2003 Cleveland Browns season

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]

2003 Cleveland Browns season
Owner	Randy Lerner
Head coach	Butch Davis
Offensive coordinator	Bruce Arians
Defensive coordinator	Dave Campo
Home stadium	Cleveland Browns Stadium
Results
Record	5–11
Division place	4th AFC North
Playoffs	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	None
← 2002 Browns seasons 2004 →

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 staff

Front office Owner and chairman – Randy Lerner President and chief executive officer – Carmen Policy Director of Football Development – Pete Garcia Director of Pro Personnel - Jeremy Green Player Personnel Assistant - Yogi Jones Pro Personnel Coordinator - Steve Sabo Director of college personnel – Phil Neri Head coaches Head coach and General Manager – Butch Davis Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Bruce Arians Quarterbacks – Carl Smith Running backs – Todd McNair Wide receivers – Terry Robiskie Tight ends – Steve Hagen Offensive line – Larry Zierlein Assistant offensive line – Mike Sullivan

Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Dave Campo Defensive line – Andre Patterson Linebackers – Clancy Pendergast Defensive Backs – Chuck Pagano Defensive nickel package – Todd Bowles Defensive assistant – Phillip Banko Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Jerry Rosburg Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Buddy Morris Assistant strength and conditioning – Rob Phillips

Roster

2003 Cleveland Browns roster

Quarterbacks (QB)  2 Tim Couch 10 Kelly Holcomb  8 Nate Hybl Running backs (RB) 26 Nick Maddox 44 Lee Suggs 30 Jamel White Wide receivers (WR) 87 André Davis KR 88 Frisman Jackson 85 C. J. Jones 84 Andre King KR 81 Quincy Morgan 86 Dennis Northcutt PR Tight ends (TE) 89 Darnell Sanders 49 Keith Heinrich 83 Chad Mustard

Offensive linemen (OL) 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 (DL) 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 (LB) 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 (DB) 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 (ST)  5 Brett Conway K  8 Derrick Frost P 17 Chris Gardocki P 64 Ryan Pontbriand LS

Practice squad 61 Troy Andrew G 36 Billy Blanchard FB 69 Corey Jackson DE 38 David Young S Reserve 68 Chad Beasley G (IR) 34 R. J. Bowers FB (IR) 92 Courtney Brown DE (IR)  4 Phil Dawson K (IR) 50 Jeff Faine C (IR) 95 Antonio Garay DT (IR) 31 William Green RB (Susp.) 82 Steve Heiden TE (IR) 29 James Jackson RB (IR) 74 Chuck Klabo T (NF-Inj.) 97 Alvin McKinley DT (IR) 40 Ben Miller 21 Lewis Sanders CB (IR) 80 Aaron Shea TE (IR) 77 Ross Verba T (IR) Rookies in italics 53 active, 15 reserve, 4 practice squad

Regular season

Schedule

Apart from their AFC North division games, the Browns played against the AFC West and NFC West according to the NFL’s conference rotation, and played the Colts and Patriots based on 2002 standings in their respective AFC divisions.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Attendance	Venue	Recap
1	September 7	Indianapolis Colts	L 6–9	0–1	73,358	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
2	September 14	at Baltimore Ravens	L 13–33	0–2	69,473	M&T Bank Stadium	Recap
3	September 21	at San Francisco 49ers	W 13–12	1–2	67,412	3Com Park	Recap
4	September 28	Cincinnati Bengals	L 14–21	1–3	73,428	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
5	October 5	at Pittsburgh Steelers	W 33–13	2–3	64,595	Heinz Field	Recap
6	October 12	Oakland Raiders	W 13–7	3–3	73,318	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
7	October 19	San Diego Chargers	L 20–26	3–4	73,238	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
8	October 26	at New England Patriots	L 3–9	3–5	68,436	Gillette Stadium	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 9	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 20–41	3–6	78,560	Arrowhead Stadium	Recap
11	November 16	Arizona Cardinals	W 44–6	4–6	72,908	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
12	November 23	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 6–13	4–7	73,658	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
13	November 30	at Seattle Seahawks	L 7–34	4–8	64,680	Seahawks Stadium	Recap
14	December 8	St. Louis Rams	L 20–26	4–9	73,108	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
15	December 14	at Denver Broncos	L 20–23	4–10	75,358	Invesco Field at Mile High	Recap
16	December 21	Baltimore Ravens	L 0–35	4–11	72,548	Cleveland Browns Stadium	Recap
17	December 28	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 22–14	5–11	65,362	Paul Brown Stadium	Recap
Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text.

Standings

AFC North
view talk edit	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
(4) Baltimore Ravens	10	6	0	.625	4–2	7–5	391	281	W2
Cincinnati Bengals	8	8	0	.500	3–3	6–6	346	384	L2
Pittsburgh Steelers	6	10	0	.375	3–3	5–7	300	327	L1
Cleveland Browns	5	11	0	.313	2–4	3–9	254	322	W1

Game summaries

Week 2: at Baltimore

Week 2: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens  – Game summary

Quarter	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 (23.9 °C), relative humidity 83%, wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
• 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

Quarter	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 (6.1 °C), relative humidity 89%, wind 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
• Game attendance: 72,908
• Referee: Ron Winter
• TV announcers (Fox): Scott Graham (play–by–play), Dale Hellestrae (color commentator) and Tony Rizzo (sideline reporter)

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) – Rackers 26 yard field goal Browns 20, Cardinals 6 CLE (6:59) – Jackson 4 yard rush (Dawson kick) Browns 27, Cardinals 6 CLE (2:56) – Morgan 68 yard pass from Holcomb (Dawson kick) Browns 34, Cardinals 6 Fourth quarter CLE (14:20) – Jackson 4 yard rush (Dawson kick) Browns 41, Cardinals 6 CLE (8:57) – Dawson 29 yard field goal Browns 44, Cardinals 6 Top passers ARI – Jeff Blake 9/21, 121 yds, 1 INT CLE – Kelly Holcomb 29/35, 392 yds, 3 TD Top rushers ARI – Marcel Shipp 9 carr, 23 yds CLE – James Jackson 19 carr, 45 yds, 2 TD Top receivers ARI – Anquan Boldin 4 rec, 86 yds CLE – André Davis 7 rec, 117 yds, 1 TD Turnovers ARI – 4 CLE – 0