1994 Cleveland Browns season

The 1994 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 45th season with the National Football League and 49th overall. 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 his eventual current team, the New England Patriots, 20–13. The Browns would lose to the Steelers 29–9 in the divisional round.

1994 Cleveland Browns season
OwnerArt Modell
Head coachBill Belichick
Home fieldCleveland Municipal Stadium
Local radioWKNR · WDOK
Results
Record11–5
Division place2nd AFC Central
Playoff finishWon Wild Card Playoffs (Patriots) 20–13
Lost Divisional Playoffs (Steelers) 29–9
Pro BowlersFB Leroy Hoard
RB Eric Metcalf
DE Rob Burnett
DT Michael Dean Perry
LB Pepper Johnson
FS Eric Turner
AP All-ProsOT Tony Jones (2nd team)
DT Michael Dean Perry (2nd team)
FS Eric Turner (1st team)
PR Eric Metcalf (1st team)
Uniform

The Browns would not return to the playoffs again until the 2002 season. This would be the last time the Browns would win a playoff game until the 2020 season.

Offseason

NFL draft
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  Cornerback 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

Coaching Assistants

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and Conditioning – Jerry Simmons
  • Assistant Strength/Pass Rush Consultant - Joe Kim

[3]

Roster
1994 Cleveland Browns roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics

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

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 34Total
Cardinals 0 0 000
Browns 0 3 151432

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

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. 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.

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 interception – but he did produce 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 34Total
Patriots 0 10 0313
Browns 3 7 7320

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: NBC
  • Boxscore
Game information

This was the Browns' most recent home playoff game and their last playoff victory until January 10, 2021, when Baker Mayfield led the Browns to a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Playoff Game.

AFC Divisional Game
AFC Divisional Game: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Browns 0 3 069
Steelers 3 21 3229

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

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.
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