Former Browns coach Paul Brown and Patriots coach Bill Belichick (Plain Dealer file and John Kuntz, cleveland.com)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Browns and New England Patriots have 14 championships and 1,025 wins between them, though the Patriots are within 11 wins of the Browns all-time in 11 fewer seasons.
In advance of Sunday's game between the two teams, here's a look at the franchises by the numbers, from championships and coaches, to leading passers, runners, receivers and more. Even included is typical weather during the football season at each team's home field.
The Browns hold a 12-11 lead in the series, which dates back to 1971. But the Patriots lead, 7-2, since the return of the Browns to the NFL in 1999.
Franchise history
John Charles (25) of the Boston Patriots breaks up a Buffalo Bills pass to John Pitts (48) in the end zone at Fenway Park in Boston on Dec. 9, 1967. (AP)
Cleveland Browns (71st season): The Browns began play in the All-America Football Conference in 1946 and joined the NFL in 1950, playing each season through 1995, then returning to the league in 1999.
New England Patriots (60th season): The Patriots began play as the Boston Patriots of the AFL in 1960, then became part of the NFL with the leagues' 1966 merger agreement, fully effective in 1970. The team was rebranded as the New England Patriots in 1971 with its move to Foxboro Stadium.
All-time records
Rich Exner, cleveland.com
The Browns are 518-498-14 all-time, including 47-4-3 record in the AAFC from 1946-49.
The Patriots are 507-391-9, including 63-68-9 in the AFL.
Hall of Famers
Former Brown Ozzie Newsome, right, along with his presenter, former teammate Calvin Hill, during the 1999 Pro Football Hall of Fame ceremonies. (David Maxwell, AFP, Getty Images)
Hall-of-Famers for each team, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame:
- Browns (21): Bill Willis (1946-53); Bobby Mitchell (1958-61); Dante Lavelli (1946-56); Doug Atkins (1953-54); Frank Gatski (1946-56); Gene Hickerson (1958-73); Henry Jordan (1957-58); Jim Brown (1957-65); Joe DeLamielleure (1980-84); Len Dawson (1960-61); Len Ford (1950-57); Leroy Kelly (1964-73); Lou Groza (1946-59, 1961-67); Marion Motley (1946-53); Mike McCormack (1954-62); Otto Graham (1946-55); Ozzie Newsome (1978-90); Paul Brown (1946-62); Paul Warfield (1964-69, 1976-77); Tommy McDonald (1968); and Willie Davis (1958-59).
- Patriots (9): Andre Tippett (1982-93); Bill Parcells (1993-96); Curtis Martin (1995-97); John Hannah (1973-85); Junior Seau (2006-09); Mike Haynes (1976-82); Nick Buoniconti (1962-68); Randy Moss (2007-10); and Ty Law (1995-2004).
Championships
Julian Edelman, who played quarterback at Kent State, holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after the Patriots' victory in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, 2019. (Al Bello, Getty Images)
The Browns and Patriots franchises have 14 championships between them.
- Browns (eight titles): AAFC in 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949; NFL in 1950, 1954, 1955 and 1964.
- Patriots (six titles): Super Bowl champion after the 2001, 2003, 2004, 2014, 2016 and 2018 seasons.
Last playoff appearance
Browns receiver Kevin Johnson makes a catch during Cleveland's last playoff game, against the Steelers on Jan. 5, 2003. (David I. Andersen, cleveland.com)
The last playoff appearances for each team:
- Browns (2002 season): Lost to the Steelers, 36-33, on Jan. 5, 2003.
- Patriots (2018 season): Won the Super Bowl, 13-3, over the Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 3, 2019, after defeating the Chiefs, 37-31 and the Chargers, 41-28, during the AFC playoffs.
Last 10 seasons
Rich Exner, cleveland.com
Over the last 10 seasons -- 2009-18 -- the two franchises have been at the opposite sides of success.
- Browns: 41-118 record, 32nd out of 32 teams.
- Patriots: 123-37 record, best in the NFL.
Top passers all-time
Tom Brady signals touchdown for the Patriots during a Dec. 5, 2004, game in Cleveland against the Browns. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)
The leading passers in franchise history, in terms of yardage:
- Brian Sipe: 23,713 yards passing for the Browns from 1974-83.
- Tom Brady: 72,506 yards passing for the Patriots from 2000 through present (Oct. 22, 2019).
Leading rushers
Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown (32) picks up yards against the Cowboys in 1964. Also pictured are Gary Collins (86), George Andrie (66) and Chuck Howley (54). (AP)
The leading rushers in franchise history:
- Jim Brown: 12,312 yards for the Browns in 1957-65.
- Sam Cunningham: 5,453 yards for the Patriots in 1973-82.
Top receivers
Wide receiver Stanley Morgan of the New England Patriots protects the ball after a catch during an Oct. 22, 1989, game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. (Otto Gruele Jr., Getty Images)
Leading receivers in franchise history, in terms of yardage:
- Ozzie Newsome: 7,980 yards for the Browns in 1978-90.
- Stanley Morgan: 10,352 yards for the Patriots in 1977-89.
Coaching wins
Bill Belichick was 36-44 as coach of the Browns, left, before later going on to becoming a six-time Super Bowl winner for the Patriots. (Richard T. Conway, The Plain Dealer, and John Kuntz, cleveland.com)
Top coaches for each franchise, based on the number of wins:
- Paul Brown: 158-48-8 for the Browns from 1946-62.
- Bill Belichick: 232-79 for the Patriots from 2000 through present (Oct. 22, 2019).
Home fields
Gillette Stadium in 2006. (Rick Stewart, Getty Images)
Current stadiums:
- Browns: First Energy Stadium, 1999-present, with a capacity of 67,895. Originally known as Cleveland Browns Stadium.
- Patriots: Gillette Stadium, 2002-present, with a capacity of 68,878.
Weather
Rich Exner, cleveland.com
Here's a sense of the range in weather for football season at the home for each team, using using opening day (Sept. 8) and closing day (Dec. 29) of the 2019 regular season as end points.
- Sept. 8 normal highs: 76 in Cleveland (Burke Lakefront Airport); 76 in Foxborough for the Patriots (based on Weather Service data from nearby Norton, Massachusetts).
- Sept. 8 normal lows: 62 in Cleveland; 55 in Foxborough.
- Dec. 29 normal highs: 36 in Cleveland; 47 in Foxborough.
- Dec. 29 normal lows: 25 in Cleveland; 36 in Foxborough.
Sources: Pro Football Reference, Pro Football Hall of Fame, National Weather Service and other cleveland.com/datacentral research.
Rich Exner, data analysis editor for cleveland.com, writes about numbers on a variety of topics. Follow on Twitter @RichExner. See more data-related stories at cleveland.com/datacentral.
Previously - Franchise comparisons by the numbers
Cleveland running back Earnest Byner runs for a first down as Gene Williams (82) blocks New England's Terry Ray (23) during the Browns playoff win over the Patriots on Jan. 1, 1995. (Curt Chandler, The Plain Dealer)
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