BEREA, Ohio — The Browns are looking to build upon their Week 7 win over the Dolphins, and as they do, there's a word that will naturally be repeated.
Momentum.
It's a force that drives something forward, and in football, it can take many shapes.
“I feel like momentum can be compartmentalized into massive momentum swings in a game, personal momentum swings. I do believe that you can have team momentum where things are just running right, you guys are playing complementary football," right guard Wyatt Teller said
There are some who believe highly in the role momentum can play for a team. Take, for example, cornerback Denzel Ward. Last week against Miami, the Browns' defense built in-game momentum in the turnover battle, notching three interceptions, including a pick-six, on top of a forced fumble on a kick return.
"I believe highly in it. I think it's real. You see that every week in the game, momentum, someone gets the interception or a big play is made and the team kind of feeds off of that and builds on top of it and that's what we're trying to do as well. So we just got the win and trying to build this momentum up and get another one and keep stacking," Ward said.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy also believes it to be something real in the sport.
"Momentum is big in football. Once you got momentum, you just want keep carrying that on until the next week and hopefully we do that," he said.
Others, like starting quarterback Dillon Gabriel, believe in the concept but see it more as a seize-the-moment opportunity rather than a week-to-week concept.
"I think at times it's realistic. At times, I think it's something mindset you can control and push towards, but for the most part, I think every week you try to treat individual, within itself. But I think there's momentum swings within a game as well," Gabriel said.
With the Browns back in the win column for the first time since Week 3, they want momentum to be real. They also know they can't just hope that positive energy carries them forward. Cleveland hasn't won consecutive games since December of 2023. They know that while momentum can help, stacking two wins in a row is going to take work.
"[The] past couple weeks, even though two of those games we didn’t win, we’d been doing good things that it was just time that something was going to pop and start working, and it did. That being said, we have a lot to work on and a lot to get better at, but the momentum of just doing little things right, being identified, and being able to communicate and stuff like that, all that comes with consistency. And yeah, I do believe that if you get that over and over again, you can create momentum with your guys," Teller said.
So while it may be possible, there's a shared feeling by many that week-to-week momentum is much harder to achieve than in-game momentum. But as the Browns prepare to face the New England Patriots ahead of their bye week, they're choosing to believe—and work towards making that momentum a tangible reality.
"I don't want to say you can't continue momentum, but I would be a liar to say I'm not a believer," Gabriel said.
