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Heading into the 1994 season Bill Belichick and the Browns had a lot to prove and all their chips pushed into the middle of the table. They rolled the dice and came up craps the year before by cutting Bernie Kosar when the team was 5-3, and watching the season fall part right after. Art Model showed faith in Bill Belichick and kept him around for a fourth season after going just 20- 28 in his first two seasons at the helm. It was time for the moves to finally start paying off and the fruits of their labor to be picked.
Part of the reason Model was so loyal to Belichick was the he took the fall for cutting Kosar when Model had secretly wanted to do so for years. Belichick was not emotionally attached to the situation and just wanted to win with the best weapons he had available. If they weren’t already there he would clean house if he had too.
The pressure was on Belichick to the lead the Browns to the playoffs or else his days as a head coach in the NFL would be numbered. Art Modell was not a patient man, and the fact that after three seasons under Bill Belichick and no playoff runs, and he hadn’t already made a switch at head coach was a shock to many fans and personal around the NFL. He had refused to hire an offensive coordinator despite his background being in defense. It was time for Belichick to start producing wins or update his resume and prepare to go back to being just a coordinator.
The team belonged to Belichick and his handprints were all over it at every position. He had his man behind center and believed that he had gotten rid of all distractions; in 1994 it would be playoffs or bust. Anytime you get rid of one of the most popular players in team history, you better deliver with wins to follow such a risky move.
One of the biggest reasons that Art Model has so much faith in Belichick was the history of winning in his career, and the coaching tree of Bill Parcells that he came from. Bill Belichick was born into a family of football coaching pedigree. His father Steve was an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy as the young Belichick grew up in Annapolis, Maryland. Growing up he excelled at both football and lacrosse, playing both through high school at Annapolis High School until graduating in 1970. He remained around both games when he went to college for one year at Phillips Academy before transferring a year later to attend Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. He continued to play both sports before graduating in 1975 with a degree in economics.
It was after college that Belichick began one of the greatest coaching runs in NFL History as seen by many of current peers, former players and national media. It all began in 1975 when he took a minimum wage job working as Baltimore Colts head coach Ted Marchibroda special assistant. Belichick was rumored to only have been paid $25 a week, if so, it didn’t matter because he was on the professional level near the game that he loved and had in his blood.
The next destination for the Belichick was in Detroit, as he took over the role of special assistant to the special teams coach for the Lions. He did so well in that role that after only a year he was promoted to tight ends and wide receivers coach for the 1977 season in Detroit. After two years in Detroit he spent one brief season with the Denver Broncos as their assistant special teams coach and defensive assistant. Following his stints in Baltimore, Detroit and Denver, he would take the job that would change his life and coaching future forever.
Belichick joined the coaching staff of the New York Giants in 1979 as a special teams and defensive assistant on the staff led by head coach Ray Perkins. It was the perfect fit for Belichick as he remained in New York for the next 12 seasons in various roles. In 1993 Bill Parcells came in as the new head coach, replacing Perkins, and it was a match made in heaven for the two Bills.
While coaching under Bill Parcells, Belichick was able to learn from one of the best coaches in the game and was influential in both of the New York Giants Super Bowl wins at the end of the 1986 and 1990 seasons. The latter was the more impressive victory as Belichick’s defensive scheme stopped the highest-powered offense in football, the Buffalo Bills and helped his offense get enough time with the ball to win the game. The Giants won on a last second missed field goal by Bills kicker Scott Norwood, but it was Belichicks wonderful scheme that held them to only 19 points in the win. That performance and his history was enough for Model to bring him to Cleveland in the Winter of 1991.
His first three seasons was a max exodus of veterans such as Reggie Langhorne, Brian Brennan, Webster Slaughter, Ozzie Newsome, Kevin Mack and eventually Bernie Kosar on offense. Instead, he was bounce and determined to draft, sign and trade for the talent that would fit into his unique system and way of doing things.
These men included names such as Vinny Testaverde at quarterback. If fans put a lot of pressure on Model and Belichick for cutting Bernie, then it would be Vinny who was being counted on to pull them out of that fire. He was the man who replaced Bernie Kosar in college at “The U”, and then again with the Browns.
Testaverde was an excellent college quarterback at the University of Miami. He took over for Bernie Kosar when Kosar graduated. He filled Kosars shoes very well as a senior in 1986, as he was a consensus first-team All-American and won the Heisman Trophy, on his way to becoming the Hurricanes’ all-time leader in career touchdown passes with 48.
His career at college was so good that he eventually was inducted into the University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame in 1998 and on May 7, 2013, Testaverde was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. His time at Miami only had one major dark note as he threw five interceptions in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl, a 14 – 10 loss in which they were heavily favored. The poor performance not only cost Miami the game, but also the National Championship.
Testaverde was the first overall draft pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1987 NFL draft. The following year, Testaverde became the Bucs’ starting quarterback, with a 47.6% completion rate for 3,240 yards and 13 touchdowns, and 35 interceptions. His numbers were horrible and many fans took to blaming his poor performance on his noted color blindness. He was a giant bust as the number one pick, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried everything they could to stick with Testaverde as long as they could because of how high they drafted him. He spent four more seasons with Tampa, throwing a total of 79 touchdowns and 112 interceptions. He only threw for 3000 plus yards twice in that span.
Vinny Testaverde left Tampa Bay after the 1992 season, and signed with Cleveland as a free agent. At the time, no one really thought much of the move other then he would be a veteran backup for the often injured Kosar. Testaverde couldn’t take the job away from Kosar in preseason, nor did anyone believe it would be an open competition to do so. No one that is, except for one Bill Belichick, who made it clear to anyone who would listen inside of the organization that it was only a matter of time before Kosar was out, and Testaverde was in.
One of Testaverdes biggest threat was going to be a man he played with quite a bit in Tampa Bay, and that was wide receiver Mark Carrier who came to the Browns in the 1993 pre-season. Carrier was solid a number two threat behind Michael Jackson in 1993 as he hauled in 43 catches for 743 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was second on the team in receptions behind Eric Metcalf with 73 and dropped very few if any passes.
As mentioned, Carrier was no stranger to catching balls from Vinny. Mark Carrier was a big, fast, physical receiver who could break the bump and run coverage for a big play. Carrier was also known to have soft hands and could catch anything thrown his way. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the third round of the 1987 NFL Draft and was 57th overall selection out of Nicholls State. In college at Nicholls State he was named first-team Associated Press All-American and first-team Kodak All-American by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in 1986. He finished his football career at Nicholls as the all time receiving leader in receptions with 142, yards with 2709), yards per catch with 20.4 and 100 yard games with 11.
Mark Carrier also knew a thing or two about winning, despite his lack of playoff experience in Tampa Bay, his college days brought a lot of victories. He helped Nicholls State reach the Division 1AA National Championships eventually losing to Georgia Southern in the Quarterfinals, the eventual National Champions. Years later he was voted into the Nicholls State University Hall of Fame, forever leaving his mark on the college. He also showed his loyalty and commitment to finishing something when he returned to Nicholls State after his NFL career ended, and achieved his degree.
While in Tampa Bay he earned a 1989 Pro Bowl selection as he caught career-high 86 receptions for 1,422 yards and 9 touchdowns that season for the Buccaneers. He followed it with another solid 1990 season where he caught 49 balls for 813 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also had just under 700 yards the following two seasons, and was the perfect complement to Michael Jackson. The other quality about Mark Carrier was that he had the ability to stay healthy, only once in his career didn’t he play all 16 games in a season.
In 1993, the Browns lacked a consistent running game which is crazy to think considering the stout running back room they had. It was insane to think in a backfield of Leroy Hoard, Tommy Vardell and Eric Metcalf, no one even reached 700 yards. Touchdown Tommy Vardell led the team with 644 yards and 3 touchdowns on 171 attempts. Eric Metcalf went for 611 yards on the ground but also hauled in the 63 catches for 539 yards. Combined for Metcalf, he was responsible for over 1,000 yards and 6 total touchdowns when you mix in the 3 he had on special teams returning punts.
While 1993 was a down year for Leroy Hoard with only 56 carries, he turned it around in a big way in 1994 as Metcalf became strictly a pass catching back, and Tommy Vardell only appeared in 5 games because of injury. Hoard would rush for 890 yards on an increased 209 carries with 5 touchdowns. Hoard, was a big reason the Browns went 11-5 in 1994 and made the playoffs.
Testaverde also excelled in 1994 as well. The veteran signal caller went 200 of 376 passing for 2576 yards with 16 touchdowns. Vinny hooked up with a foursome of wideouts that kept the Browns moving the chains, and putting up points! Metcalf once again did damage through the air with 43 receptions for 436 yards. Carrier yanked down 29 for 452 yards, rookie Derrick Alexander had 48 for 828 yards to lead the team wile Michael Jackson hauled in 21 catches for 304 yards.
Speaking of Derrick Alexander, he came to town in the 1994 NFL Draft, selected in the 1rst round with the 29th pick. He was one of two first round picks the Browns had that year, along with stud cornerback Antonio Langham out of Alabama. Alexander may have came from the enemy Michigan, but fans embraced him as a Brown pretty quickly.
Derrick Alexander sat behind former Heisman Trophy award winner Desmond Howard in his first two seasons at Michigan before getting his chance to shine in his junior season when he became the Wolverines number one receiver. He relished the role of go to receiver and in his junior and senior seasons he led the team in receptions and receiving yards. The Browns liked the fact that he could fill multiple roles when needed as well.
He showed the ability to return kicks in college as he once returned a punt for 79 yards, the longest punt return in Outback Bowl history, as well as the only punt returned for a touchdown. It was also his final college game, which made a great lasting impression for NFL teams scouting him. Derrick Alexander was also twice named to the All-Big Ten Conference team, and was honored as an All-American in 1992.
It was a great first round for the Browns as they made two good picks as Langham was the top cornerback selected. Derrick Alexander was the fourth wide receiver off the board, however the three men picked in front of him, Charles Johnson, Johnie Morton and Thomas Lewis never did much in the NFL, and the Browns were seen to get the steal of the first round with the combo of Langham, and Alexander.
Also stepping up to help the offense move the ball at will in 1994 was tight end Brian Kinchen. It’s never easy replacing a legend like Ozzie Newsome, but Kinchen was consistent and the fans had no problems taking to him as well because of his work ethic, and ability to catch any ball tossed his way. Kinchen finished 1994 with 23 catches for 304 yards and several chain movers.
The Browns biggest two reasons for offensive success in 1994 came in the form of offseason additions. One in the form of the sidelines, and the other in the form of a backup quarterback on the sidelines and in the huddle.
Bill Belichick showed his first sign of maybe feeling the pressure, when he finally gave in and decided to hire an offensive coordinator before going into the offseason period of free agency and draft. Belichick promoted Steve Crosby from running backs coach to offensive coordinator. Crosby had been around the game of football since he was a young boy growing up in Kansas. He played college ball at Fort Hays State, a little known college that Crosby would leave a big mark on by the time he was done playing there.
He was an Associated Press Little All-American in 1973, two-time National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics All-District in 1972–1973, and a two-time All-Great Plains Athletic Conference selection in 1972–1973. By the time he graduated he compiled 2,780 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns. He also showed his willingness to be a team player when he filled in for the quarterback and even the middle linebacker when both when down to injury.
He was drafted by the New York Giants in the 17th round of the 1974 draft. It is hard to believe that the draft was ever that many rounds; in fact, Steve Crosby was one of the few players ever to be drafted that late and actually make an NFL roster. He played three seasons with the New York Giants before making the decision to retire.
After he retired from playing professional ball, his first instinct was to finish college and earn a master’s degree so he could become a high school teacher. Despite earning the degree, he never made it to teaching because he was offered the golden chance to be a scout for the Miami Dolphins. A chance to be a part of the staff working under Don Shula was simply too good for anyone to pass up.
It turned out to be the best move he could make as he stayed in Miami through the 1983 season. He was a part of their Super Bowl team in 1982 that lost to the Washington Redskins. While in Miami he rose from being just a scout to becoming both the special teams coach and linebackers coach.
He departed Miami after the 1982 regular season to serve as the Atlanta Falcons running backs and quarterbacks coach for two seasons. From there he arrived in Cleveland in 1985 and took over the role of running backs coach. It was a major success as the Browns boosted to 1,000 yard rushers that season, Earnest Byner and Kevin Mack. For unknown reasons, perhaps issues with Marty Schottenheimer, he left Cleveland after one great season. He returned to Atlanta in the same role he left for the next four seasons.
He left Atlanta after the 1989 season and arrived in New England to become their special teams coach. After only one season there, he returned to Cleveland to be on the Belichick staff as the running back coach. Things went well with him and the head coach and the connection he had with Belichick was strong enough that heading into the 1994 season, Belichick made the move fans and local media never thought he would and promoted Crosby to offensive coordinator.
One major reason for it was the interesting scheme that they had with using multiple running backs in each game plan, despite it not being popular with the running backs, Belichick liked it and Crosby would be his main man.
Another big addition as mentioned came on the sidelines in the form of a reliable backup quarterback. Case in point as to how important it is to have a reliable backup quarterback who is not going to cause any drama behind the scenes and they did that when they brought in Washington Redskin veteran Mark Rypien.
1993 was a perfect example of quickly things can go south in if the quarterback room was in shambles. Bernie Kosar was hanging on by a thread and while Vinny Testaverde was out with injury, Philcox showed everyone he had no business taking snaps in an NFL huddle. Everyone loves the backup, but the Browns needed Testaverde to succeed and someone who could mentor and guide him into doing soon, enter, Mark Rypien!
As Todd Philcox failed miserably in his attempt to backup Testaverde and Kosar in prior years, the Browns knew they still needed to get that hole filled in case of another Testaverde injury. They brought in veteran backup and Super Bowl winning quarterback Mark Rypien from the Washington Redskins.
This move was seen as a huge upgrade from Philcox as Rypien had encountered great success in his career while in Washington. Professional wrestler Bret the Hitman Hart is one of the most notable athletes to come out of Calgary, Alberta, Canada but Mark Rypien can also lay steak to that claim. He was born in Canada but quickly moved to the United States where his parents raised him in Spokane, Washington.
He was a natural athlete and it showed when he got to high school and became a three sport athlete. Rypien was also known for his accuracy as a deep passer. He excelled at football, basketball, and baseball at Shadle Park High School. He was also no stranger of winning championships as his basketball team won the 1981 Washington State Title.
His college career at Washington State University did not goes as planned as he encountered several knee injuries until the point in which he almost left the game. He was able to turn what was left of his college career around and perform well enough at the Senior Bowl to get a few NFL teams to take a closer look at him. He was eventually selected by the Washington Redskins in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. It didn’t come with much fan fare as he was the 146th overall pick and the eighth quarterback selected. A few of the quarterbacks that went before him included Jim Everett, Chuck Long, Jack Trudeau, Bubby Brister, Hugh Millen, Robbie Bosco and Doug Gaynor to name a few. Only one of them went on to have a decent NFL career.
Much like his college career, his pro career did not get off to a good start and was injury riddled as he spent his first two seasons on the injured reserve list. His team did win the Super Bowl at the end of the 1987 season. It wasn’t until the 1989 season that Rypien finally got his chance to play full time as the Redskins traded away Jay Schroeder and he was able to beat out the incumbent Doug Williams for the starting spot.
Rypien immediately showed he was worthy of the spot as he threw for 3,768 yards with 22 touchdowns. Two seasons later in 1991, he would have the best season of his career with 3,564 passing yards and 28 touchdowns while only tossing 11 interceptions. He led the Washington Redskins to Super Bowl XXVI after recording a 14-2 regular season record. He played well in the big game and accumulated 292 passing yards and 2 touchdowns and leading his team to a 37-24 win over the Buffalo Bills. His performance earned him the Super Bowl MVP Award, he was the first foreign-born player to earn the honor.
The Redskins would make it back to the playoffs the following season a win in their first round playoff game on the road in Minnesota against the Vikings only to meet with defeat the following week against the perennial Super Bowl favorites, the San Francisco 49ers. His numbers slipped a bit that season as well with 3,282 yards but only 13 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
Things got worse for Rypien the following season in 1993 under new head coach Richie Petitbon as his numbers continued to drop. His 1993 season only saw him start 10 games and throw 4 touchdowns with 10 interceptions; his career in Washington would soon be over.
Richie Petitbon didn’t last as the head coach in Washington, and when new head coach Norv Turner took over the writing was on the wall for Rypien. He participated in the offseason workouts but it wasn’t long before Washington released him to put their re-building mode in full progress. The Browns brought in Rypien and didn’t hesitate to sign him as their new backup.
With a new backup quarterback, a new punter and a solid addition to the line backing core, the Browns were already having a strong offseason heading into the 1994 NFL draft. Their two biggest holes remained the secondary and depth at the wide receiver position. They had two picks in the first round and would have a good chance at filling both of those holes.
Rypien stepped in to the role of backup like a fish swimming in water. He was called upon to appear in 6 games in 1994, and start in 3. He went 2-1 in those starts and was the consistent voice in Testaverde’s ear that he needed to keep him calm and focused. Rypien threw for 694 yards and 4 touchdowns. The addition of Rypien was crucial for the Browns success in 1994 as there was no worry about him taking Vinny’s job, but also confidence he could step in at any moment and lead.
Heading into the off season, head coach Bill Belichick and Director of Player Personal Michael Lombardi knew they had to be aggressive but also very intelligent with brining in the exact right talent to mesh well with the current chemistry and philosophy of the team. They had a great mix of veteran and young talent, and knew that they were just a few tweaks away from becoming a serious playoff contender. They would work with defensive coordinator Nick Saban and new offensive coordinator Steve Crosby carefully to bring in just the right talent.
One of the big pieces that they brought in to the defense was two time Super Bowl Champion and All Pro linebacker Carl Banks. This Stallworth’s like Clay Matthews were long gone from Cleveland and they needed that veteran voice and leadership on the defense that a guy like Banks was going to bring.
Bill Belichick had a positive history with Banks as he coached him during both Super Bowl winning seasons with the New York Giants. Banks was a standout in their Super Bowl XXI victory in which he recorded 14 total tackles, including ten solo tackles. Banks was a member of the NFL’s 1980’s All-Decade Team because of his exceptional time with the Giants after being drafted by them in 1984. After leaving the Giants in 1992, Banks had one brief disappointing season with the Washington Redskins before they released him and he signed with the Browns. He was determined to perform like he did in his prime as he returned to play under his old coach and help Cleveland take the next step.
While the move to bring in Banks was a sign of a tremendous veteran presence coming to the defense, their next big move on that side of the ball brought in youth to hopefully carry the team for many years to come. One of the biggest staple of the Dawg Pound defense of the 1980’s was the incredible secondary of Felix Wright, Hanford Dixon and Frank Minniefield, and now that hoped to replicate that magic with their newest 1rst round draft pick, Antonio Langham out of Alabama.
He tasted a championship while playing in Alabama as in 1992 the Crimson Tide were National Champions. As a junior in 1993, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American and would win the Jim Thorpe Award Award as the nation’s top defensive back. His college career wasn’t without controversy however, as it came with a black eye when he caused the Crimson Tide to forfeit most of its 1993 season and suffer NCAA sanctions by signing with an agent during the previous offseason. Compounding the problem was that he signed and submitted an application to enter the 1993 NFL Draft, rendering him ineligible under NCAA rules, regardless of whether he had signed with an agent or not. In his defense, his coach Gene Stallings didn’t do him any favors when he failed to inform both the Southeastern Conference and the NCAA of Langham’s draft application, or to declare Langham ineligible as required by NCAA rules. The Browns front office looked past his checkered past and focused on his Crimson Tide’s team record for career interceptions with 19.
Lining up at cornerback alongside Don Griffin, Langham had a tremendous rookie year for the Browns. This shows you again how important it is to hit on first round draft picks, the Browns did that in 94 and made the playoffs. Quarterbacks stayed away from going anywhere near Langham, and as a result he only 2 interceptions and 65 tackles. Low numbers, but ones that actually speak volumes because teams simply didn’t attack him and he would take the opposing wideout completely out of the game. In the footsteps of Frank Minnifeld and Handford Dixon before him, Langham was the next shut down corner in Cleveland!
One of the reasons that Antonio Lanham was able to be so extremely aggressive in coverage was the security of knowing that he had one of the best safeties in football covering his back. Eric Turner was the first draft pick of Bill Belichicks reign in the Spring of 1991. The Browns selected the hard hitting safety out of UCLA with the second overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft.
Eric Turner stood six feet one inches tall and weighed in at 208 pounds, but he hit like a man twice his size. He was quick and strong and would provide an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball. He was the highest choice for a defensive back since 1963 when the St. Louis Cardinals selected Jerry Stovall. The Browns were so excited to get Turner that they wasted no time signing him to a multiyear deal. They signed him for a four-year, $6 million contract, which included a $3.15 million signing bonus, making the first-year compensation a record for a National Football League rookie.
He was worth every penny in his first three years in the league as he symbolized everything Bill Belichick stood for. Turner, had over 300 tackles in his first three season with the Browns along with 8 interceptions and a touchdown. He was pure muscle and if he picked off a pass, it was going to take a gang tackle of linemen to try to bring him down.
The Browns stayed aggressive on the defensive side of the ball as they used their third round draft pick on Romeo Bandison, a defensive tackle from Oregon. They did not have a fourth round pick but selected Issac Booth with their fifth round pick, he was a defensive back from California. They were looking to become deep at each position.
To the surprise of many fans and local media, a tormented soul returned to the Browns that season when Earnest Byner decided to return to Cleveland. Browns fans welcomed him back with open arms and had for the most part, forgave him for the untimely fumble in the 1987 seasons AFC Championship Game against the Denver Broncos. More than five years had passed, and it was time for the old wound to finally heal.
Earnest Byner had done well for himself after he was traded from Cleveland to Washington prior to the 1989 season. He made the Pro Bowl in 1990 when he gained 1,219 yards rushing that season. The following season, Byner rushed for 1,048 yards and was a key part of their Super Bowl Championship. The football Gods had awarded Byner with a Super Bowl ring in his time away from Cleveland, much like they did for Bernie Kosar. The addition of Byner wasn’t seen as a move to help the team in many ways other than depth, however, Tommy Vardell would get hurt in 1994, only playing in five games so the move to acquire Byner ended up paying off.
While the offense and defense looked strong and much improved headed into the 1994 campaign they still had a slight hiccup on special teams they needed to address. The Browns had to fill the gaping hole at punter after the departure of veteran Brian Hansen who left for the Jets. The Browns looked long and hard and decided to reach out to a local talent Tom Tupa. He had been in the league since 1989, spending three seasons with the Phoenix Cardinals and a season with the Indianapolis Colts. Tupa was from Northeast Ohio as he went to high school at Brecksville-Broadview Heights. He played quarterback and punter for them and led them to the State Championship game in his senior year. He also starred on the basketball court where he averaged 20.8 points per game.
He went to college at Ohio State where he sat behind former Cleveland Browns quarterback Mike Tomczak for three seasons while waiting for his chance to play. Tupa took over the starting quarterback job at Ohio State University in 1987, throwing for 2,252 yards, 15 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. He had been punting the prior three seasons and did that year as well despite his new role as starting quarterback.
He was selected as an All-American punter in his senior season which was extra impressive considering he was splitting time at quarterback. He was also voted to the All Big Ten team that season as well. Tupa was a four-time football letterman and was also selected to play in the 1988 Hula Bowl all-star game. This was actually his second stint with the Browns as he was cut by the Browns right before the start of their 1993 season.
The Browns had a great offseason; they made some key pickups, drafted well and managed to avoid injury. The players were eager to put the dramatic 1993 season behind them, and start fresh in their pursuit of the playoffs. It had been four long seasons of losing records and missing the playoffs, this Browns team had the talent and the desire to make big things happen. Even if it was one year earlier then Belichick had promised, there was no denying that this Browns team could make it happen.
The fans were also eager to put the past season of heartache and drama behind them, and showed their excitement for the season to kick off by driving four hours south down Interstate 71 to invade Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati to root on the Browns as they took on their cross state rivals the Bengals. The fans from Cleveland were vocal and made their voices heard in support of their Browns in the Battle of Ohio. In many ways this felt like a Browns home game as the fans completely took over Riverfront.
The Browns started strong with a 19 yard Matt Stover field goal followed by a Vinny Testaverde 11 yard touchdown pass to Leroy Hoard in the first quarter. The Hoard touchdown would become even more important one play later as it set up the first two point conversation in NFL history.
The 1994 season was the first in which teams were allowed to go for two points and Bill Belichick didn’t waste any time trying it. Placeholder Tom Tupa took the snap and instead of placing the ball on the ground for the standard extra point kick, decided to pick the ball up and scramble out of the pocket and into the end zone for the two point conversion. This made the score 11-0 and gave the Browns an important cushion they would use the rest of the game.
The Benals found the scoreboard for the first time in the early moments of the second quarter on a 1 yard rush by Derrick Fenner to cut into the Browns lead. This gave the Browns another chance to do something they hadn’t done in ages on the ensuing kickoff. It was a great day for Browns special teams coach Scott O’Brien as it was Randy Baldwin taking a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to put the Browns back up by double digits.
After Tupa made special teams history, and Baldwion also took one to the house, it was Eric Metcalfs turn to make some history. Later in the second quarter, it was Metcalf scoring on a 92 yard punt return. By halftime, the Browns were up 25 – 10 on the strength of incredible special teams play.
They hung on to the lead in the second half and won 28 – 20, despite a late 24-yard touchdown pass from David Klinger to Darnay Scott. Vinny Testaverde threw for 149 yards and a touchdown. Leroy Hoard was the main tailback as he received 16 carries for 92 yards and did have the touchdown catch. The new addition to the defense, Carl Banks, did have a sack. Rookie Antonio Langham also played well and recorded his first career interception. For the second straight season, they had beaten the Bengals during week one and started off the season on a positive note.
That positive vibe wouldn’t last, as the very next week they were beaten at home by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game had started well enough for the Browns as they used a one-yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to Walter Reeves and a 23 yard field goal by Matt Stover to build an early 10 – 0 lead. It wouldn’t last as Pittsburgh came roaring back on the strength of a Neil O’Donnell touchdown pass to Yancey Thigpen as well as a Barry Foster touchdown run. The Steelers led 14 – 10 at the half, and shut out the Browns in the second half to get the 17 – 10 win.
Browns fans wouldn’t have to hang their heads very long as week three featured a 32 – 0 blowout win at home over the Arizona Cardinals in which Vinny ran for a touchdown and threw for two of them including an 81 yard strike to rookie Derrick Alexander. Eric Turner would pick off a Jay Schroeder pass late in the game and return it 93 yards for a touchdown. Rookie sensation Antonio Langham also had an interception in the big win.
They followed up the win with a nail biting victory the following week at Indianapolis 21 – 14 on the strength of three Testaverde touchdown passes. The Browns avenged the previous seasons week four loss against the Colts and in the process moved to 3 – 1. All three passing touchdowns were made to running backs as Eric Metcalf scored from 15 and 57 yards, and Leroy Hoard from 65 yards to win the game in the fourth quarter. Eric Turner had another interception while Dan Footman recorded a sack.
The Browns remained hot the next week as they trounced the New York Jets 27 – 7 in Cleveland. The Jets normal starting quarterback Boomer Esiason was injured before the game and replaced by backup Jack Trudeau. The Browns stellar defense made sure the Jets were never cleared for takeoff as the kept them grounded all game. It was a rare strong performance out of their rushing game they gave the Browns the victory with touchdown rushes by Earnest Byner, Eric Metcalf and Leroy Hoard. Eric Turner was once again the MVP of the defense with a sack and an interception.
Following a bye week, the Browns played on national television as the NFL was starting to experiment with Thursday Night Football on cable television. The Browns traveled to play the struggling Houston Oilers. In a low scoring 11 – 8 victory for the Browns, the key play came on a second quarter 25 yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to Mark Carrier to give the Browns the lead. They converted a two point conversion and then a 35 yard Matt Stover field goal later in the quarter that gave them a 11 – 0 lead they would never surrender. The win gave the Browns a 5 – 1 record and a four game win streak as they headed home to take on the winless Bengals.
The Browns returned home for round two of the 1994 Battle of Ohio. The Bengals looked strong early and jumped out to a 10 – 3 lead on the strength of a David Klinger to Tim McGee touchdown pass. The Browns would tie it on a Vinny Testaverde to Leroy Hoard touchdown pass. The Bengals responded with a field goal and took a 13 – 10 lead into halftime. It would be the closest the Bengals would come to securing their first victory that day because the Browns came out of the locker room to start the second half red hot and scored the final 27 points of the game. Two Matt Stover field goals combined with a Travis blocked punt recovery for a touchdown by the Briowns and a 73 yard punt return for a touchdown by Eric Metcalf broke the game wide open. Leroy Hoard would tack on a late one yard touchdown run to cap everything off for the Browns who won 37 – 13 in dominant fashion.
Despite the blowout win, it wasn’t all good news for the Browns as Vinny Testaverde left the game late with injury. Once again it was the defense and special teams of the Browns that took the game over, with the punt return touchdown and also the fumble returned for a score. They also recorded three sacks in the victory. One year removed from cutting Bernie Kosar, the Browns started the season 6 – 1, it was the best they had looked in almost a decade.
Because of the injury to Vinny Testaverde, both he and Mark Rypien would have to combine to lead the Browns to play in the house of horrors known as Mile High Stadium in Denver. Testaverde still wasn’t 100% healthy and only lasted long enough to throw 14 passes. Rypien would come in relief of Testaverde but it wasn’t enough. The wounds of three AFC title game losses were still very fresh for the Cleveland Browns and their fans and this game didn’t make things much better.
Any chance of getting past their demons quickly flew out the window that day as Denver dominated from start to finish 26 – 14, for only their second loss of the season. Mark Rypien did his best as he threw for 210 yards on 17 completions and a touchdown pass to Mark Carrier. He also converted a two-point conversation pass to Derrick Alexander, but it simply wasn’t enough to get past John Elway and the Denver Broncos.
The Browns defense had their only bad outing of the entire regular season as they couldn’t figure out how to stop John Elway as he had his way with them all game long. Elway finished with 349 yards and two touchdowns on 30 completed passes. Elway also ran it twice for 14 yards, including a beautiful 12 yard scamper for a first down. He picked apart the Browns much improved secondary all day with eight pass completions to Glyn Milburn for 76 yards and a touchdown. He made sure not leave out his favorite target, Shannon Sharp who pulled in nine passes for 85 yards. Anthony Miller joined in the fun with four catches and 82 yards.
Rather than mess with a dual quarterback issue, the Browns decided to give Testaverde the following week off so he could fully heal from his injuries. They put their faith in Mark Rypien as they returned home to take on the vastly improved New England Patriots. The Patriots were quickly on the rise under head coach Bill Parcells, who was the mentor of Bill Belichick from their days in New York together. This was the first chance for the student (Belichick) to show his mentor (Parcells) that everything he taught him wasn’t for not as he was eager to prove he belonged in the coveted fraternity and brotherhood of NFL head coaches.
The game itself was as expected between the two defensive orientated coaches and it was saw very few points. The Browns used two Matt Stover field goals combined with a one-yard touchdown pass from Mark Rypien to Leroy Hoard to secure the 13 – 6 victories. Mark Rypien was serviceable with 14 of 28 pass attempts being completed for 164 yards and a touchdown with an interception as well. Leroy Hoard continued with his best season as he ran for 123 yards on 21 carries; he also had the big touchdown catch.
The Browns defense bounced back from one of their worst efforts of the season with one of their best as they dominated the Drew Bledsoe led Patriot offense. The Browns picked off Bledsoe four times and sacked him twice. The interceptions came from Eric Turner who had two more along with an interception from Tim Jacobs and Mike Caldwell. It was a big win for Belichick against his mentor, and more importantly the win, their seventh, matched their win total from the prior season.
The Browns remained on a roll the following week as they traveled to Philadelphia and beat the Eagles 26 – 7. For the second straight week Rypien would get the start as Testaverde didn’t dress for the game because of injury. Matt Stover had a huge game kicking four field goals, the Browns combined that with a Rypien to Carrier touchdown pass and Earnest Byner touchdown run to win easily. The Browns defense had their second straight big week as they shut down Randall Cunningham and allowed zero touchdown passes with an interception.
They also only allowed the Eagles starting running back Vaughn Hebron to gain 39 yards. The defense sacked Cunningham three times, including twice from Michael Dean Perry. Again, Rypien was nothing great, but he did enough to get the job done with 158 yards and a touchdown. Leroy Hoard continued to rush the ball well with 86 more yards.
Vinny Testaverde would return to the starting lineup the following week as the Cleveland Browns traveled to Arrowhead Stadium to take on the Kansas City Chiefs. It was one of the toughest places in all of sports to travel to and obtain a victory. The Browns hung tough for as long as they could, with touchdown passes by both Vinny Testaverde and Mark Rypien to take a 13 – 10 lead into the fourth quarter. They made a costly error earlier in the game when they failed trying to convert a two point conversion other than taking the standard one point kick. The Chiefs tied it in the fourth quarter on a 28 yard Lin Elliot field goal and then won it a few minutes later on a Kimble Anders touchdown run.
They Browns dropped to 7 – 3 with the 20 – 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They couldn’t get too down on themselves considering the Chiefs comeback was led by one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL in Joe Montana. The Chiefs were also still led by former Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer who seemed to have the Browns number.
At 7 – 3, the Browns were still very much in the hunt for a division title as they returned home to face the visiting Houston Oilers. The Oilers had fired their head coach Buddy Ryan earlier in the season, and were now led by interim head coach Jeff Fisher. Little did anyone know, but Fisher would remain in that spot for the better half of the next 17 seasons, even after the team moved to Tennessee and became the Titans in 1997. Fisher would lead the Titans to the Super Bowl in 1999, losing narrowly to the St. Louis Rams. He would win 142 career games as coach of the Titans during his long tenure.
Despite how well Jeff Fisher’s career as an NFL head coach would turn out, things did not go well for him on this day. A healthy Vinny Testaverde got the call to start and played the entire game. He played well tossing 199 yards and two touchdowns in a 34 – 10 win. Vinny Testaverde used both of his tight ends perfectly with the touchdowns being throw to Brian Kinchen and Frank Hartley. Leroy Hoard continued to be the new go to guy out of the backfield with 23 more carries for 103 yards and two touchdowns. The Browns defense continued to wreck havoc as well with four more sacks. The Browns were firing on All cylinders and it showed as they improved to 9 -3 three fourths into the season.
The Browns momentum would stop the next week when they were upset by the visiting New York Giants. In Belichicks first game against his former team, the Browns came out flat and never got on track in a 16 – 13 loss. They remained in the game the whole time however, and actually forced a tie game in the fourth quarter on a Leroy Hoard touchdown run. The Browns defense also did their best to keep them in it as Eric Turner had another interception and they also recorded four sacks, including two from Don Griffin. The Giants had the ball one last time and made it count with a Brad Daluiso 33 yard field goal to win it for the Giants. The lone bright spot for the Browns was the seven catch effort from Derrick Alexander for 171 yards. It wasn’t enough as the Browns dropped to 9 – 4 as they headed to Dallas to take on the highly talented and two time defending Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys.
The game was held on a Saturday in Dallas, in front of a packed house at Cowboy Stadium. Nick Saban’s defense would have their hands full as the Cowboy offense had been red hot coming into the game. The Cowboys offense had scored an average of 34 plus points a game in their last three games with blow out victories over the Eagles, Redskins and Packers. The Browns would be a heavy underdog in this one as the Cowboys defense, led by coordinator Butch Davis, was also playing well.
The Cowboys came as 10 and a half point favorites by the Vegas line. The Browns would not be intimidated and were eager to shake off the bad loss from the prior week against the New York Giants. The Browns defense had held all but one team, ( Denver) to 20 points and under all season long, and were up for the challenge of trying to do it again,
The game got off to a hot start with both teams scoring quickly into the first quarter. The Cowboys drew first blood with a 7 yard touchdown pass from Troy Aikman Emmett Smith. The Browns answered back with a two yard touchdown pass from Vinny Testaverde to his main target Michael Jackson to tie the game at seven apiece heading into the second quarter. The Browns defense which had been playing great all season and continued to as they held the Cowboys high powered offense in check and shut them out in the second and third quarters. Meanwhile, Matt Stover was kicking everything possible through the uprights, and three field goals later the Browns led 16 – 7 midway through the fourth quarter. The Cowboys did their best to rally with 4 yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 16 – 14. Matt Stover added another field goal and the Brown were clinging to a 19 – 14 lead in the final moments of the game. One last Cowboys drive was snuffed out with a dramatic and impressive Browns goal line stand to give the Browns the shocking 19 – 14 road victory.
The Browns defense had played amazing once again to seal the victory. They picked off Troy Aikman twice while forcing two fumbles. Don Griffin and Eric Turner were once again responsible for the big interceptions of Aikman, they had been both playing incredible all season long. Don Griffin also had a sack of Aikman along with one from Anthony Pleasant.
The Browns offense didn’t exactly light the league on fire, but they did enough to win on the strength of four Matt Stover field goals and 99 rushing yards from Leroy Hoard. In his fourth season as head coach, it was by far and away the signature win for Bill Belichick that he so desperately needed and wanted. The Browns were now 10 -4 and headed back to the playoffs, with still two games left in the season to try and catch the Steelers for the division championship.
With everyone and everything clicking on full cylinders the Browns traveled to Pittsburgh to try and avenge a loss from earlier in the season. It wouldn’t be easy as the Steelers were one of the best teams in the league that season and knew a home win over the Browns would wrap up the division title for them.
The Steelers didn’t waste any time jumping out to a 14 – 0 first quarter lead with a 40 yard touchdown pass from Neil O’Donnell to Yancey Thigpen. Barry Foster also had a 1 yard touchdown run and the Browns were in trouble early. They mustered a brief comeback in the second quarter when Vinny Testaverde hit Mark Carrier on a 17 yard touchdown pass. The score would prove to be too little too late as the Steelers tacked on a late field goal and won 17 – 7.
It was another case of the Browns defense playing good enoug– to win, but not receiving nearly enough help from the anemic offense. Testaverde did manage to throw for 250 yards and a touchdown, but the two interceptions hurt him and the team.
With one game to go, the Browns still had a lot to play for, even though they were already in the playoffs at 10 – 5, a win would guarantee them a first round home playoff game as the top non divisional winning team. The good news was that they got to play that pivotal 16th game from the friendly confines of Cleveland Municipal Stadium against the Seattle Seahawks.
This was big because Seattle was used to playing in the Kingdome and did not fare well outdoor stadiums. Not to mention, this game was on Christmas Eve, and very cold. The wind was whipping hard that day, blowing at 13mph and made it feel much colder than it actually was. The Seahawks were 6 – 9 and for all intensive purposes had nothing to play for. These factors alone helped the Browns become a 10.5 point favorite going into the game.
The Browns had two missions that day, to win and not get anyone hurt in the process. It was a tricky mix, because they didn’t want to take their foot off the gas pedal but also knew that they couldn’t afford any major injuries. They needed to build a big lead so they could rest players late in the game, and that is exactly what they ended up doing. They led 21 – 0 by halftime thanks in part to a Vinny Testaverde touchdown pass to Mark Carrier as well as a Testaverde QB sneak for a touchdown. They mixed in an Eric Metcalf six yard touchdown run and held the commanding lead going into the half.
They picked up where they left off in the third quarter, answering a quick Seahawks field goal with a Testaverde to Derrick Alexander touchdown pass from three yard outs to give the Browns a 28 – 3 lead after three quarters. Belichick pulled his starters and the Browns kept scoring, this time with a wide receiver reverse that saw Mark Carrier run it in the end zone from 14 yards out. Carrier had quite the game with a touchdown catch and run. The Browns rolled to a 35 – 9 victory and finished the season with an impressive 11 – 5 record.
Despite not playing much of the second half, Testaverde still looked strong. He finished with 228 yards and two touchdowns. Leroy had another good game in a strong season, he ran for 74 yards on 24 carries. Mark Carrier finished with 98 yards on five catches, and one touchdown running and one touchdown passing. On defense, Eric Turner had one more interception in his best season as a professional.
It was a great regular season for the Belichick led squad. They bounced back from a drama filled season of disappointment, to have a double digit win total season and earn a first round home playoff game. The Nick Saban defense continued to excel as they had a season for the ages. They only allowed 204 points all season, an average of 12.8 points per game. That is incredible and went well with an offense that at times, had trouble scoring. The offense finished with 340 points, an average of 21.2 points a game. It was a healthy 136 point differential.
The Nick Saban led defense only allowed a team to score more than 20 points once. They held opponents to under 10 points, 6 different times. They had 1 shutout, and twice didn’t allow a team to score a touchdown. Eric Turner had the best season with nine interceptions, leading the team by far as the next closest person only had two interceptions. Rob Burnett led the team in sacks with 10. Free agent pick up Carl Banks played well and was worth the money spent on him. He started 15 games and had 56 tackles with 1.5 sacks. Pepper Johnson also played well at middle linebacker, leading the team with 95 tackles. It was an all around great year for the defense.
The special teams also continued to play well as Matt Stover emainned clutch. He converted 26 of 32 field goal attempts, including 9 of 9 from 40 plus yards. Stover also converted 32 of 32 extra points. The extra point team itself did great, as they converted 3 of 4 two point conversions.
Tom Tupa did his part in his first season with the team, punting the ball 80 times for a 40.1 yard average. Eric Metcalf once again shined on special teams as he took two punts back for touchdowns. Randy Baldwin handled most of the kickoff return duties, and he did it well as he had one touchdown and 753 yards.
Vinny Testaverde played in 14 games, started 13 of them and tossed 16 touchdowns, but also 18 interceptions. He really didn’t have that great of a season when you look at the stats alone; he only threw for 2,575 yards and only led one game winning drive.
It was clear that their dominant defense was the main reason for winning 11 games, but it didn’t matter to the Browns fans, they were just happy to be back in the playoffs. The first round game was at home and featured a regular season rematch against Bill Parcells, Drew Bledsoe, Ben Coates and the New England Patriots. It had been an incredible two year turnaround for the Patriots under Parcells. He took them from a two win team, to finish 10 – 6 in 1994.
He also led them on a courageous seven –ame winning streak to close out the season and sneak into the playoffs. In fact, they hadn’t lost since week at 10 against the Browns in Cleveland. The Patriots were red hot and this matchup provided a classic rematch of student versus teacher as once again it was Bill Parcells versus Bill Bellichick.
Drew Bledsoe’s second season in the league had been a masterpiece as he threw for an amazing 4,555 yards and respectable 25 touchdowns. His only downfall had been his tendency to turn the ball over with 27 interceptions. The Browns secondary would have to force Bledsoe to throw into tight windows all game like they did in their earlier matchup if they wanted to win.
His number one receiver was his tight end Ben Coates, who had 96 catches for 1,174 yards and seven touchdowns. Coates was one of the best tight ends in football. Another key threat for Bledsoe had been Michael Timpson who pulled in 74 balls for 941 yards and scored three touchdowns. Vincent Brisby also had one of his best seasons as a pro with 58 receptions for 904 yards and five touchdowns. It was evident that Drew Bledsoe was capable of making everyone around him better.
Similar to the Browns, the Patriots did not boast a 1,000 yard rusher on the roster. Their top running back was Marion Butts who had 703 yards on 243 carries. Joining Butts in the backfield was Leroy Thompson, who had 102 carried for 312 yards and scored two touchdowns. Thompson was better catching balls out of the backfield then taking handoffs, and the Patriots realized that as he caught 65 passes for 465 yards while scoring five touchdowns.
The Patriots had an average to below average defense for a playoff team as they relied mainly on outscoring opponents to win games. In two of their six losses, they scored at least 35 points. Their defense did have a couple of All- Pro as Chris Slade had a team high 9.5 sacks. Leading the team in interceptions with seven was Maurice Hurst. The offense had been baling them out season as the defense had let up 20 plus points seven times. It would be up to defensive line coach Romeo Crennel to design several different looks to try and get pressure on Testaverde and hopefully force him into bad passes to make up for the interceptions that Bledsoe was sure to throw.
The first half was tight as expected and ended in 10 – 10 tie. Both quarterbacks tossed a touchdown pass in the process, Testaverde connected with Mark Carrier from five yards out Bledsoe hit Thompson from 13 yards away. Both field goal kickers, Matt Bahr and Matt Stover hit field goals as well. Cleveland would break the tie in the third quarter when Leroy Hoard scored on a handoff from 10 yards away, giving the Browns a 17 – 10 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Browns were clingin– to a seven point lead late in the game when Matt Stover gave them a little extra breathing room with a 21 yard field goal. Matt Bahr answered with a 33 yarder for New England but they never got any closer, despite recovering an on-side kick late in the game to get the ball back.
The game plan of the Browns worked to perfection as they kept the pressure on Bledsoe and never let him get comfortable despite a whopping 50 pass attempts. The Browns defense picked off Drew Bledsoe three times en route to the 20 – 13 victory. The Patriots were never able to establish any running game either as their top rusher Corey Croom had 36 yards on 9 carries. Like they had done all season, the Browns defense carried them to a victory.
The following week on the road in Pittsburgh, they would get one more chance to beat their hated rivals the Steelers and knock them out of the playoffs. Pittsburgh had boasted a strong running game all season and the normally vaunted Browns defense, looked old and slow for the first time all year, not being able to stop it in their two regular season matchups. The Steelers came in with a two back rotation that had been crushing teams all season. Barry Foster had 851 rushing yard on 216 regular season carries with five touchdowns. Bam Morris had 836 regular season rushing yards on 198 carried for seven touchdowns. The strong running game made up for the mediocre quarterback play from Neil O’Donnell who had only thrown for 13 touchdowns and 2,443 yards.
Sadly, for the Browns and their fans, it was never close and the Steelers crushed the Browns 29 – 9. The Steelers led 24 – 3 at the half and never looked back. Vinny Testaverde was held to 144 yards and picked off twice in a lackluster effort. Barry Foster ran all over the Browns, rushing for 133 yards on only 24 carries. Pittsburgh backup running back Bam Morris rushing for 60 yards on 22 carries. Their third string running John Williams even looked good as he went for 43 yards on just 2 carries, including a 26 yard touchdown run.
It was a disappointing way for the Browns to end a great season. Pittsburgh would get knocked off the following week to the San Diego Chargers at home in the AFC Championship Game in a major upset. The Steelers lost on a very late 43-yard touchdown pass from San Diego quarterback Stan Humphries to Tony Martin. Many NFL pundits assessed that if the matchup would have been Cleveland versus San Diego, the Browns would have won and went to the Super Bowl based on the way both teams were constructed.
It was a great season with tremendous improvement for the Browns, despite not being able to get past their hated rivals in the regular season and postseason. Exactly half of their losses came against Pittsburgh. Still, they won a playoff a game and everything looked golden heading into 1995, few would have ever imagined, their next Playoff appearance wouldn’t come until 8 years later in January of 2002 and their next playoff win wouldn’t come until January of 2021, which was an insane 26 years later.
