CLEVELAND -- History is a tricky topic with the Cleveland Browns.

There's the past that stretches to 1946 under the legendary Paul Brown, but that team ceased to exist when owner Art Modell whisked it off to Baltimore after the 1995 season to become the Ravens, a move that enraged fans in northeast Ohio.

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There's the past that goes only as far as 1999, when the Browns were resurrected.

And there's the history the team would like to make this year by having its best season since it became an expansion club.

A victory Sunday against the Steelers at Heinz Field would put Cleveland at 3-2. It hasn't been over .500 since late in the 2002 season -- the only year out of the first five that the "new" Browns had a winning record or made the playoffs. They lost to the Steelers in the AFC wild-card round that year.

"We're going to play as hard as we can," fourth-year coach Butch Davis said. "You just hope the fans will jump on board and be there for us when we struggle, be there when things don't go good, be there when we go three-and-out, be there when we're down a little bit, and give these guys a chance to fight to win a game."

In some ways, this season represents yet another new start for the Browns, who fell to 5-11 last season. Several new players are at prominent positions in 2004, most notably quarterback Jeff Garcia.

Still, expectations have escalated over the past few weeks as Cleveland has gotten off to a 2-2 start, despite not only the new faces but a rash of injuries. Four of its next five games are against AFC North Division teams, a stretch that could determine the success of the season.

There is precedent for expansion clubs to get good fast. Carolina and Jacksonville joined the NFL in 1995 and made it to their respective conference championship game in 1996. The Jaguars returned to the AFC title game in 1999. The Panthers reached the Super Bowl in February.

Cleveland's defense wasn't hit as hard by turnover and injury, although defensive end Courtney Brown is out for the year with a foot injury. The Browns are giving up just 15 points and 100.8 yards rushing per game on average, both ranked eighth in the NFL.

It is the offense that will swing things one direction or the other.

Besides Garcia, who signed as a free agent, new starters are at right guard and fullback, and first-round draft pick Kellen Winslow Jr., an imposing tight end, is out for the season because of a broken leg.

"We're working on evolving, on becoming a better offense," said Garcia, who has had two good games in wins at home and two tough games in losses on the road. He is 58 of 103 for 626 yards with three touchdowns and four interceptions.

"We've been blessed with a solid defense. We've been blessed with outstanding special teams. It's the offense's job to pick up the tempo, pick up the pace."

Garcia was a three-time Pro Bowl player with San Francisco, but leaving the West Coast offense has been an adjustment.

"I feel like I'm still developing, but I feel like things are getting more natural for me on the field," he said.

Evidence might have come last weekend, when Garcia notched his 11th career fourth-quarter comeback in the Browns' 17-13 win against Washington.

Cleveland also got some injured players back last week. One was running back Lee Suggs, who played his first game of the year after injuring his neck in practice. He replaced starter William Green late in the first quarter and rushed for 82 yards, including the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.

It's a tag team that's likely to last all season. In Suggs' absence the first three games, Green rushed 56 times for 208 yards.

"Throughout the rest of the season, hopefully, they'll both be able to contribute and play," Davis said, adding that the two former Big East backs -- Green from Boston College, Suggs from Virginia Tech -- don't have ego problems with sharing the role.

Suggs even went so far as to feel bad that Green got pushed out of the Redskins game.

"That's my friend and my teammate," Suggs said. "He probably felt like I did when I was on the sideline watching. You feel helpless. There's going to be games where he has the hot hand and he's going to be in. We have to stick together."

That is something the whole team might want to consider if it hopes to keep its head above water and drive toward another playoff appearance.

So far, so good. Even Davis' expectations have been surpassed.

"I didn't fully believe at the beginning of training camp that you would see us play our best until the second half of the season," he said. "Every week gives us a chance to grow."