POSTGAME NOTES at Browns FirstEnergy Stadium | Jan. 3, 2021

Team  The Browns have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2002, the 12th time since the 1970 merger and the 29th time in team history.  The club’s 11-5 overall record is the team’s best since it returned to Cleveland in 1999.  The team is 11-5 or better for the first time since 1994 and fourth time since the NFL implemented a 16-game schedule in 1978. (1980, 1986 and 1994).  This is the seventh time in the team’s history it’s won at least 11 games in a season, the fourth time since the 1970 merger.  The Browns have won six home games for the first time since 2007 (7-1), second time since returning to Cleveland in 1999 and 12th time in history.  The club has been 6-2 or better at home in a season six other times (1980, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1994 and 2007) since the NFL implemented a 16-game schedule in 1978. o The 6-2 home record is tied for the second-best record by a Browns team since the NFL implemented a 16-game schedule in 1978. o The six home wins are tied for the second most by a Browns team in history.  The Browns are 7-5 (.583) against the AFC, their best winning percentage against the conference since 2007 (7-5).  The Browns have beaten AFC teams seven times in a season for the 13th time in history.  The Browns are 10-0 in 2020 when they don’t lose the turnover battle.  RBs Nick Chubb (1,067) and (841) are the only pair of teammates in the league this season with at least 840 rushing yards (through 1 p.m. ET games).  The Browns are 11-2 when Hunt and/or Chubb scores a this season. o Chubb (12) and Hunt (11) have accounted for 23 of the team’s 48 total scrimmage this season, the fourth most among all running backs units in the league (through 1 p.m. ET games).  The Browns have rushed for 100 yards or more in 13 games this season. o The team is 10-3 in those games. o The last time the Browns rushed for 100 yards in 13 games was 1985 (13). o The 13 games are tied for the second-highest number by a Browns team in a season. o This is the ninth time in history the team has rushed for 100-plus yards 13 times in a season. o The 13 games are tied for the second-most games in the league this year.

Kevin Stefanski  HC ’s 11-5 record is the best among new head coaches in 2020. o The 11-5 mark (.688) produced best winning percentage by first-year Browns since (10-4, .714) in 1963 and third-best since the franchise was formed in 1946 (, 12-2, .857). o It’s the most wins by a first-year Browns head coach since Paul Brown (12) in 1946. o This is the first time a first-year Browns head coach has begun his tenure 6-2 at home. o Stefanski’s .750 winning percentage at home is the best by a first-year Browns head coach since Paul Brown when Cleveland joined the NFL in 1950 (5-1, .833). o This is the 11th time a first-year head coach has won at least 11 games since the 1970 merger and just the fifth time since 2000.

Baker Mayfield  QB threw 17 completions for 196 yards and one touchdown today.  Mayfield’s 95.9 in 2020 is the third highest by a Brown (14 att. per game avg.) in single-season history, behind in 1953 (99.7) and in 1960 (110.4).  With 75 career touchdowns, Mayfield finished only behind (85) and (86) in most passing touchdowns by a No. 1overall pick in his first three years.  Mayfield threw his 26th touchdown pass of the season of the season today, tying (1983) for the sixth-most touchdowns thrown by a Brown in a year.  Mayfield is the second Browns QB to start 16 games in consecutive seasons. The other is Brian Sipe (four straight seasons from 1978-1981).  His streak of 44 consecutive starts is the longest by a Browns QB since Brian Sipe started 70 straight from 1978 to 1982.  Joined Peyton Manning (1998-00) and Andrew Luck (2012-14) as the only players in NFL history to record at least 3,500 passing yards with at least 20 touchdown passes in each of their first three seasons.  Registered a 28-yard rush in the third quarter, his longest since he rushed for 35 yards against Tampa Bay in 2018.  Set a season high with 44 rushing yards.

Nick Chubb  RB Nick Chubb led the game with 108 rushing yards on 14 carries with a touchdown.  Chubb is fourth in the NFL in rushing yards (1,067) and tied for fourth in rushing touchdowns with 12 (through 1 p.m. ET games).  Chubb currently ranks second in the league with 12 rushes for 20-plus yards (through 1 p.m. ET games).  He’s third in the NFL with 34 carries for 10 or more yards and tied for third with two carries for 50 or more yards (through 1 p.m. ET games).  Today, Chubb registered the first Cleveland rushing touchdown of 40-plus yards against Pittsburgh since 1958 ().  This was Chubb’s 33rd game with at least 50 rushing yards, a new record by a Brown in his first three years.  Chubb now has 35 career games of 50-plus scrimmage yards, now the most games by a Brown in his first three years and second by a Brown in his first 44 career games (since 1970).  This was Chubb’s sixth 100-yard rushing performance of 2020, tied for the eighth most by a Brown in a season in history. o The Browns are 6-0 this season when Chubb rushes for 100 yards.  Chubb now has 17 100-yard rushing games in his career, tying for the third most by a Brown in his career. o The Browns are 13-4 in those games.  His 17 100-yard rushing games are tied for the most in the league since 2018 (through 1 p.m. ET games) and are the third most by an active player in his first three seasons, behind Ezekiel Elliott and (19 games).  Chubb now has the third-most games since 2018 with 100 rushing yards and a touchdown (11). o Chubb tied Mike Pruitt for third on the Browns’ all-time list in the same category.  Chubb (28) passed Earnest Byner (27) for seventh place on the Browns’ all-time rushing touchdowns list today.  Chubb scored his 12th rushing touchdown of the season today, tied for the seventh-highest single- season total in Browns history and most by a Brown since in 1968 (16).  Reached 1,000 rushing yards for the second consecutive year and is the first Brown to do so since Jamal Lewis from 2007-08.  First Brown since Jim Brown (1958-59) to have two seasons of 1,000 rushing yards in his first three years.

Jarvis Landry  WR has now recorded at least two receptions in 110 consecutive games, the second-longest active streak in the NFL and tied for the fourth-longest streak in NFL history with Marvin Harrison.  Landry caught five passes for 51 yards, adding a three-yard rushing touchdown.  Landry finished in second place on the list of most games with five-plus catches in the first seven years of a player’s career in history (74).  Landry (636) passed DeAndre Hopkins and Antonio Brown (632) for second place on the list of most receptions in a player’s first seven seasons.  Reached 7,000 career receiving yards (7,028), just the 30th player to reach the mark in his first seven seasons in NFL history.  Became the seventh player since he was drafted in 2014 to reach 7,000 receiving yards.

Other Notes  DE Olivier Vernon recorded his ninth sack of the season, the second most of his career and most since his career high (11.5) in 2013.  WR caught two passes for a team-leading 55 yards, along with a season-long 42-yard reception. o Higgins reached a single-season career high with 599 receiving yards this year.  CB M.J. Stewart notched his second career and second of the season.  LB set a season high with eight total tackles.  TE caught his 20th career touchdown pass. Injury Report  WR Donovan Poeples-Jones left the game with a concussion in the second quarter and did not return.  DE Olivier Vernon left the game with an ankle injury in the fourth quarter and did not return.