Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield reacts to a holding call by the officials during Sunday's loss to the Titans. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Browns couldn't have had much worse of a start to this season with their 43-13 blowout loss to the Titans on Sunday.

They had received so much hype throughout the offseason, due in large part to the trade for Odell Beckham Jr. and the rookie season from Baker Mayfield.

But what if the problem on Sunday was more than the Titans?

Throughout recent history, teams throughout sports have put together “super teams” in the offseason only to get off to a brutal start. Whether it’s a combination of overwhelming hype and pressure, lack of cohesion or expending way too much energy at the start, these teams have historically started poorly.

That’s not to say that the Browns are a super team. But if you look back, the Browns’ true chances to win were less than you think.

Here’s a look back at the openers for some of the most hyped teams in recent sports history.

Don't Edit

2010: THE BIG THREE IN MIAMI

What happened in their opener: Lost to Celtics, 88-80.

LeBron James' and Chris Bosh’s decisions to join Dwyane Wade in Miami formed the first true “super team” in the modern NBA. But they did not start well, especially in Game 1.

It was a sloppy night from the start as Miami scored just nine points in the first quarter against the defending Eastern Conference champions. The Heat had 17 turnovers, including eight from James.

It took a while for this group to gel, starting the season 9-8 before getting on a roll on the way to the first of four straight NBA Finals. But it sure didn’t look pretty in the first game.

Don't Edit

2011: THE CLIPPERS AND THE BIRTH OF LOB CITY

What happened in their opener: Defeated the Warriors, 105-86

The Los Angeles Clippers emerged from the NBA’s lockout with one of the more interesting teams following the acquisition of Chris Paul alongside former No. 1 pick Blake Griffin. And unlike the other teams on the countdown, they looked outstanding from the start.

The Clippers started with a 19-point win in Oakland against the Warriors. And they did so with a second-half barrage, outscoring Golden State, 64-43, in the final two quarters. Paul had 20 points and nine assists. Griffin added 22 with seven rebounds, and center DeAndre Jordan had eight blocks.

They made it to the second round of the playoffs before being swept by the Spurs. Although the Clippers never got to the Western Conference Finals, they were still one of the more entertaining teams of the early 2010s, earning the “Lob City” moniker.

Don't Edit

2012: THE PHILADELPHIA EAGLES' 'DREAM TEAM'

What happened in their opener: Defeated the Browns, 17-16

Vince Young famously coined the 2012 Eagles the NFL's “Dream Team” before they played their first game. It was an ugly game all around. Michael Vick threw four interceptions and LeSean McCoy lost a fumble. They also had 10 penalties for 112 yards.

But the Browns and an inept offense led by rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden failed to take advantage as he threw four picks of his own. So the Eagles won, but the season never got on track. The Eagles finished 4-12, costing Andy Reid his job.

Don't Edit

2012: DWIGHT HOWARD, STEVE NASH JOIN KOBE WITH THE LAKERS

What happened in their opener: Lost to Mavericks, 99-91

A year after the formation of Lob City, the Lakers made their own moves in the NBA arms race to try to keep up.

But the Lakers fell short at home against the Mavericks due in large part to abysmal free-throw shooting. Howard was just 3-for-14 from the line and Bryant and Nash never even got an attempt. The Lakers never got the lead in the second half and fell behind by as many as 18 points.

Unfortunately for the Lakers, it was a sign of things to come. Head coach Mike Brown was fired in five games and they got swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Spurs.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

Cavaliers forward LeBron James flexes his muscle after a score in the 2014-15 season opener against the Knicks. (Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com)

Don't Edit

2014: LEBRON RETURNS TO THE CAVS

What happened in their opener: Lost to Knicks, 95-90

LeBron James’ return to Cleveland was the biggest game in years for the franchise. Add in a trade for Kevin Love and the Cavaliers had their own Big Three poised to make a run at future titles.

But in their opener against the Knicks, they looked anything but the team they eventually became. They started fast but fell behind and never caught up in a disappointing five-point home loss. James had eight of his team’s 19 turnovers and they allowed the Knicks, who went 17-65 that season to shoot 53.6 percent from the floor.

It eventually worked out for the Cavs to the tune of four consecutive NBA Finals and the 2016 title despite the loss and 19-20 start to the season.

Don't Edit

2016-17 SEASON: WARRIORS ADD KEVIN DURANT

What happened in their opener: Lost to Spurs, 129-100

The Warriors made a drastic offseason improvement after losing to the Cavs in the 2016 NBA Finals by adding Kevin Durant to a team that won 73 games the year before. This was a team that lost just once in the postseason on its way to its second of three titles in this decade.

However, they could not have gotten off to a worse start. They lost at home in Durant’s Warriors debut by 29 to the Spurs, their worst loss of the season. Durant played really well with 27 points and 10 rebounds. But Golden State was no match for Kawhi Leonard’s 35 points.

The Warriors also shot an abysmal 7-for-33 from 3-point range compared to San Antonio’s 12-for-24.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

2017: CP3 PAIRS WITH JAMES HARDEN

What happened in their opener: Defeated the Warriors, 122-121

A year after the Warriors got Durant, the Houston Rockets countered by trading for Chris Paul and pairing him with James Harden. Unlike when the Warriors got Durant, the Rockets won their first game with the Paul-Harden combo. Thanks to two free throws in the final minute from P.J. Tucker, the Rockets knocked off Golden State by just one point in Oakland.

Paul only had four points but made 10 assists. Houston’s bench trio of Eric Gordon, Luc Mbah a Moute and Tucker combined for 58 points. Even still, they almost lost until a Kevin Durant shot was ruled to be no good because he didn’t get it off in time.

They rolled through the rest of the season to a 65-17 record before losing in seven games to the eventual champion Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

WHAT WE LEARNED

The seven teams we mentioned went 3-4 in their openers. Even the 3-4 record is a bit deceiving. Only one of the three wins was a convincing win.

There was always a glaring reason for these losses. Whether it was free-throw shooting, turnovers or bad shooting in general, most often it was a self-inflicted wound that caused the loss. More often than not, that got fixed over time. Only the 2012 Eagles and 2012-13 Lakers failed to come even close to their ceilings. While the Lob City Clippers and Rockets also never won titles, they were both extremely talented squads.

Don't Edit

Don't Edit

WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE BROWNS

Based on the past, it makes more sense about what happened to the Browns. That’s not to excuse a 30-point loss. But there are similarities between what they did against the Titans and what happened to the other “super teams.”

They shot themselves in the foot repeatedly with penalties and the game got away from them in the fourth quarter, with Baker Mayfield throwing three interceptions. That comes from players being too excited at the start of games and pressing late when it gets away because they haven't yet learned how to respond to adversity together. It's stuff that only time improves.

The good news for them is all but one of these teams at least made the playoffs later that season, something the Browns haven’t done since 2002. They may have an incredibly high ceiling, but it should have been more reasonable to expect Sunday’s loss to happen.

More Browns coverage

Denzel Ward plans to avoid ‘stupid’ tackling issues vs. Williams’ Jets

Browns fan who doused Titans player with beer banned from stadium

Takes By The Lake podcast: On Mayfield, Darnold and 2018 QBs

Freddie Kitchens on Mayfield’s wrist, relationship with Gregg Williams

Were Browns’ Game 1 penalties bad technique or lack of discipline?

Beckham has no plans to remove watch during games

Is wearing a watch on the field really a big deal?

Rashard Higgins bullish on Mayfield and playing Monday night

Potential in the Browns’ no-huddle and other takeaways

Don't Edit

Like what you're reading? You want more? Subscribe to Football Insider for exclusive Browns content, including daily texts from Mary Kay Cabot.