1995 Cleveland Browns season

1995 Cleveland Browns season
Head coach Bill Belichick
Owner Art Modell
Home field Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Results
Record 5–11
Division place 4th AFC Central
Playoff finish did not qualify

The 1995 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 50th season overall and 46th in the National Football League. After finishing 11-5 in 1994 under head coach Bill Belichick and winning a playoff game for the first time since 1989, the Browns were favored by many to reach Cleveland's first ever Super Bowl.[1] The Browns started by winning three of their first four games, but lost three straight in the middle of the season and finished the first half of the season at 4-4.

The day after the Browns recorded their fifth loss, a 37-10 blowout to the Oilers, owner Art Modell announced that he was moving the franchise to Baltimore. Stunned by this news, the team collapsed and only won one of their remaining seven games and Belichick was fired. As part of the agreement to allow Modell to move, the city of Cleveland was allowed to keep the Browns name, the team's history from 1946 onward, and everything else associated with the Browns while Modell would receive a new the franchise, which would become known as the Ravens. The Browns' roster would be transferred to Baltimore but the club would otherwise start from scratch as an expansion team would. The NFL also agreed that Cleveland would receive a new franchise once a stadium was built for it, and in 1999 the Browns franchise was reactivated under new ownership. The 1999 Browns were stocked by an expansion draft, but were otherwise a continuation of the original 1946 franchise.

The team was documented in NFL Network's A Football Life.[2]

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1995 NFL draft
1995 Cleveland Browns draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
1 30 Craig Powell  Linebacker Ohio State
3 84 Eric Zeier  Quarterback Georgia
3 94 Mike Frederick  Defensive end Virginia
5 136 Tau Pupua  Defensive tackle Weber State
5 147 Mike Miller  Wide receiver Notre Dame
7 231 A. C. Tellison  Wide receiver Miami (FL)
      Made roster  

[3]

Draft Trades Made

Personnel

Staff

1995 Cleveland Browns staff
Front office

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and Conditioning – Jerry Simmons

[6]

Regular season

Schedule

The Browns' record was 4–5 on November 6, the day that owner Art Modell announced the team would be moving to Baltimore, Maryland for the 1996 season. Cleveland ended the season losing six of their final seven games.

The Browns became the first NFL team to be swept by an expansion team, losing twice to the Jacksonville Jaguars.[7]

Week Date Opponent Result Attendance TV time
1 September 3, 1995 at New England Patriots L 17–14
60,126
NBC 1:00ET
2 September 10, 1995 Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 14–7
61,083
FOX 1:00ET
3 September 17, 1995 at Houston Oilers W 14–7
36,077
NBC 1:00ET
4 September 24, 1995 Kansas City Chiefs W 35–17
74,280
NBC 4:05ET
5 October 2, 1995 Buffalo Bills L 22–19
76,211
ABC 9:00ET
6 October 8, 1995 at Detroit Lions L 38–20
74,171
NBC 4:05ET
7 Bye
8 October 22, 1995 Jacksonville Jaguars L 23–15
64,405
NBC 1:00ET
9 October 29, 1995 at Cincinnati Bengals W 29–26
58,639
NBC 1:00ET
10 November 5, 1995 Houston Oilers L 37–10
57,881
NBC 1:00ET
11 November 13, 1995 at Pittsburgh Steelers L 20–3
58,675
ABC 9:00ET
12 November 19, 1995 Green Bay Packers L 31–20
55,388
FOX 1:00ET
13 November 26, 1995 Pittsburgh Steelers L 20–17
67,269
NBC 1:00ET
14 December 3, 1995 at San Diego Chargers L 31–13
56,358
NBC 4:05ET
15 December 9, 1995 at Minnesota Vikings L 27–11
47,984
NBC 12:30ET
16 December 17, 1995 Cincinnati Bengals W 26–10
55,875
NBC 1:00ET
17 December 24, 1995 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 24–21
66,007
NBC 1:00ET

Standings

AFC Central
W L T PCT PF PA STK
(2) Pittsburgh Steelers 11 5 0 .688 407 327 L1
Cincinnati Bengals 7 9 0 .438 349 374 W1
Houston Oilers 7 9 0 .438 348 324 W2
Cleveland Browns 5 11 0 .313 289 356 L1
Jacksonville Jaguars 4 12 0 .250 275 404 W1

Roster

Cleveland Browns roster
Quarterbacks

Vinny Testaverde

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive Linemen

Defensive Linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special Teams

Reserve Lists
  • Currently vacant

Relocation to Baltimore

Modell announced on November 6, 1995, that he had signed a deal to relocate the Browns to Baltimore in 1996—a move which would return the NFL to Baltimore for the first time since the Colts relocated to Indianapolis after the 1983 season. The very next day, on November 7, 1995, Cleveland voters overwhelmingly approved an issue that had been placed on the ballot at Modell's request, before he made his decision to move the franchise, which provided $175 million in tax dollars to refurbish the outmoded and declining Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Modell's plan was later scrapped and taxpayers ultimately paid close to $300 million to demolish the old stadium and construct a new stadium for the 1999 Expansion Browns on the site of Municipal Stadium.

References

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