CLEVELAND (AP) — It’s a new era for the Cleveland Browns. Isn’t it always?

They’re starting over, yet again. No NFL team has made as many false starts as the guys in the logoless orange helmets.

On Sunday, the bedeviled Browns, who have spent most of the past 12 years losing their way toward the bottom, will open the 2011 season against the Cincinnati Bengals under Pat Shurmur, their fifth coach since 1999, third in four years and a man who before this summer had no head coaching experience — at any level.

Shurmur’s won’t be the only debut. The Browns will unveil a new West Coast offense, a realigned 4-3 defense and quarterback Colt McCoy will become the 10th QB to open the season for Cleveland since ’99. McCoy’s performance as a rookie has renewed hope in Cleveland, where optimism can dry up quickly.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” said McCoy. “We’re really excited about getting started. Now it counts.”

The Bengals, too, have changed their stripes.

For the first time since 2004, Carson Palmer is not their quarterback and it doesn’t appear he’ll be coming back anytime soon. Disgusted with the team’s general lack of direction following a 4-12 season, Palmer approached Bengals owner Mike Brown and asked to be traded with four years left on his contract.

Brown refused. Palmer dug in his heels, and the awkward standoff continues with no end in sight. So when the Bengals take the field Sunday, Palmer, who has led them to their only two winning seasons in 20 years, may be walking a golf course somewhere in pseudo retirement.

Rookie Andy Dalton, tabbed as Palmer’s heir apparent when he was drafted in April, will start. The Bengals, who also have a new offensive scheme, will also get their first regular-season look at wide receiver A.J. Green, a talented first-round pick who has to fill the Grand Canyon-sized cavity left by the departures of Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens.

Beyond that, Bengals running back Cedric Benson will play just a week after being released from a Texas jail, where he spent time mopping floors and reflecting on the career he placed in jeopardy for two assault convictions. He’ll run behind a revamped Cincinnati offensive line, which lost right guard Bobbie Williams, suspended four games for violating the league’s ban on performance-enhancing substances. Rookie Clint Boling will start.

For the Browns, season openers have been previews of trouble.

They’ve lost six straight and gone just 1-11 in their first game since ’99. Shurmur, who spent the past two seasons as St. Louis’ offensive coordinator, doesn’t want to put too much emphasis on the opener, but he knows a good start can lead to good things.

“It’s important if you’re going to string some victories together that you get the first one,” he said. “I do know a loss in the first game is only fatal if you let it be because it’s a long season, but I do get it’s that much easier to have a good season if you win the first one. I’m aware of all that and we’re doing what we can to put a team out there that can compete and give ourselves a chance to win that game.”

McCoy could be the key. The second-year QB has adjusted well to the West Coast scheme, which places a heavy emphasis on accuracy and precise route running. McCoy had one of his best games last season against the Bengals, throwing two TD passes in a 19-17 loss. He’s 0-4 so far in games inside the AFC North, and now would be a good time to get his first win.

The Bengals are nowhere close to being on the same level with the Ravens or Steelers, but McCoy isn’t overlooking Cincinnati’s defense, which sacked him four times in December.

“It’s a division game and those guys are coming to our house,” McCoy said. “We’re excited about it. We look forward to the opportunity to go out there and play and understand the challenges there. One thing when you look at their defense is they’re veterans across the board.

“They don’t have any rookies. Everyone who plays on defense has played before and that’s big for a team. When you look at tape, you can tell. They don’t bust coverages, they don’t mess up. They bring a lot of pressure and for us, we’ve got our hands full.”

Dalton’s hands are full as well.

The former Texas Christian star had some nice moments during the preseason, and a few he’d like to forget. Still, he displayed some good decision-making while completing 36 of 60 passes for 328 yards with three interceptions and one touchdown. That’s only a passer rating of 59.6, but that number means nothing anymore.

Shurmur, a former quarterbacks coach who helped develop rookie Sam Bradford in St. Louis last season, believes Dalton has the makings of a solid pro.

“He’s very accurate,” Shurmur said. “He’s a tough guy, he works well from the pocket. He’s mobile enough to make plays outside and extend the play. We liked him a great deal. He was a guy, much like A.J. Green, once he learns the system and gets up and running, I think he’s going to be a good quarterback in this league.”

Shurmur may have an even better one in McCoy.

The 25-year-old has shown composure beyond his years since being made the Browns’ No. 1 quarterback. There’s no doubt in his mind that he’s Cleveland’s undisputed leader. He’ll try to show Cincinnati the same.

“It’s been like that since we came back (from the lockout),” McCoy said. “I’m really honestly past that. I understand it’s my job to go out and play well and lead my team.”

On Sunday, McCoy and Dalton will renew acquaintances. The two Texas QBs never met in high school, but hooked up in 2007, when McCoy was a sophomore at Texas and Dalton a freshman at TCU, making his second start. The Longhorns rolled over the Horned Frogs in Austin 34-13, a score McCoy pretended not to remember.

“They came to us,” McCoy said with a smile, “and we beat ’em pretty bad. I think it was close at halftime.”