1994 Cleveland Browns season

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1994 Cleveland Browns season
Head coach Bill Belichick
Owner Art Modell
Home field Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Results
Record 11–5
Division place 2nd AFC Central
Playoff finish Won Wild Card (Patriots) 20–13
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 29–9
Uniform
AFC-Throwback75th-Uniform-CLE.PNG

The 1994 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 45th season with the National Football League. It was the only season that the Browns qualified for the playoffs under head coach Bill Belichick. The Browns finished as the NFL's number one defense in terms of points surrendered per game (12.8 points per game). In the playoffs, Belichick got his first playoff victory as a head coach in the AFC Wild Card Game against the New England Patriots.

Offseason

NFL draft

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Main article: 1994 NFL draft
1994 Cleveland Browns draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 9 Antonio Langham  Cornerback Alabama 1993 Jim Thorpe Award
1 29 Derrick Alexander  Wide receiver Michigan 1992 All-American
3 75 Romeo Bandison  Defensive tackle Oregon
5 141 Issac Booth  Defensive back California
6 171 Robert Strait  Running back Baylor
7 203 Andre Hewitt  Offensive tackle Clemson
      Made roster  

[1]

Trades Made

Personnel

Staff

1994 Cleveland Browns staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

 Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and Conditioning – Jerry Simmons

[3]

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result TV Time Attendance
1 September 4, 1994 at Cincinnati Bengals W 28–20 NBC 1:00et
52,778
2 September 11, 1994 Pittsburgh Steelers L 17–10 NBC 1:00et
77,774
3 September 18, 1994 Arizona Cardinals W 32–0 FOX 1:00et
62,818
4 September 25, 1994 at Indianapolis Colts W 21–14 NBC 1:00et
55,821
5 October 2, 1994 New York Jets W 27–7 NBC 1:00et
76,188
7 October 13, 1994 at Houston Oilers W 11–8 TNT 8:00et
50,364
8 October 23, 1994 Cincinnati Bengals W 37–13 NBC 1:00et
77,588
9 October 30, 1994 at Denver Broncos L 26–14 NBC 4:00et
73,190
10 November 6, 1994 New England Patriots W 13–6 NBC 4:00et
73,878
11 November 13, 1994 at Philadelphia Eagles W 26–7 NBC 1:00et
65,233
12 November 20, 1994 at Kansas City Chiefs L 20–13 NBC 1:00et
69,121
13 November 27, 1994 Houston Oilers W 34–10 NBC 1:00et
65,088
14 December 4, 1994 New York Giants L 16–13 FOX 4:00et
72,068
15 December 10, 1994 at Dallas Cowboys W 19–14 NBC 4:00et
64,826
16 December 18, 1994 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 17–7 NBC 4:00et
60,808
17 December 24, 1994 Seattle Seahawks W 35–9 NBC 1:00et
54,180

Standings

AFC Central
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(1) Pittsburgh Steelers 12 4 0 .750 316 234 L1
(4) Cleveland Browns 11 5 0 .688 340 204 W1
Cincinnati Bengals 3 13 0 .188 276 406 W1
Houston Oilers 2 14 0 .125 226 352 W1

Game Summaries

Both Vinny Testaverde and falling third-year Bengal David Klingler were picked off twice. Testaverde got the better of the first round of 1994's Battle Of Ohio as he raced the Browns to a 28–13 lead, enough to absorb a Klingler touchdown in the fourth to Darnay Scott. The Browns won 28–20.

The Steelers ended a four-game road losing streak to the Browns as they erased a 10–0 Browns lead with 17 unanswered points. Vinny Testaverde was picked off four times in the 17–10 loss.

Week 3: vs. Arizona

Week 3: Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Cardinals 0 0 0 0 0
Browns 0 3 15 14 32

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH

  • Date: September 18
  • Game time: 1:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 65°F, relative humidity 62%, round (wind) 11 MPH
  • Game attendance: 62,818
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert (play–by–play) and Ron Pitts (color commentator)
  • [1]
Game information
First Quarter

No scoring

Second Quarter
  • CLE (1:31) – Stover 32 yard field goal
    Browns 3, Cardinals 0
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter
Top passers
Top rushers
Top receivers
Turnovers
  • ARI – 3
  • CLE – 2

The Browns hosted Buddy Ryan, now coach of the Cardinals after his tumultuous stay with the Oilers. Ryan had to bear witness as Vinny Testaverde tossed two touchdowns and ran in a third while Jay Schroeder and Jim McMahon combined for just 26 of 58 passes with three interceptions in a 32–0 Browns shutout win.

In a 21–14 Browns win, Testaverde threw three more touchdowns as the game lead tied or changed on every score. Testaverde's scores offset scores by Marshall Faulk and Jim Harbaugh, both destined to be important rivals of Browns coach Bill Belichick in the future.

Eight years after their infamous playoff meeting the Jets and Browns renewed acquaintances and the Browns raced to a 27–0 lead before Jack Trudeau, subbing for regular starter Boomer Esiason, found the endzone from 24 yards out. Trudeau was picked off twice as well in the 27–7 Browns win.

  • Week Six – BYE WEEK
  • Week Seven @ Houston

On a rare Thursday Night NFL game, the collapse of the Oilers following their 1993 season continued as the Browns clawed out a Vinny Testaverde touchdown, a two-point conversion, and a field goal in the second quarter, offsetting a fourth-quarter score from Billy Joe Tolliver. The 11–8 loss put the Oilers at 1–5 with the Browns now 5–1.

  • Week Eight vs. Cincinnati

The winless Bengals clawed to a 13–10 halftime lead, then the Browns exploded to 27 unanswered points en route to a 37–13 rout; one touchdown came off a goalline fumble by the Bengals. Former Redskins hero Mark Rypien came in late and completed three of eleven passes.

The Browns remained haunted by the ghost of their two bitter playoff failures to John Elway as Elway led a Broncos offense putting up 457 yards of offense and 26 points to offset two Matt Stover field goals and a touchdown from Mark Rypien. The 26–14 Broncos win was only the third of their season.

Bill Belichick faced his former boss Bill Parcells and got the better of Parcells and second-year quarterback Drew Bledsoe, intercepting him four times as Mark Rypien tossed a one-yard score to Leroy Hoard. The 13–6 outcome put the Browns at 7–2 while the Patriots fell to 3–6 awaiting the Vikings.

The 7–2 Eagles were crushed 26–7 as Randall Cunningham was picked off once and held to just 242 yards of offense; the loss began a season-ending spiral for the Eagles and coach Rich Kotite.

Joe Montana managed only 169 passing yards but still got the better of the Browns 20–13 as three different passers for the Browns managed only 152 yards and a pick.

  • Week 13 vs. Houston

The Browns completed a season sweep of the Oilers – now under new coach Jeff Fisher – 34–10, limiting the Oilers to 182 yards of offense.

Facing his former team, Bill Belichick saw the Giants unable to reach 300 yards of offense yet still win 16–13, picking off Vinny Testaverde twice while sacking him four times. The game was a penalty-laden affair with 21 combined fouls for 162 yards.

Once again Testaverde couldn't deliver much yardage – just 118 passing yards with one touchdown and one pick – but he did enough for a 19–14 win over the defending Super Bowl champions. The Browns picked off Troy Aikman twice while forcing two fumbles. Matt Stover's four field goals were sufficient for the win.

  • Week 16 @ Pittsburgh

The measuring stick for the Browns has always been the Steelers and once again the Browns came up short, this time 17–7. Testaverde had one touchdown and two picks while Barry Foster rushed for 106 yards and Neil O'Donnell had 175 passing yards and a touchdown. The win locked up the AFC Central for the Steelers, but the Browns nonetheless were also in the playoffs.

Vinny Testaverde scored three times, once on the ground, as five different Cleveland backs combined for over 100 rushing yards and two additional scores in a 35–7 rout of the Seahawks. With vaunted 1993 rookie Rick Mirer faltering, two different Seahawks quarterbacks combined for 229 yards and a pick.

Playoffs

Week Date Opponent Result TV Time Attendance
Wild Card January 1, 1995 New England Patriots W 20–13 NBC 12:30et 77,452
Division January 7, 1995 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 29–9 NBC 12:30et 58,185

AFC Wild Card game

AFC Wild Card: New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Patriots 0 10 0 3 13
Browns 3 7 7 3 20

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

  • Date: January 1, 1995
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), relative humidity 94%, round (wind) 10 MPH
  • TV: ABC
  • Boxscore
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • CLE – Leroy Hoard 10-yard rush (Matt Stover kick) Browns 17–10
Fourth quarter
  • CLE – Matt Stover 21-yard field goal Browns 20–10
  • NE – Matt Bahr 33-yard field goal Browns 20–13
Leading passers
  • NE – Drew Bledsoe – 21/50, 235 yards, TD, 3 INT
  • CLE – Vinny Testaverde – 20/30, 268 yards, TD
Leading rushers
  • NE – Corey Croom – 9 rushes, 35 yards
  • CLE – Leroy Hoard – 17 rushes, 66 yards
Leading receivers
  • NE – Vincent Brisby – 6 rec, 83 yards
  • CLE – Michael Jackson – 7 rec, 122 yards

As of September 2015, this is the Browns' most recent home playoff game and their most recent playoff victory.

AFC Divisional Game

AFC Divisional Game: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
1 2 3 4 Total
Browns 0 3 0 6 9
Steelers 3 21 3 2 29

at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • Date: January 7, 1995
  • Game time: 12:30 p.m. PDT
  • Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C), relative humidity 85%, round (wind) 13 MPH
  • TV: NBC
  • Boxscore
Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
Leading passers
  • CLE – Vinny Testaverde – 13/31, 144 yards, TD, 2 INT
  • PIT – Neil O'Donnell – 16/23, 186 yards, 2 TD
Leading rushers
  • CLE – Ernest Byner – 9 rushes, 43 yards
  • PIT – Barry Foster – 24 rushes, 133 yards
Leading receivers
  • CLE – Keenan McCardell – 3 rec, 47 yards, TD
  • PIT – Ernie Mills – 5 rec, 117 yards

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ http://www.prosportstransactions.com/football/DraftTrades/Years/1994.htm
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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