of 94.3. Brady went 7-1 against the Browns, throwing 13 touchdowns to 4 interceptions.

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2001 - Week 13

Brady was 19-of-28 for 218 yards, 0 TD, and 2 INT in a 27-16 win in New England. Two Phil Dawson field goals made it a 20-16 game early in the fourth quarter, but the Patriots got a rushing touchdown with just over two minutes to play. Corey Fuller did have a pick six against Brady, though! (Browns QB = Tim Couch)

2003 - Week 8

Brady was 20-of-33 for 259 yards in a 9-3 win in New England. The Patriots were 14-2 this season, so it seemed like the Browns kind of held the Patriots in check, not having allowed a touchdown. Tim Couch started the game at quarterback for Cleveland, but Kelly Holcomb finished it. With a minute to go, Holcomb was trying to lead the comeback, but Ty Law picked off his pass for Kevin Johnson at midfield. (Browns QB = Tim Couch / Kelly Holcomb)

2004 - Week 12

Brady was 11-of-20 for 157 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT in a 42-15 win in Cleveland. Brady may not have had a stellar day, but he didn’t need to. Corey Dillion and Kevin Faulk combined for nearly 200 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, while the Browns could only average 1.1 YPC from William Green. (Browns QB = Luke McCown)

2007 - Week 5

Brady was 22-of-38 for 265 yards and 3 TD in a 34-17 win in New England. The Patriots led 20-0 at the half, and although they got it to 27-17 in the fourth quarter with a touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow, there wasn’t enough time left for a comeback. (Browns QB = Derek Anderson)

2010 - Week 8

Brady was 19-of-36 for 224 yards and 2 TD in a 34-14 loss in Cleveland. Yes, cherish it Browns fans! This was the miraculous stretch that Eric Mangini and Colt McCoy went on back in 2010 that included this big upset win over the Patriots. The Browns’ touchdowns on this day were a 2-yard rushing score by Peyton Hillis, an 11-yard rushing score by Chansi Stuckey, a 16-yard rushing touchdown by McCoy, and a 35-yard rushing touchdown by Hillis. The Patriots also went 14-2 this year, so this was one of their two losses. (Browns QB = Colt McCoy)

2013 - Week 13

Brady was 32-of-52 for 418 yards, 2 TD, and 1 INT in a 27-26 win in New England. This was one of the most frustrating games and endings in Browns history. A 4-yard touchdown pass from Jason Campbell to Jordan Cameron gave Cleveland a 26-14 lead with 2:39 to play. Brady drove New England down to score a touchdown with one minute to go, then they recovered the onside kick. New England had no timeouts left, but got a 29-yard pass interference penalty to put them at the 1 yard line right away, where they scored the go-ahead touchdown with 35 seconds left. Campbell did get Billy Cundiff in range for a 58-yard field goal try, but it was no good. (Browns QB = Jason Campbell)

2016 - Week 15

Brady was 28-of-40 for 406 yards and 3 TD in a 33-13 win in Cleveland. Brady was serving a four-game suspension to begin the year due to Deflategate, so this was his season debut. The Browns didn’t stand a chance, and when you look at who the Browns’ quarterbacks were, it almost makes you want to rip your hair out that people want to move on from our current quarterback situation. (Browns QB = Cody Kessler/Charlie Whitehurst)

2019 - Week 8

Brady was 20-of-36 for 259 yards and 2 TD in a 27-13 win in New England. This was Brady’s final season with the Patriots, and the crack that Baker Mayfield had at facing him. The Patriots jumped out to a 17-0 lead, but the Browns made it 17-10 in the third quarter. They couldn’t muster anything after that, though. (Browns QB = Baker Mayfield)

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So long, Brady — and now, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bound to fall back into oblivion you’d think, right?