With the exception of the 2016 NBA title, Cleveland sports fans are no stranger to this losing feeling. The Cleveland Browns lost 45-14 in the Wild Card opener of the NFL Playoffs to the red-hot Houston Texans, who were led by rookie phenom quarterback CJ Stroud's 274 passing yards and three touchdowns. Cleveland Cavaliers star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell issued a tweet on X after the game that encapsulated the crushing feeling many Browns fans felt watching their team: “Damn”.

On paper heading into it, this game seemed pretty evenly matched between the two franchises. The Browns came into the contest with a top-ranked defense led by superstar Defensive Player of the Year candidate defensive end Myles Garrett. On the opposite side of the ball, the offense had been soaring the last five weeks of the NFL season behind the resurgence of veteran quarterback Joe Flacco.

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Flacco's Browns got off to a hot start offensively, going up 14-10 thanks to an 11-yard touchdown pass to Kareem Hunt. This lead only lasted for 18 seconds, though, as Stroud then completed a 76-yard touchdown to tight end Brevin Jordan. This prompted a tweet by Donovan Mitchell that spoke to the game situation at hand: “This game is nuts already!”

It certainly was a crazy start, and it seemed like this playoff showdown was going to be a shootout. Unfortunately for the Browns, they would not score again the rest of the game. The Texans wound up finishing the game on a 35-0 run after falling behind 14-10, with Flacco generously gift-wrapping back-to-back pick-6s as part of the onslaught. The second pick-6 was the proverbial nail in the coffin.

While the season didn't end how they were hoping, the Browns deserve credit for shedding the perpetual punching bag label that has beset their franchise for too long. They dealt with a lot of key injuries this season, including to franchise quarterback Deshaun Watson. Flacco's heroics helped get the team in the playoffs in arguably the toughest division in the NFL despite all the health problems.

Unfortunately, Mitchell's tweet after the game will echo loudly in The Land after this disappointing loss. Cleveland will get Watson back next season and try to make a deeper playoff run.