How the Cleveland Browns compare to sport's biggest losers

The Cleveland Browns ended a 19-game wait for a win dating back to 2016 with their 21-17 NFL victory over the New York Jets on Thursday.

Here, Press Association Sport examines some of the longest losing runs in sporting history.

Sunderland, 20 Premier League games in 2002-03 and 2005-06

Peter Reid, Howard Wilkinson and Mick McCarthy all managed Sunderland through their miserable relegation season in 2002-03, a wretched campaign that ended in 15 consecutive defeats. As if that stretch were not bad enough, when the Black Cats returned to the top flight they promptly lost their next five matches to extend that losing streak still further. McCarthy had managed to guide Sunderland back to the big time following that 2003 relegation but could not stay the course on their return, relinquishing his post in February with Sunderland eventually heading straight back down to the Championship.

Philadelphia 76ers, 28 NBA games between 2014-15 and 2015-16

The worst losing streak in American pro sports history spanned two campaigns and assured the 76ers the most unwanted tag possible. That run finally came to an end in December 2015 when Philadelphia edged out the Los Angeles Lakers 103-91, denying the retiring Kobe Bryant a last win against his hometown franchise. The 76ers were only extending their existing NBA worst losing streak in any case, having tied the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers with their run of 26 straight losses in 2013-14.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 26 NFL games between 1976 and 1977

A 10-0 loss to the Chicago Bears on December 4, 1977 cemented Tampa's status as the worst-performing team in NFL history. For a long time this streak stood out as the worst in professional sport in the USA, until the 76ers came along and eclipsed it. Before Philadelphia's basketball basket cases though, it was left to the Buccaneers to stand alone as the nadir of not just the NFL but the entire United States. Tampa finally ended the streak with a 33-14 win over the New Orleans Saints, but after slipping to an 0-14 season in 1976 they followed that up with a run of 0-12 in 1977.

Bangladesh, 21 Test matches between 2001 and 2004

Bangladesh won full International Cricket Council (ICC) status in 2000 but spent three years toiling away in Test cricket before avoiding defeat. In the end that sequence was broken by a draw, in the second of a three-Test series in Zimbabwe. So late February 2004 proved the end of what still remains a Test-record 21 consecutive losses. Bangladesh's maiden Test victory did not come until January 2005, a 226-run win over Zimbabwe in Chittagong.

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