The Cleveland Browns avoided the ignominy of becoming the second team in NFL history to go 0-16. The 20-17 victory over the San Diego Chargers was the best Christmas present Browns fans could ask for.
"You don't want to say it was our Super Bowl but it really was," left tackle Joe Thomas said after the game, via The Plain Dealer.
You can't blame Browns players for celebrating getting their first win on December 24th. The win ensures Cleveland's season will be lost among its other disappointing years, instead of being dredged up every time a team gets close to an 0-fer, like the 2008 Detroit Lions -- a point Thomas was sure to drive home.
It wasn't a pretty victory, with the Browns getting down early and needing two missed Josh Lambo field goals in the final four minutes to eek out the win.
Hue Jackson will take his first win as the Browns head coach.
"This is what it's about. It's about the winning feeling," Jackson said after the game. "I was just saying to somebody the other day that we haven't given out any game balls to anybody because we haven't won a game. I don't remember ever doing that, being in that situation, but today, everybody gets game balls. The whole organization gets game balls because they did a good job. It was a fight to the finish and that's the way it is when you haven't won. You've got to find a way to win one. Doesn't matter how you win it, just win it."
Robert Griffin III was knocked out of the contest in the fourth quarter after suffering a concussion. That didn't stop the winning quarterback from being in a celebratory mood.
Cleveland finishes up its season with a trip to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers.