Superstition in sports has been around for ages and has only gotten worse.
Major League Baseball has had multiple teams that many believed were cursed over the years because of the lousy fortune those organizations and fan bases had been subjected to. We don’t think of this as much when it comes to the NFL, but a few teams can’t seem to catch a break.
The Cleveland Browns and New York Jets entered the 2023 season with high expectations. Within two weeks, both have gone from riding high and feeling like contenders to losing their best offensive players. Aaron Rodgers was the reason for new hope inside and around the Jets organization, and he lasted four plays into game one before tearing his Achilles. Nick Chubb was off to a tremendous start for the Browns, averaging 6.1 yards per carry through the first game and a half for Cleveland. Chubb went down with a bad knee injury during Monday Night’s game against the Steelers and has been ruled out for the year.
Both teams have been bad for the majority of most NFL fans’ lives, especially if you’re 35 or younger. Other than a couple of years during the Rex Ryan era and one with Bill Parcells, the Jets have been a dumpster fire for decades. The Browns haven’t won a division title since Marty Schottenheimer was head coach in the 1980s. Back when they were in the AFC Central, which is now known as the AFC North.
Chicago is another NFL franchise that just can’t seem to get on track. They’ve shown glimpses of getting their act together here and there with an occasional playoff appearance. The Bears even appeared in a Super Bowl, representing the best in the NFC for the 2006-07 campaign. Since then, they’ve made the postseason three times and are 0-2 this season. Teams starting off 0-2 usually don’t make a playoff run.
Even if you don’t believe in superstition and curses, it’s hard to deny that some bad juju gravitates around these teams. Just when it seemed like this is their season, something happens to disrupt the progress they’ve made. The Browns and Jets are 1-1, while the Bears are already done. Yes, it’s a long season, and Chicago could bounce back, but c’mon, who are we kidding? Cleveland and New York still have a shot at some success. It’s hard in today’s NFL without your best offensive player, no matter how good your defense is.
