1994 Cleveland Browns season

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

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

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

• Traded 2x11 and 1995 2x26 to Philadelphia Eagles for 1x29^[2]

Personnel

Staff

1994 Cleveland Browns staff
	Front office Owner and President – Art Modell Director of Player Personnel – Michael Lombardi Director of College Scouting – Dom Anile Head coaches Head Coach – Bill Belichick Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Steve Crosby Quarterbacks – Rod Dowhower Receivers – Mike Sheppard Offensive line – Kirk Ferentz Special Assignment – Ernie Adams Offensive Assistant – Kevin Spencer			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator – Nick Saban Defensive line – Jacob Burney Linebackers – Woody Widenhofer Defensive backfield – Rick Venturi Special teams coaches Special Teams – Scott O'Brien Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Jerry Simmons

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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

• Week One @ Cincinnati

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.

• Week Two vs. Pittsburgh

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, Ohio

• 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)

Game information

First Quarter No scoring Second Quarter CLE (1:31) – Stover 32 yard field goal Browns 3, Cardinals 0 Third Quarter CLE (4:33) – Testaverde 1 yard rush (Stover kick) Browns 10, Cardinals 0 CLE (11:52) – Vardell 16 yard pass from Testaverde (Tupa run) Browns 18, Cardinals 0 Fourth Quarter CLE (6:19) – Alexander 81 yard pass from Testaverde (Stover kick) Browns 25, Cardinals 0 CLE (13:00) – Turner 93 yard interception return (Stover kick) Browns 32, Cardinals 0 Top passers ARI – Jim McMahon 19/38, 169 yds, 2 INT CLE – Vinny Testaverde 17/27, 248 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers ARI – Jim McMahon 4 carr, 31 yds CLE – Earnest Byner 8 carr, 24 yds Top receivers ARI – Larry Centers, 8 rec, 62 yds CLE – Derrick Alexander, 6 rec, 136 yds, 1 TD 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.

• Week Four @ Indianapolis

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.

• Week Five vs. New York Jets

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. The game was the first meeting as head coaches of Jets coach Pete Carroll and Browns coach Bill Belichick.

• 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.

• Week Nine @ Denver

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.

• Week 10 vs. New England

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.

• Week 11 @ Philadelphia

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.

• Week 12 @ Kansas City

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.

• Week 14 vs. New York Giants

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.

• Week 15 @ Dallas

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.

• Week 17 vs. Seattle

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 CLE – Matt Stover 30-yard field goal. Browns 3–0 Second quarter NE – Leroy Thompson 13-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe Patriots 7–3 CLE – Mark Carrier 5-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Matt Stover kick) Browns 10–7 NE – Matt Bahr 23-yard field goal Tie 10–10 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 October 2016, 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 PIT – Gary Anderson 39-yard field goal. Steelers 3–0 Second quarter PIT – Eric Green 2-yard pass from Neil O'Donnell (Gary Anderson kick) Steelers 10–0 PIT – John Williams 26-yard run (Gary Anderson kick) Steelers 17–0 CLE – Matt Stover 22-yard field goal Steelers 17–3 PIT – Yancy Thigpen 9-yard pass from Neil O'Donnell (Gary Anderson kick) Steelers 24–3 Third quarter PIT – Gary Anderson 40-yard field goal Steelers 27–3 Fourth quarter CLE – Keenan McCardell 20-yard pass Vinny Testaverde (pass failed) Steelers 27–9 PIT – Safety, Testaverde sacked in end zone Steelers 29–9 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. "1994 Cleveland Browns draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
2. http://www.prosportstransactions.com/football/DraftTrades/Years/1994.htm
3. "All-Time Assistant Coaches". ClevelandBrowns.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved February 5, 2009.