Every player on the Cleveland Browns walks past a sign each day right outside the cafeteria. It's a landmark in the facility you can't miss.
In big, bold letter, it reads: Play Like A Brown.
We've covered Play Like A Brown in two other articles – how it was conceived by general manager Ray Farmer and coach Mike Pettine, and also what it truly means.
As we gear up for training camp and the start of the season, the focus now shifts to the words underneath that Play Like A Brown sign: accountable, relentless, productive, passionate, tough and competitive.
These words will shape the franchise for years to come.
Relentless
Definition: oppressively constant; incessant.
Out of all the words on this list, relentless has been put to use the most so far from the new regime.
Ask any veteran player about the team's offseason conditioning program, and he'll tell you it's one of the toughest he has ever been a part of in the NFL.
Not only was the workout load increased, so was the commitment to it. The Browns' attendance during voluntary workouts was close to perfection. Often, there are offseasons where players go through the motions, and show up because they think they should. In Berea, in 2014, that mantra couldn't be further from the truth.
"There's a sense of urgency, I think," said quarterback Brian Hoyer. "Anyone who saw us practice during the spring, you could tell that the tempo was a lot higher. That's something that's going to help us take that next step. It's not so much the talent, or the scheme; it's the mentality to go out there and always be attacking."
"To me, we need to maintain being relentless," said Mike Pettine. "I think that's what's important. That has to be an everyday thing. Anyone can talk about [being relentless]. It means nothing if we don't follow through on it. Follow through on it as coaches, follow through on it as players. Those words are hollow. We are going to attack everything that we do."
The goal, obviously, is to imitate this relentless killer instinct on Sunday's. As noted in our 10 burning questions before training camp, the Browns led or were tied at halftime 10 different times in 2013. Blame the second half collapses on coaches or players. Or blame it on a lack of relentless preparation in the 2013 offseason that led to the Browns' demise.
The gas pedal is to the floor. As Hoyer stated, the feeling of urgency has already set the tone in Cleveland.
