CLEVELAND -- Oakland Raiders coach Jon Gruden has deep ties to the Northeast Ohio area, and the native of Sandusky grew up cheering for the Cleveland Browns.
And while Gruden maintains a level of respect for the Browns, who will travel to the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum for Sunday’s game against the Raiders, the same cannot be said of his opinion on the uniforms Cleveland has been wearing for the last three-plus seasons.
“I like the old uniforms better, I must say,” Gruden said in a conference call with the Cleveland media Wednesday.
The Browns’ primary home jersey is brown and features “CLEVELAND” printed in orange on the collar below the NFL logo and above the numbers. The orange numerals have a white shadow effect with two orange stripes and a middle white stripe covering each of the shoulder sleeves and extend around to the front and back of the jersey. The players’ names are written in orange letters.
On the road white jerseys, “CLEVELAND” is printed in brown on the collar below the NFL logo and above the numbers. The orange numerals have a brown shadow effect with two brown stripes and a middle orange stripe on each of the shoulder sleeves that extend around to the front and back of the jersey. The players’ names are written in brown letters.
The alternate jersey is a vibrant orange with “CLEVELAND” printed in white on the collar below the NFL logo and above the numbers. The jerseys feature white numerals and lettering and a brown shadow effect behind the numbers. Two brown stripes surrounding a middle white stripe adorn each of the shoulder sleeves and extend around to the front and back of the jersey. Player names are printed in white letters.
“I was a big Cleveland Browns fan,” Gruden said. “I was a big Leroy Kelly fan. That was my team. My dad was a high school coach in Ohio at Galion High School. Went to watch the Browns in training camp every year.
“I still have a Leroy Kelly autographed picture in my house. I love Ohio, went to Dayton. Love Ohio football. Look forward to doing some competing with Cleveland. There will be some great memories for sure.”
Although Gruden grew up a fan of the Browns in the 1970s, he has plenty of respect for this year’s team.
Currently, the Browns lead the NFL in takeaways (11), fumble recoveries (six) and turnover differential (plus-nine), and rank tied for third with five interceptions, but the defense is about far more than just taking away possessions from opponents.
The Browns have registered a league-best 25 stops behind the line of scrimmage and are eighth in opponent negative yards.
Second-year defensive end Myles Garrett leads the way for those negative plays, as he has registered four sacks in three games this season, including two takedowns against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in the regular-season opener.
Garrett is tied with New Orleans defensive lineman Cameron Jordan, as well as linebackers Khalil Mack (Chicago) and Von Miller (Denver) for the most sacks in the league.
“If you can push the pocket up inside with the big man (Larry Ogunjobi), it is hard for the quarterback to step up,” Gruden said. “When you can’t step up, you become vulnerable to guys like Myles Garrett. Both of those guys benefit from a much better supporting cast. They are a much better team at all three levels.”
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