The GameDay Opening Drive 9/7: Week 1, The Battle of Ohio

All the information you need to enjoy the Browns season-opener against the Cowboys.

Oct 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward (21) breaks up a pass intended for Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

We finally made it. The Browns have a chance today to erase all of that nasty taste in our mouths from 2024 with one strong opening day performance. That is how quikcly we can feel good about things again. The best thing is that the opportunity just so happens to come against a team down in Cincinnati who they have plenty of confidence playing. Not to say the Bengals are not good, they clearly are, but the Browns know what it takes to get it done against them — especially in season openers.

Quick reminder to join us during the game today for the Watch Along where me and Brad will be live throughout on a new platform called Assist. We hope to make this a regular thing throughout 2025 so stop by and check it out. HERE is the direct link.

From what we have been told, the Muni Lot is already slammed with buses and vans parked in line and nothing gets you more fired up than knowing that place will be loaded with sauced up fans. Myles Garrett has the perfect hype video for your morning as well. I mean….come on. This is elite stuff.

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One last reminder: Don’t forget about this exciting opportunity TODAY! If you’re into competition and survivor pools, we’re launching one specifically for the Browns Film Breakdown Family with a chance to win some serious money.

Here are the rules for NFL Survivor Pools for those who don’t know:

• Each pool member chooses one NFL team each week.

• Picks are made "straight up", not using a point spread system.

• If their pick is correct, they survive until the next week.

• An incorrect pick eliminates the player from the pool for the remainder of the season.

• You CANNOT pick a team to win more than once. Strategy will be involved.

• The goal is to be the last member standing at the end of the season.

We are excited to announce our partnership with Splash Sports to host an NFL Survivor Contest this season! The entry fee is $10 per entry, and you can enter as many times as you like. The winner will take home up to $13,500.

To participate, click the link below to create your free Splash Sports account and join the Browns Film Breakdown survivor pool. We've included all the rules in the link provided just in case you want more details.

Thank you for being a part of the best Browns community out there!

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Inside the weekly GameDay Opening Drive you will get all the pieces of information paired with your GameDay Podcast to enhance your Sundays with this team.

So, sit back, pour your coffee, turn on the best pre-game Browns song known to man, and enjoy a fresh delivery of crucial Week 1 information from the BFB staff.

Football: Cleveland Browns QB Bernie Kosar (19) in action, pass vs Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Cleveland, OH 9/5/1993 CREDIT: Damian Strohmeyer (Photo by Damian Strohmeyer /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

Savor it, folks. It's going to be a picture perfect day for football today. There’s a slight chance for some lake effect rain early for the tailgaters but otherwise it will be sunny and clear. It will be a crisp 64 degrees at kickoff and get to about 67 as the high. There will be a light wind but nothing more than 8MPH. Truly ideal football weather, 10/10.

The Browns and Bengals don’t go all the way back to the mid-1900’s like the Browns history against some of the NFL’s originals, but when the merger hit in 1970 and the Bengals joined the NFL the two have faced each other twice a year since. The Browns won the 1970’s, the Bengals the 1980’s, and the Browns the 1990’s. These have been close battles with plenty of back and forth.

The Bengals owned the Browns from 2004 to 2017 going 22-6. Then the Browns took over in 2018 and won 8 of 9 in the stretch. Now things have turned back in the Bengals favor taking four of the last five from the Browns and they now lead the tight all-time series 55-48.

Football: Cleveland Browns QB Tim Couch (2) in action, passing vs Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Cincinnati, OH 10/14/2001 CREDIT: David Bergman (Photo by David Bergman /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)