Browns fans will be visited by the ghosts of seasons past this holiday season.
Former Cleveland quarterback Colt McCoy and head coach Freddie Kitchens will be in prominent roles for the New York Giants on Sunday night, when the teams meet up in a Week 15 matchup with postseason implications for both squads.
McCoy, the Giants' backup quarterback, and Kitchens, the team's tight ends coach, were pressed into starting duty this week due to injury and coronavirus protocols, respectively.
Giants starting QB Daniel Jones was expected to be out with hamstring and ankle injuries, creating a starting spot for McCoy, while Kitchens was stepping in to handle playcalling duties with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett sidelined by the coronavirus.
Both former Browns have notable recent histories in Believeland, with McCoy starting 21 games there after the team drafted him in the third round back in 2010, and Kitchens being sacked as head coach after only one season at the helm in 2019, following a stint as offensive coordinator.
McCoy has settled in as a career backup since his relatively brief time as a starter with the Browns, which ended with his demotion in favor of Brandon Weeden, and eventual trade to the 49ers before the 2013 campaign.
The former Texas Longhorn was a fairly well regarded NFL prospect after taking over for Vince Young in Austin. He lasted one season in San Francisco before landing in Washington, where he'd been for several year before joining Big Blue last offseason.
The Browns had high hopes last season coming off an encouraging 2018, but Kitchens and GM John Dorsey were both dismissed when the team instead took a step back.
Now, Kitchens, and probably to a lesser extent McCoy, have a chance to exact a small measure of degree against their former organization.
The Browns were in strong postseason position with a 9-4 record through their first 13 games, but they needed to finish strong to preserve their one-game lead over the rival Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North.
The Steelers enjoyed a relatively comfortable two-game division lead with three games left to play.
The Giants, meanwhile, were also looking to clinch a playoff appearance, and trailed Washington by one game in the NFC East.
The (relatively) intriguing game was flexed to Sunday Night Football amid an underwhelming crop of Week 15 matchups.
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