Cleveland Dynasty

[Morgado]

Hey all,

I've always played Detroit on Wall St., but decided to give the Brownies a shot. I'm going to try something different from what's normally posted on the dynasty board... and the updates are intended to look like Monday morning newspaper blurbs.

In case anyone wants to see the numbers i'm using to write with, they can be found at http://www.geocities.com/bobkemp01 in pdf format. I could post the numbers here, but I think this way is more fun.

Oh yeah, this is going to be Wall St. with firing and auto signing. I haven't figured out what to do about draft picks yet, but i'm thinking of limiting to like 2 or 3 per year max (no fun when you can trade to get half the first round and make playoffs every year). Plan will be modified only once each season before week 1 to reflect training camp. Offense will move to power running out of the various Is and emphasize 2 TE sets. Defense will be 4-3 with heavy blitzing.

More to come...

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"Never mock the cookie." - Uncle

[Morgado]

1999 Week 1

Bus Runs Over Browns, 13-6

Cleveland, OH - After three quarters of being contained, the Bus broke loose and took the Browns' defense to school. Down by 3 with 10 minutes left to play, Jerome Bettis carried the ball 9 times for 69 yards and caught a pass for 6 yards to lead the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) to a 10 point comeback victory over the Cleveland Browns (0-1). "Jerome really turned it up a notch with the game on the line," commented Pittsburgh coach Lee Drudge. Bettis finished with 134 yards on 25 carries.

Cleveland led early after an impressive opening drive capped by a 50 yard Mack Forbes field goal. Pittsburgh went three and out on its first two possesions, but were aided by miscues on the part of the Browns' special teams. Cleveland's second drive ended in a missed 50 yard field goal and punt returner R.W. McQuarters fumbled the ball after being hit at the Cleveland 21. The Browns narrowly avoided disaster when CB Jason Sehorn intercepted a Kordell Stewart pass in the end zone.

Sehorn, acquired in the offseason to anchor an extremely inexperienced secondary, finished with two interceptions and seven tackles. "We did a lot of things well on defense, especially with the pass defense and getting pressure on the quarterback," said Browns coach Kenyon Bates. "Jason looked like he's come back well from last year's injury and (Rookie CB Trent Joseph) played an outstanding game."

At the end of the first half, Pittsburgh threatened twice but was stopped each time by a costly interception. Neither team managed to generate any offense thereafter until the Steelers drove for a 49 yard field goal with 4:37 left in the third quarter. Cleveland responded with a 10 play, 49 yard drive for a field goal to end the quarter at 6-3.

[This message has been edited by Morgado (edited 10-25-2000).]

[Morgado]

1999 Week 2

Browns Defeat Titans, 23-20

Nashville, TN - It was a dark and stormy night, but Cleveland (1-1) didn't make like Charlie Brown en route to a 23-20 victory over the Tennessee Titans (0-2). Overall #1 draft pick QB Keith McNair won the highly touted "Dueling McNairs" matchup, going 16 of 24 for 255 yards and a beautiful 57 yard strike to TE Brad Banta.

A relieved McNair laughed about the touchdown after the game. "The rain made it hard to see downfield, but Brad's so big it was easy to spot him." The 6-6, 260 pound Banta is usually the blocking tight end in Cleveland's double TE set. "I don't even think i'm supposed to be in the (quarterback's) progression on that play," Banta admitted.

Cleveland's rookie quarterback played admirably, leading two fourth quarter scoring drives to come from behind and snatch the win away from the Titans. With 2:26 left to play, McNair keyed the winning drive with a gutty 25 yard pass to bring the Browns into field goal range. The game winning field goal from 23 yards out sailed through with 8 seconds on the clock.

The storm over Adelphia Coliseum also drenched the field, causing several players to slip during the game. On Tennessee's first offensive series, FOL rushing leader Eddie George fumbled the slippery ball and both teams' running games were paralyzed by the bad footing. George gained just 31 yards on 21 carries and Cleveland had 53 yards on 30 carries as a team.

Following a 41 yard Al Del Greco field goal in the first quarter, Cleveland's tailback Gilbert Rodgers fumbled the ball at his own 30 yard line. The Titans capitalized 3 minutes later with a Steve McNair to Eddie George touchdown pass to go up 10-0.

With 14:18 left in the second quarter, the Browns finally got on the board with a 44 yard Mack Forbes field goal. Tennessee tried to respond with a field goal, but the high winds took control of the attempt and forced it to sail wide right.

Pinned at the Cleveland 17 following two rushes for losses, WR Vincent Brisby hauled in a Keith McNair pass to convert on third and 21. On the next play, McNair delivered the 57 yard touchdown pass to Banta to tie the game at 10 before halftime.

Down 13-10 after a Forbes 49 yard field goal, the Titans came back with the lone rushing gem of the day. Backup tailback Rodney Thomas, behind a vicious block by T Brad Hopkins, scooted around left end and outran the defense for a 67 yard touchdown.

With 4:05 left in the third period, the Cleveland run defense held on three successive plays from the two yard line. "The defense really kept us in the game. They started at our 32 and really should have came away with 7. Stopping them on third and goal on the one yard line really fired up the offense," said Cleveland coach Kenyon Bates.

After taking the kickoff, the Browns marched 75 yards in 8 plays to tie the game up at 20. Keith McNair completed key passes of 29 and 13 yards to wideout Brian Alford on the drive. Alford had 6 catches for 106 yards to lead all receivers in the game.

[Morgado]

Browns Bury Ravens, 37-7

Baltimore - Looking to exact a measure of revenge for their fans, the Cleveland Browns (2-1) took it to the Baltimore Ravens (1-2) and never let up. The initial drives on both sides of the ball set the tone of the game early as Browns WR Brian Alford caught a 75 touchdown bomb on the third play from scrimmage and DE Kenny Holmes sacked Baltimore QB Jim Harbaugh on the Ravens' first play from scrimmage.

"The guys have been looking forward to this game since the beginning of training camp," said Browns coach Kenyon Bates. Bates' Browns scored 37 unanswered points, surrendering a late touchdown while giving backups some playing time. At the start of the fourth quarter, the Browns sent in the second team and played a loose prevent defense the rest of the way.

With 5:31 remaining in the third quarter, rookie CB Trent Joseph stepped in front of a Harbaugh pass to Jermaine Lewis at midfield to set up Cleveland's final scoring drive. Joseph, drafted in the 5th round, has been a pleasant surprise for the Browns. "Trent knows people are going to throw at him since Jason (Sehorn) is on the other side of the field. Quite honestly, we feel very confident about that situation," raved coach Bates.

[Morgado]

Under-Dawg Browns Roll On, 34-24

Cleveland - Another week, another hero. This week it was Chris Sanders' turn to come up with the big plays for the surprising Cleveland Browns (3-1). Sanders caught touchdown passes of 23 and 59 yards and recovered an onside kick to halt a New England (2-2) comeback late in the game.

The Browns opened the game with a 9 play drive ending in a 2 yard Gary Downs touchdown run. However, New England needed just one and a half minutes to respond with big plays of 50, 16, and 14 yards for a quick touchdown. A more sustained drive later in the first quarter stalled at the Cleveland 22 and the Patriots settled for 34 yard Adam Vinatieri field goal to take a 10-7 lead. The Browns would storm back to take a 17-10 lead into halftime on a 36 yard Mack Forbes field goal and a 1 yard touchdown run from Downs.

After stopping the Patriots for a three and out series, the Browns drove and scored on a 23 yard connection from QB Keith McNair to Sanders. McNair went 14 of 31 for 267 yards and 2 touchdowns on the day and continues to lead all rookies.

As in the first quarter though, the New England offense burned the Cleveland defense with big plays. Early in the fourth quarter down 24-10, Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe hit his wideouts for 29, 32 and 29 yards for a quick score to come within seven points. That would be the closest New England would get though, as the Browns pulled away with the 59 yard McNair to Sanders hookup and a 42 yard Forbes kick.

One of the many rookies on the team, the 6th round pick Forbes is now 10 of 11 kicking field goals and is an astounding 7 of 8 from beyond 40 yards. His only miss of the season is from 50 yards out.

[Morgado]

1999 Week 5

Fourth Quarter Collapse Costs Browns, 25-24

Cleveland - After dominating for the first three quarters of the game, the Cleveland Browns (3-2) decided to take the fourth quarter off. Unfortunately, the Cincinnati Bengals (4-1) hung around after only 36 yards of total offense in the first half to roar back to a 25-24 victory.

The Browns had a pair of huge defensive stops early in the first half. With the Bengals threatening to score after a 51 yard interception return by James Francis, the Cleveland defense responded by returning the favor in kind. Rookie nickel back Adam Leo snared an errant Jeff Blake pass and returned it 81 yards for a score. A Chris Sanders fumble gave Cincinnati another great opportunity deep in Cleveland territory, but was stopped on four straight plays and gave the ball back on downs. "The offense really put our defense in some bad spots during the first half," commented Cleveland coach Kenyon Bates.

Taking a 10-0 lead into halftime after a 39 yard Mack Forbes field goal, the Browns looked confident in the third quarter. Keith McNair completed a 65 yard touchdrown strike to Karl Hankton late in the third and came back moments later with a 3 yard toss after Cincinnati kick returner Damon Gibson coughed up the ball. 2nd year man Hankton filled in admirably for injured starting WR Vincent Brisby and had 136 yards on 7 catches.

Down 24-0 to start the fourth quarter, the Cincinnati Bengals mounted one of the greatest comebacks of the season. The Cleveland offense became paralyzed and never put together a significant drive in the fourth period. "Obviously, i'm disappointed that we couldn't run the ball and kill the clock," apologized coach Bates. "Our blocking was terrible down the stretch and they had guys in our backfield every down."

The Bengals, meanwhile, finally began to show some life on offense. Cincinnati drove and scored on a Jeff Blake 3 yard scramble. Failing the two point conversion, the Bengals pulled to 24-6.

Then special teams took over for Cincinnati, as goat turned hero Damon Gibson returned a punt 44 yards to give Blake excellent field position inside Cleveland territory. Blake scored a few plays later on a 16 yard draw. Another failed two point conversion placed the deficit at 24-12. Forcing the Browns to punt with 2:55 to go, the Bengals took over inside Cleveland territory and scored on a 13 yard pass from Blake to WR Willie Jackson. An onside kick and two long passes later, the Bengals took the lead for good on a 32 yard strike from Blake to Darnay Scott.

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Man, and right after the Dolphins - Jets MNF game too...

[Morgado]

1999 Week 6

Browns Squeak By Jags, 31-28

Jacksonville, FL - Aided by four turnovers by the Jacksonville Jaguars (4-2), the expansion Cleveland Browns (4-2) moved into second place in the AFC Central on Sunday. The Browns recovered a fumble and intercepted Mark Brunell three times, including one returned 57 yards by rookie CB Trent Joseph for a touchdown on the opening drive. The turnovers negated an otherwise solid offensive performance by the Jaguars, who had 92 more yards of total offense and held the ball nearly five minutes longer than the Browns.

Jacksonville battled back after the early interception and managed a 38 yard Mike Hollis field goal. Following a Cleveland drive culminating in a Keith McNair to Karl Hankton 22 yard touchdown pass, Brunell was again intercepted at the start of the second quarter. S Bracey Walker got between Jaguars WR Jimmy Smith at the Jacksonville 35, returning the ball all the way to the 9 yard line before being tripped up. On the next play, Gary Downs leapt over the left pylon to put the Browns up 21-3.

RB James Stewart kept Jacksonville in the game by ripping off an 88 yard touchdown scamper. All League T Tony Boselli cleared the way for Stewart, who had 151 yards on just 17 carries in the loss. Cleveland managed to run the two minute drill successfully for a 43 yard Mack Forbes field goal to close the half up 24-10.

In the third quarter, the Jaguars put together an 11 play, 80 yard drive to come within seven points. A 33 yard Hollis field goal midway through the fourth quarter made it 24-20, and things looked bad for the Browns, who were unable to muster any offense to that point in the second half.

With four minutes left to play, James Stewart took the handoff on third and 11 at the Jacksonville 45. Met by safety Gerald McBurrows, Stewart was stripped of the ball from behind by DT Bryan Robinson. "Stewart was way into our secondary by the time Gerald stacked him up. For a defensive lineman to be forcing that fumble, that's just pure effort and not giving up on the play," said Browns coach Kenyon Bates. Browns LB Scott Kowalkowski recovered the loose ball, giving Cleveland excellent field position.

Three plays later at the Jacksonville 33, RB Gilbert Rodgers followed RT Clarence Jones up the middle and found an open pasture to bolt through for a touchdown. Leading 31-20 with only 2 minutes left in the game, the Browns were not yet out of danger. After trading interceptions, the Jaguars went 70 yards in 39 seconds and completed a two point conversion to make it a 3 point game. Cleveland RB Gary Downs sealed the deal with 13 seconds left on the clock by recovering the onside kick.

[This message has been edited by Morgado (edited 10-27-2000).]

[Morgado]

1999 Week 7

Rams Win Big, 31-6

St. Louis - After battling to a standstill for the entire first half, the St. Louis Rams (3-3) exploded for 28 points to bury the Cleveland Browns (4-3). Both teams combined for 9 sacks, forcing the offenses to keep the ball on the ground. Rams RB June Henley answered the call to the tune of 136 yards on 24 carries.

The defenses dominated early on, laying heavy pressure on the quarterbacks. Neither team even penetrated the red zone until the Rams finally drove to the Cleveland 7 with 58 seconds to go in the half. The Ram offense was then stuffed three straight downs for 0, 0, and minus 1 yards, settling for a game tying field goal.

Cleveland seemed poised to take control in the third quarter when DE Steve White jarred the ball loose from Rams QB Tony Banks. However, the Browns were unable to put the ball in the end zone, even after a St. Louis penalty gave them an automatic first down on the 15 yard line.

The Rams would not squander a similar opportunity later in the period when S Billy Jenkins wrestled a Keith McNair pass away from the receiver at the Cleveland 25. 3 plays later, Ricky Proehl fooled the entire Cleveland defense on a reverse and walked into the end zone untouched.

Following the kickoff to start the fourth quarter, Cleveland went backwards and gave the ball back to St. Louis in great field position. The Rams scored again, this time on a 1 yard plunge by Henley to go up 17-6. Moments later, Rams CB Todd Lyght recovered a fumble to put the Ram offense back in business at the Cleveland 7. The Rams would again score to increase the lead to 24-6.

Not finished with their total self destruction in the second half, the Browns defense caved in for one last drive at the 7:30 mark. Henley carried 5 straight times for 50 yards to wrap up the scoring.

After the game, Cleveland coach Kenyon Bates had no explanation for his team's performance in the second half. "June Henley looked like Canton material today. Either he's the second coming of Gale Sayers or our run defense really stinks."

[Subby]

Dude! I know you are on a high after the Terps won, but pace yourself!

No way you can keep up these in-depth, week-by-week descriptions without burning out

Very enjoyable read so far!

[Morgado]

1999 Week 8

Cleveland Continues Slide, Lose 24-6

New Orleans, LA - For the second straight week in a row, the Cleveland Browns (4-4) looked like an expansion team and scored no touchdowns in losing to the New Orleans Saints (5-2). The Browns' woes stopping the run continued, as the Saints piled up 202 yards rushing. To put things in perspective, no Saint even ranks in the top 30 rushers in the league.

"Last week we got torn up by June Henley, and this week it was Victor Roan. I really don't know what we can do about this, but we need to do something fast," lamented Cleveland coach Kenyon Bates. The Browns are now allowing a dismal 139.8 yards rushing per game, fourth from the bottom of the league. "There's no doubt opposing backs just drool when reviewing film of us the week before a game," said Bates.

Rookie halfback Victor Roan, the Saints' first round draft pick, led the way with 100 yards even on 20 carries. New Orleans went up 7-0 early on the opening drive, which included a key conversion on third and 13. QB Kerry Collins found wideout Keith Poole for a 37 yard strike to keep the drive alive. Collins was an efficient 13 of 23 for 240 yards and three touchdowns on the day. He also threw no interceptions and was sacked just once.

Early in the second quarter, Cleveland managed a 23 yard field goal to make it 7-3, but New Orleans would hit paydirt again midway through the period. On third and 1 from his own 34, Collins went deep and found TE Cam Cleeland streaking down the middle of the field for a 66 yard touchdown.

Although Cleveland would hit a 42 yard field goal midway through the third quarter, not even sloppy kicking by the Saints could keep them in the game. New Orleans kicker K Doug Brien was sent out to attempt two 56 yard field goals and was short both times. A third attempt during the fourth quarter from 26 yards out was blocked by Browns CB Jason Sehorn.

Fortunately for the Saints, they wouldn't need the field goals to secure a victory. Collins hooked up with Poole for a second touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to give the Saints a 21-6 advantage. The touchdown was set up by a 55 yard burst through the center of the line by fullback Aaron Craver on the previous play.

A Doug Brien field goal from 24 yards out represented the final points on the board, scored after Cleveland turned it over on downs with 2:41 to go.

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Subby: Heh, Maryland won? I don't even know - don't have any loyalty to the Terps (i'm a grad student). My loyalties are actually to the Bows from Hawaii (screw the athletic department and their Warriors crap) and the Detroit Lions (11 year fan and counting).

Since quitting my Ultima Online account (it got boring fast), i've returned to watching two weeks of Browns simulations on FOF each day. I never used to watch the scoreboard each sim week, but writing it up is turning out to be half the fun.

Thanks for the kind comments... Glad someone is actually reading and enjoying this thread. Side note - I do go to a few MD home games for the free shirts and stuff tho.

[Morgado]

1999 Week 9

Browns Lay Goose Egg, 14-0

Cleveland - The Baltimore Ravens (4-4) slogged past the now sinking Cleveland Browns (4-5) in Modell Bowl II on extremely accurate passing by Ravens quarterbacks. Although Baltimore starter Jim Harbaugh was knocked out of the game on the last play of the first half, backup Eric Zeier stepped in and the Raven offense never missed a beat. The two quarterbacks combined for a pinpoint 21 of 29 passing for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns. An MRI on Harbaugh's knee at halftime turned up negative and he is expected to take snaps as early as Tuesday morning.

Cleveland quarterback Jim Druckenmiller did not fare nearly as well, tossing just 9 completions in 31 attempts for 134 yards and a touchdown. Druckenmiller, named the starter after coach Kenyon Bates benched rookie Keith McNair for two weeks of disappointing play, was intercepted three times. Coach Bates declined to comment on who the starter would be Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Through the first half, the weather dominated the game. Several running backs slipped on the slick surface, and Cleveland Gary Downs fumbled at the 6 minute mark in the first quarter at the Baltimore 25. The Ravens, also befuddled by Mother Nature, were unable to take advantage and nothing came of the turnover.

Save for a Matt Stover miss wide right from 40 yards out, neither team threatened until Batlimore got good field position at the Cleveland 36 following a badly shanked punt. On the next play, Harbaugh found the diminutive Jermaine Lewis in the endzone for a 7 point lead.

Neither team managed anything noteworthy until the end of the game. Cleveland, pinned back on its own 5 yard line by a holding call on the punt return, went nowhere and gave the ball to the Ravens on downs with 1:14 remaining. Zeier then connected with veteran receiver Floyd Turner for an insurance touchdown to go up 14-0.

[This message has been edited by Morgado (edited 10-28-2000).]

[Morgado]

Morgado Sports Network FOFL Special Report

1999 Midseason Evaluation

NFC East
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Although the Arizona Cardinals (5-3) lead the Washington Redskins (5-3) via the head to head tiebreaker in week 6 by a score of 23-20, the Redskins are the only team with a winning record that arizona has defeated. They will be tested next week against the Detroit Lions (5-3) at home next week, and down the line against the Buffalo Bills (6-3, Week 15) and the Green bay Packers (5-3, Week 17). Washington, coming off an impressive week 9 win over Buffalo, are probably the better team.

Meanwhile, the woeful Dallas Cowboys (2-6) and Philadelphia Eagles (2-7) make this the weakest division in football. The Cowboys are 0-5 against NFC East opponents

NFC Central
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One of the many extremely balanced divisions in the league, three NFC Central teams have 5 wins and four are at least .500 clubs. Only the Minnesota Vikings (3-6) seem to be out of the race for the division title.

QB Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers (5-3) seems to have the inside track on the MVP race. The league passing leader has a sparkling 103.2 and has thrown for 14 touchdowns and zero interceptions. DE Stalin Colinet and WR Randy Moss are the lone bright spots on a miserable Minnesota club. Colinet leads the league with 12.0 sacks and Moss leads the league with 837 yards on 48 catches.

NFC West
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The story in the NFC west are the New Orleans Saints (6-2), who are the midseason favorite to represent the NFC in the FO Bowl. Following a 1-2 start, the red hot Saints are on a 5 game winning streak. They lead the league in passing (297.2 ypg), have the second ranked rushing defense (97.5 ypg), and QB Kerry Collins has already thrown for 2345 yards.

Although cellar dweller San Francisco (3-5) is not predicted to make the playoffs, the 49er secondary has been a veritable air defense network. All four starters have 3 or more interceptions and as a unit they have an amazing 19 picks.

AFC East
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Following a 6-0 start, the Buffalo Bills (6-3) have yielded the division lead to the Indianapolis Colts (6-2). RB Marshall Faulk has 824 yards and 10 touchdowns. Like the NFC Central, this division is very tight and 4 out of 5 teams are at least .500. Only the New Jersey Jets (3-5) are below the even mark.

AFC Central
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Division leader Cincinnati (6-3) has only lost to AFC East leader indianapolis, AFC West leader Seattle, and the Carolina Panthers (5-3), all by 6 or less points. Jacksonville (5-3), coming off a 31-0 drubbing of the Atlanta Falcons (4-5) last week, are in second place. Jaguars QB Mark Brunell leads the AFC with a 101.5 passer rating.

AFC West
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The Seattle Seahawks (5-3) are something of an enigma. Are they the team that beat NFC Central leader Detroit, the 6-3 Colts and the AFC Central leader Cincinnati? Or are they the team that was torched for 51 points by 4-4 Pittsburgh and 37 points by 3-5 San Diego?

Denver (4-5) RB Terrell Davis has already eclipsed the millenium mark with 1004 yards rushing and has a 5.5 yard per carry average. The Broncos also lead the league with a +10 turnover margin, but are held back by the second worst pass offense in the league (143.7 ypg) and the second worst pass defense in the league (267.8 ypg).

[Morgado]

1999 Week 10

Browns Lose Heartbreaker, 23-21

Pittsburgh - Much maligned quarterback Kordell Stewart overcame three interceptions to push the Pittsburgh Steelers (5-4) into field goal range with just 7 seconds on the clock for the win. Rookie placekicker Alfred Hetherington drilled the 52 yard field goal to deny the Cleveland Browns (4-6) in what can only be called an extremely ugly game.

A total of 22 yellow flags were thrown during the game,inclding three offsides calls against the Browns on their opening defensive series. "I can tell you what I thought of the officiating, but I have a family to feed," said a disgusted Cleveland coach Kenyon Bates. The league has already fined several coaches around the league for complaining about officiating. "You know what my vote will be when instant replay comes up for review in May," grumbled Bates.

On the upside, in response to being benched last week for backup Jim Druckenmiller, Browns quarterback Keith McNair played a mistake free ballgame. Regaining his earlier form from the first five weeks, McNair was 18 of 32 for 208 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.

Boosted by the three Cleveland penalties early on, the Steelers jumped out to a 7-0 lead when Fred McAfee took a handoff around left tackle 21 yards to the end zone. Cleveland could not respond, and was forced to punt the ball back to the Steelers. Pittsburgh then drove for a Hetherington 26 yard boot to make it 10-0.

Cleveland's first break came when Hetherington missed a 44 yard attempt at the 11:44 mark in the second quarter. The Browns took over at the 34 and marched 66 yards in 11 plays, scoring on a Gilbert Rodgers 6 yard run.

Neither team managed to get anything going until the Browns turned the second of Stewart's interceptions into 7 points. CB Trent Joseph outjumped Pittsburgh's Courtney Hawkins for his fourth interception of the season at the Cleveland 37 yard line. "It isn't everyday a 5-10 guy like me gets a height advantage in this league, so I make the most of those opportunities," said Joseph. Hawkins is 5-9. The ensuing drive and 16 yard touchdown pass from McNair to Vincent Brisby gave the Browns their first lead of the game, 14-10.

The Steelers would regain the lead on a 1 yard draw by Stewart early in the fourth quarter. The big play of the drive was a 44 yard connection between Stewart and rookie wideout Todd Harrison in front of Jason Sehorn down to the Cleveland 26. A 47 yard Hetherington kick later in the quarter set the Steelers ahead 20-14 with 4:44 to go.

Browns kick returner Tamarick Vanover gave Cleveland new life with a spectacular return down to the Pittsburgh 46. Using the excellent field position, the Browns drove steadily downfield. The drive stalled at the 13 yard line, where the Steeler defense sacked McNair and defensed two consecutive passes. Running out of options on fourth and 13 with 43 seconds left to play McNair found his #4 receiver Jeff Ogden in the back of the end zone to take the lead, 21-20.

[Morgado]

1999 Week 11

Panthers Escape With Wacky Win, 48-35

Cleveland - How is it possible for a team to score 35 points when they have more carries than rushing yards and less than 200 yards of total offense? Just ask the Carolina Panthers (6-4), who got to witness it firsthand. Carolina amassed 508 yards of total offense, held the ball for nearly 38 minutes, and was a sizzling 11 of 17 on third down conversions. And yet, the Panthers came away with just a 13 point win over the hapless Cleveland Browns (4-7) in a bizarre "shootout."

Fred Lane, the star of the game, shredded the Cleveland defense for 179 yards on a scant 22 carries. Lne had touchdown runs of 8, 1, 11 and 39 yards on a career day. Equally unstoppable, Carolina WR Raghib "Rocket" Ismail caught 10 balls for a whopping 140 yards.

On the other hand, Cleveland managed to eke out just 18 total yards on 19 carries for a dismal 0.9 rushing average. Even more discouraging for the struggling Browns, who are now on a 5 game skid, were key injuries in the defeat. Just minutes into the second half, starting DE Kenny Holmes left the game with what team doctors are calling a season ending broken arm. Late in the game, middle linebacker Marlo Perry lef the field with an injury. Although not as serious as the injury to Holmes, Perry will likely be out for 4 weeks with a broken hand. Holmes led the Browns with 7 sacks and Perry was their leading tackler.

Carolina took the opening kickoff and scored on a solid 5 minute drive with the first of Lane's touchdowns. On the Panthers' next possession, though, rookie standout Trent Joseph picked off a Steve Beuerlein pass for his fifth interception of the year. Cleveland capitalized on the turnover with a 1 yard pass from Keith McNair to TE Kenyon Hall.

Beuerlein would again be intercepted at the start of the second quarter, this time by safety Gerald McBurrows. The runback went for a touchdown to put Cleveland ahead 14-7. At this point, Carolina seized control of the game and dominated the Browns with a 6:34 field goal drive, 3:21 touchdown drive, 1:29 touchdown drive and a 4:29 touchdown drive, all unanswered.

The game turned weird at the 12:50 mark, when John Kasay missed a 33 yard field goal, wide left. Cleveland's dormant offense awoke, and scored two quick touchdowns on Keith McNair passes to Vincent Brisby and Chris Sanders within 56 seconds of each other. The second of the two touchdowns was set up by a fumble forced and recovered by Browns DT Michael Myers on a monster sack of Beuerlein at the Carolina 15.

Now closed to a 31-28 deficit, the Browns were unable to stop the Panthers, who went back up 38-28 on a Rocket Ismail 3 yard reverse and then 45-28 on a Beuerlein to Mark Carrier 21 yard strike. Following a 30 yard Kasay field goal, the game was well in hand for the Panthers, who held a comfortable 20 point lead with just 1:55 remaining.

"I think they let up at that point in the game," said Browns kick returner Tamarick Vanover. "They were whipping us so badly, I wouldn't blame them if they were already packing it in." Vanover took the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to peg the final score at 48-35.

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Oh, what could have been. A moment of silence for Fred Lane, please.

[This message has been edited by Morgado (edited 10-30-2000).]

[Morgado]

1999 Week 12

Titans Give Browns The Boot, 15-10

Cleveland - With more than just a leg up on the competition, the Tennessee Titans (5-6) handed the Cleveland Browns (4-8) perhaps their most frustrating defeat of the season. Making do without key defensive personnel, the Browns put up a good defensive battle for four solid quarters. But, as has been a common sight during the season, the Cleveland offense was unable to generate much of anything and was held to less than 100 team rushing yards for the fourth straight week.

Plagued by penalties this year, the Browns' 104 penalties for 700 yards gives them the dubious distinction of being the second most penalized team in the league. Only the San Diego Chargers have committed more fouls (107 for 707 yards) thus far. "You know, that's like three games worth of total offense for us," remarked Cleveland coach Kenyon Bates. "Penalties really killed several of our drives today, and they're not hard nosed football penalties. We're making dumb, mental errors that shouldn't be happening."

5:15 into the second quarter, thr frustration of the Browns offense flared up and resulted in the ejection of wideout Chris Sanders. Upset with a late block he received after the ball was dropped by TE Kenyon Hall, Sanders confronted the head linesman and threw his helmet in disgust. Sanders was promptly ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct and was escorted to the locker rooms. When asked about the incident, coach Bates declined to give any comment. "We're going to talk to Chris and make a decision after reviewing the tape and looking at all the evidence. I don't know what action, if any, will be taken," said Bates.

In an otherwise uneventful first half, the Titans took a 9-3 lead into halftime on the leg of Al Del Greco. Del Greco nailed kicks from 47, 28, and 40 yards out to put the Titans up 9-0, but Cleveland would come back late for a 46 yard Mack Forbes field goal just 25 seconds before the break.

Midway through the third quarter, the Titans added another field goal, this time from 23 yards out. The field position battle continued until the Browns took over on their own 35 yard line following a missed Del Greco field goal attempt that sailed wide left to end the third quarter. At the 10:12 mark in the fourth quarter, RB Gilbert Rodgers took it in 10 yards for the only touchdown of the day.

Down 12-10, Cleveland gambled with an onside kick but Tennessee's Derrick Mason came up with the ball. The Cleveland coaching staff was grilled hard on the decision during the postgame press conference, and stood by the decision. "You take some chances to win games. You win some, you lose some. That's all I have to say," said Bates.

Despite surrendering excellent field position, the Browns managed to hold the Titans to a 23 yard Del Greco field goal. However, in its final three drives of the game, the Cleveland offense was unable to get past the Tennessee 34 yard line.

[Syrinx]

Great reporting, keep up the good work!

[Morgado]

1999 Week 13

Browns Mug Chargers, 16-9

San Diego - Coming into this game, the San Diego Chargers (4-8) and the Cleveland Browns (5-8) ranked first and second in the league in penalties. It was only fitting that on the opening kickoff, the game began with a holding penalty against the Chargers, who were defeated 16-9.

A defensive battle from start to finish, at the 4:20 mark in the second quarter as many offensive plays (23) had gone for zero or negative yardage as plays that went for positive yardage. Twice San Diego threatened deep in Browns territory, but managed to come away with just two field goals. The first was set up by a 62 yard interception return by Chargers safety Greg Jackson. Jackson's play halted a Cleveland drive at the 32 and gave the San Diego offense an excellent opportunity at the Cleveland 13 yard line. Unable to break the 10 yard line, the Chargers settled for a Carney field goal and likewise was halted at the Cleveland 20 on their next drive.

Cleveland dodged yet another bullet in the second quarter when defensive end Steve White rattled Chargers quarterback Ryan Leaf, forcing the ball loose at the Cleveland 13 yard line. The Browns marched the ball back the other way for a 38 yard Mack Forbes field goal just before halftime to make it 6-3. This would be a recurring theme throughout the day as San Diego mistakes would prevent the Chargers from capitalizing on opportunities all day long.

Riding the momentum into the third quarter, the Browns took the opening kickoff of the half and again mounted a long drive. Stopped at the San Diego 8, the Browns tied the game up 6-6 with another Forbes kick.

Mistakes again killed a San Diego drive when rookie halfback Gilbert Campbell had the ball stripped by Browns linebacker Scott Kowalkowski at the 7 yard line. The Chargers forced a punt and got the ball back, but had to take a 41 yard Carney field goal to end the quarter when it was shut down just outside the red zone. Kowalkowski led all tacklers with 7 solo stops and 6 assists.

Down 9-6 midway through the fourth quarter, Cleveland QB Keith McNair found WR Brian Alford downfield for a 51 yard bomb. The big play set up a Forbes field goal to tie the game at 9 apiece. San Diego's offensive problems continued, and the Chargers were forced to punt the subsequent kickoff back with 5 minutes remaining.

Starting at his own 45, Keith McNair completed all three of his passes on the lone touchdown drive of the day for 43 yards including the 16 yard scoring play to Tamarick Vanover. McNair was 13 of 28 for 219 yards, one touchdown and one interception on the day.

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Syrinx: Thanks for the praise! I try my best.

[This message has been edited by Morgado (edited 11-01-2000).]