Monday night date eludes the Browns again

The Broncos and Saints will make rare visits to Cleveland.
CLEVELAND (AP) -- The Browns will march into the 2006 season with the New Orleans Saints.
For the eighth straight year, Cleveland's opener will be played at home as the Browns will face the Saints on Sept. 10.
Among the other highlights on the club's schedule released on Thursday is a Dec. 7 prime time matchup in Pittsburgh with the Super Bowl champion Steelers.
Along with games against the Saints and AFC Central opponents Pittsburgh (Nov. 19), Cincinnati (Nov. 26), and Baltimore (Sept. 24), the Browns will host Denver (Oct. 22), the New York Jets (Oct. 29), Kansas City (Dec. 3) and Tampa Bay (Dec. 24).
They'll go on the road to play Cincinnati (Sept. 17), Oakland (Oct. 1), Carolina (Oct. 8), San Diego (Nov. 5), Atlanta (Nov. 12), Pittsburgh (Dec. 7), Baltimore (Dec. 17) and Houston (Dec. 31).
No Monday games
Once again, the Browns will not play on Monday night. Cleveland has played on Monday only one time since returning to the league in 1999 as an expansion team, losing to St. Louis in 2003.
Other quirks on Cleveland's schedule:
The combined 2005 record of the Browns' 2006 opponents is 131-125.
Of their 13 opponents, eight have starting quarterbacks who were former first-round picks: Kyle Boller (Baltimore), Carson Palmer (Cincinnati), Ben Roethlisberger (Pittsburgh), David Carr (Houston), Michael Vick (Atlanta), Chad Pennington (N.Y. Jets), Jake Plummer (Denver) and Philip Rivers (San Diego).
The Browns will face eight running backs that topped 1,000 yards last season: Larry Johnson, Kansas City (1,750); LaDainian Tomlinson, San Diego (1,462); Rudi Johnson, Cincinnati (1,458); Warrick Dunn, Atlanta (1,416); Willie Parker, Pittsburgh (1,202); Cadillac Williams, Tampa Bay (1,178); LaMont Jordan, Oakland (1,025); and Mike Anderson, Denver (1,014).
Some of the free agents signed the Browns signed this year will face their former teams including: OL LeCharles Bentley vs. New Orleans; OL Kevin Shaffer at Atlanta; NT Ted Washington at Oakland; P Dave Zastudil and TE Darnell Dinkins vs. Baltimore; and OL Bob Hallen at San Diego.
Denver and New Orleans will make their first visits to Cleveland since 1993.
The Browns will make their first regular-season visit to Carolina.