Why do the Browns helmets have numbers on them this week?
By Scott Rogust
The Cleveland Browns are wearing numbers on their helmets for their Week 12 game against the Baltimore Ravens.
Even with the up-and-down season, the Cleveland Browns are still in the playoff picture following their win over the Detroit Lions last week. But in Week 12, they faced off against the division rival Baltimore Ravens on the road on Sunday Night Football.
For the huge AFC North game, Cleveland wore some unique uniforms for the occasion, which included the numbers on the helmets. That did catch the attention from fans, but there is a specific reason why that is the case.
Why are the Browns wearing numbers on their helmets?
The Browns are wearing numbers on their helmets because these are uniforms honoring the franchise’s 75th anniversary. They borrowed certain elements from different eras of the team’s existence.
Cleveland players wore numbers on the helmets from the 1957 season until 1960. Here is the team’s full explanation of the helmet designs for the 75th anniversary uniforms, via their official website:
"The Browns’ 75th Anniversary Uniform helmet features a white stripe down the middle with the players’ respective numbers on the side and gray facemasks. Cleveland wore the white stripe from 1952-1959 — a stretch that included two of the team’s four NFL Championships — before adding the two flanking brown stripes that are a staple of the helmets of today. The Browns wore numbers on their helmets from 1957-60 and on a handful of occasions from 2006-2008 as part of an alternate uniform. The Browns wore gray facemasks from 1961-74 and again from 2006-2014."
The jersey pays tribute to the ones the team wore in the 1946 season, their inaugural campaign, where the team won the All-American Football Conference Championship against the New York Yankees.
Cleveland wore the 75th anniversary uniforms earlier this year when they played the Chicago Bears.
What is the Cleveland Browns mascot?
The Browns mascot is a dog named Chomps. They are, evidently, a Labrador.
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