American Football Wiki
2003 Cleveland Browns season
Head Coach Butch Davis
Home Field Cleveland Browns Stadium
Results
Record 5–11–0
Place 4th AFC North
Playoff Finish did not qualify
Timeline
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2002 2004

The 2003 Cleveland Browns season was the franchise's 55th season as a professional sports franchise and its 51st season as a member of the National Football League. The Browns were unable to replicate the success from the previous season, and they ended up winning only five games. They failed to return to the playoffs. This season would begin a stretch, which was unbroken until the 2020 season, in which the Browns would not make it to the playoffs in any capacity.[1][2]

Offseason[]

2003 NFL draft[]

Draft order Player name Position College
Round Pick
1 21 Jeff Faine Center Notre Dame
2 52 Chaun Thompson Linebacker West Texas A&M
3 84 Chris Crocker Safety Marshall
4 115 Lee Suggs Running back Virginia Tech
5 142 Ryan Pontbriand Long snapper Rice
5 152 Michael Lehan Cornerback Minnesota
6 195 Antonio Garay Defensive end Boston College

Undrafted free agents[]

2003 undrafted free agents of note
Player Position College
Leigh Bodden Cornerback Duquesne
Enoch DeMar Guard Indiana
Nate Hybl Quarterback Oklahoma
Israel Idonije Defensive end Manitoba

Personnel[]

2003 Cleveland Browns final staff
Front Office


Head Coaches


Offensive Coaches


  Defensive Coaches


Special Teams Coaches



Roster[]

2003 Cleveland Browns final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

  • 26 Nick Maddox
  • 44 Lee Suggs
  • 30 Jamel White

Wide receivers

Tight ends

  • 89 Darnell Sanders
  • 49 Keith Heinrich
  • 83 Chad Mustard
Offensive linemen
  • 70 Enoch DeMar G
  • 67 Melvin Fowler C/G
  • 73 Joaquin Gonzalez T
  • 60 Shaun O'Hara G
  • 71 Scot Osborne T
  • 62 Craig Osika G
  • 79 Barry Stokes T
  • 72 Ryan Tucker T
  • 66 Paul Zukauskas G

Defensive linemen

  • 91 Felipe Claybrooks DE
  • 96 Kenard Lang DE
  • 93 Michael Myers DT
  • 98 John Nix DT
  • 78 Tyrone Rogers DE
  • 99 Orpheus Roye DT
  • 94 Gerard Warren DT
  • 90 Mark Word DE/DT
Linebackers
  • 59 Kevin Bentley OLB
  • 52 Brant Boyer OLB
  • 56 Sherrod Coates
  • 54 Andra Davis MLB
  • 55 Barry Gardner MLB
  • 58 Ben Taylor OLB
  • 51 Chaun Thompson OLB
  • 53 Mason Unck OLB

Defensive backs

  • 28 Leigh Bodden CB
  • 25 Chris Crocker FS
  • 24 Robert Griffith SS
  • 37 Anthony Henry CB
  • 22 Michael Jameson SS
  • 39 Michael Lehan CB
  • 20 Earl Little FS
  • 33 Daylon McCutcheon CB
  • 27 Roosevelt Williams CB

Special teams

  •  5 Brett Conway K
  •  8 Derrick Frost P
  • 17 Chris Gardocki P
  • 64 Ryan Pontbriand LS
Reserve lists


Practice squad

  • 61 Troy Andrew G
  • 36 Billy Blanchard FB
  • 69 Corey Jackson DE
  • 38 David Young S


Rookies in italics
53 Active, 15 Inactive, 4 Practice squad

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

Week Date Opponent Result Record Attendance
1 September 7 Indianapolis L 9–6 0-1
73,358
2 September 14 at Baltimore L 33–13 0-2
69,473
3 September 21 at San Francisco W 13–12 1-2
67,412
4 September 28 Cincinnati L 21–14 1-3
73,428
5 October 5 at Pittsburgh W 33–13 2-3
64,595
6 October 12 Oakland W 13–7 3-3
73,318
7 October 19 San Diego L 26–20 3-4
73,238
8 October 26 at New England L 9–3 3-5
68,436
9 Bye week
10 November 9 at Kansas City L 41–20 3-6
78,560
11 November 16 Arizona W 44–6 4-6
72,908
12 November 23 Pittsburgh L 13–6 4-7
73,658
13 November 30 at Seattle L 34–7 4-8
64,680
14 December 8 St. Louis L 26–20 4-9
73,108
15 December 14 at Denver L 23–20 4-10
75,358
16 December 21 Baltimore L 35–0 4-11
72,548
17 December 28 at Cincinnati W 22–14 5-11
65,362

Standings[]

Template:2003 AFC North standings

Game summaries[]

Week 2: at Baltimore[]

Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens  – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Browns 0 3 10 0 13
Ravens 10 6 0 17 33

at M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

  • Date: September 14
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 75°F / 24°C, relative humidity 83%, wind 7 mph / 11 km/h
  • Game attendance: 69,473
  • Referee: Tom White
  • TV announcers (CBS): Tim Brando (play–by–play), Spencer Tillman (color commentator)

Browns linebacker Andra Davis telephoned Ravens running back Jamal Lewis before the game and stated he wanted Lewis to carry the ball at least thirty times in their upcoming matchup. “If that happens, it's going to be a career day’, Lewis replied. Lewis then erupted to 295 rushing yards, breaking the record previously held by Corey Dillon in 2000 as the Browns fell 33–13.

Week 11: vs. Arizona[]

Week 11: Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 0 3 3 0 6
Browns 10 10 14 10 44

at Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland

  • Date: November 16
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
  • Game weather: 43°F / 6°C, relative humidity 89%, wind 5 mph / 8 km/h
  • Game attendance: 72,908
  • Referee: Ron Winter
  • TV announcers (Fox): Scott Graham (play–by–play), Dale Hellestrae (color commentator) and Tony Rizzo (sideline reporter)
  • [1]
Game information
First quarter
  • CLE (9:06) – Dawson 34 yard field goal
    Browns 3, Cardinals 0
  • CLE (2:57) – Davis 4 yard pass from Holcomb (Dawson kick)
    Browns 10, Cardinals 0

Second quarter

  • CLE (11:16) – Dawson 24 yard field goal
    Browns 13, Cardinals 0
  • CLE (4:14) – Northcutt 1 yard pass from Holcomb (Dawson kick)
    Browns 20, Cardinals 0
  • ARI (0:55) – Rackers 42 yard field goal
    Browns 20, Cardinals 3

Third quarter

  • ARI (9:55) – Neil Rackers 26 yard field goal
    Browns 20, Cardinals 6
  • CLE (6:59) – James Jackson 4 yard rush (Phil Dawson kick)
    Browns 27, Cardinals 6
  • CLE (2:56) – Morgan 68 yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick)
    Browns 34, Cardinals 6

Fourth quarter

  • CLE (14:20) – James Jackson 4 yard rush (Phil Dawson kick)
    Browns 41, Cardinals 6
  • CLE (8:57) – Phil Dawson 29 yard field goal
    Browns 44, Cardinals 6

Top passers

Top rushers

  • ARI – Marcel Shipp 9 carr, 23 yds
  • CLE – James Jackson 19 carr, 45 yds, 2 TD

Top receivers

Turnovers

  • ARI – 4
  • CLE – 0

References[]