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1995 Cleveland Browns season
1995 Cleveland Browns season
Owner	Art Modell
Head coach	Bill Belichick
Offensive coordinator	Steve Crosby
Defensive coordinator	Rick Venturi
Home field	Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Local radio	WKNR · WDOK
Results
Record	5–11
Division place	4th AFC Central
Playoff finish	Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers	none
	← 1994; Browns seasons; 1999 →;

The 1995 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 50th season overall and 46th in the National Football League. The team finished 5–11, fourth in the AFC Central, though most of the season was overshadowed by the team's decision to leave the city following the season. The team was documented in NFL Network's A Football Life.^[1] During the season, the Browns were swept by the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars, thus becoming only the second team in the Super Bowl era to be swept by an expansion team, joining the 1966 Houston Oilers, who were swept by the Miami Dolphins that season.

After finishing 11–5 in 1994 and winning a playoff game for the first time since 1989, the Browns were favored by many to reach Cleveland's first Super Bowl.^[2] The Browns started by winning three of their first four games and were 4–4 halfway through the season. On November 6, the day after the Browns recorded their fifth loss, a 37–10 blowout against the Oilers, owner Art Modell announced that he intended to move the team to Baltimore at the end of the season. Stunned by this news, the team collapsed and only won one of their remaining seven games and head coach Bill Belichick was fired after the season.

As part of the agreement reached in February 1996 to allow Modell to move, the city of Cleveland was allowed to keep the Browns name, franchise history and all memorabilia and agreed to build a new stadium by 1999. In return, Modell was allowed to take the player contracts from the Browns, as well as the bulk of his organization, to Baltimore, but his franchise, later named the Baltimore Ravens, would be considered a 1996 expansion team. The NFL agreed that the Browns would be reactivated no later than 1999, by way of an expansion draft or relocated team.

Offseason‌

NFL draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1995 Cleveland Browns draft
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

Traded Eric Metcalf and 1x26 to Atlanta Falcons for pick 1x10^[4]
Traded 1x10 to San Francisco 49ers for 1x30, 3x94, 4x119, and 1996 1st round selection .^[5]
Traded 4th Round pick to Jacksonville Jaguars for 5x136 and 1996 6th Round selection.
Traded 4x119 to Philadelphia Eagles for 5x147 and 1996 5th round selection.
Traded 7th Round pick to New England Patriots for 7x231.

Personnel

Staff

**1995 Cleveland Browns staff**
	Front office Owner and president – Art Modell Director of player personnel – Michael Lombardi Director of pro personnel – Ozzie Newsome Head coaches Head coach – Bill Belichick Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Steve Crosby Wide receivers – Mike Sheppard Offensive line – Kirk Ferentz Assistant offensive line/tight ends – Pat Hill Offensive assistant – Ernie Adams Offensive assistant – John Settle			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Rick Venturi Defensive line – Jacob Burney Linebackers – Chuck Bresnahan Secondary – Jim Bates Defensive Assistant - Tom Spann Special teams coaches Special teams – Scott O'Brien Coaches Assistant - Eric Mangini Strength and conditioning Strength and conditioning – Jerry Simmons Pass Rush Consultant - Joe Kim

^[6]

Roster

1995 Cleveland Browns roster

Quarterbacks

12 Vinny Testaverde

10 Eric Zeier

Running backs

21 Earnest Byner

23 Earnest Hunter

22 Ricky Powers

44 Tommy Vardell FB

34 Lorenzo White

Wide receivers

85 Derrick Alexander

83 Michael Bates

86 Ray Ethridge

81 Michael Jackson

87 Keenan McCardell

80 Andre Rison

84 Rico Smith

Tight ends

89 Harold Bishop

48 Frank Hartley

88 Brian Kinchen LS

Offensive linemen

70 Herman Arvie T

77 Orlando Brown T

72 Bob Dahl G

60 Jed DeVries T

61 Steve Everitt C

66 Tony Jones T

67 Quentin Neujahr C

68 Lonnie Palelei G

63 Wally Williams G

Defensive linemen

90 Rob Burnett DE

96 Chad Eaton DT

78 Dan Footman DE

94 Mike Frederick DT

73 Tim Goad DT

99 Rich McKenzie DE

98 Anthony Pleasant DE

75 Pio Sagapolutele DT

79 Larry Webster DT

Linebackers

58 Carl Banks OLB

56 Mike Caldwell OLB

51 Gerald Dixon OLB

52 Pepper Johnson MLB

54 Eddie Sutter MLB

Defensive backs

43 Vashone Adams FS

24 Donny Brady CB

26 Mike Davis CB

28 Don Griffin CB

25 Dana Hall FS

41 Tim Jacobs CB

38 Antonio Langham CB

27 Stevon Moore SS

42 Louis Riddick SS

20 Johnny Thomas CB

37 Bennie Thompson SS

Special teams

3 Matt Stover K

7 Tom Tupa P

Reserve lists

36 Issac Booth CB (IR)

-- Elliott Fortune DE (IR)

33 Leroy Hoard RB (IR)

64 Sale Isaia G (IR)

95 Rick Lyle DE (IR)

59 Craig Powell LB (IR)

92 Tau Pupua DT (IR)

50 Frank Stams MLB (IR)

29 Eric Turner S (IR)

Practice squad

65 Pulu Poumele T

53 active, 9 inactive, 1 practice squad

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	Record	Venue	Attendance	Recap
1	September 3	at New England Patriots	L 14–17	0–1	Foxboro Stadium	60,126	Recap
2	September 10	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	W 22–6	1–1	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	61,083	Recap
3	September 17	at Houston Oilers	W 14–7	2–1	Houston Astrodome	36,077	Recap
4	September 24	Kansas City Chiefs	W 35–17	3–1	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	74,280	Recap
5	October 2	Buffalo Bills	L 19–22	3–2	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	76,211	Recap
6	October 8	at Detroit Lions	L 20–38	3–3	Pontiac Silverdome	74,171	Recap
7	Bye
8	October 22	Jacksonville Jaguars	L 15–23	3–4	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	64,405	Recap
9	October 29	at Cincinnati Bengals	W 29–26 (OT)	4–4	Riverfront Stadium	58,639	Recap
10	November 5	Houston Oilers	L 10–37	4–5	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	57,881	Recap
11	November 13	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 3–20	4–6	Three Rivers Stadium	58,675	Recap
12	November 19	Green Bay Packers	L 20–31	4–7	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	55,388	Recap
13	November 26	Pittsburgh Steelers	L 17–20	4–8	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	67,269	Recap
14	December 3	at San Diego Chargers	L 13–31	4–9	Jack Murphy Stadium	56,358	Recap
15	December 9	at Minnesota Vikings	L 11–27	4–10	Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome	47,984	Recap
16	December 17	Cincinnati Bengals	W 26–10	5–10	Cleveland Municipal Stadium	55,875	Recap
17	December 24	at Jacksonville Jaguars	L 21–24	5–11	Jacksonville Municipal Stadium	66,007	Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Season summary

Week 16 vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Week 16: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Bengals	0	3	0	7	10
Browns	0	17	6	3	26

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

Date: December 17
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: Overcast, 29 °F (−2 °C)
Game attendance: 55,875
TV announcers (NBC): Charlie Jones, Randy Cross and Jim Gray
[1]

Game information

First quarter

No scoring plays

Second quarter

CLE – Frank Hartley 1-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Matt Stover kick), 14:55. Browns 7–0.
CIN – Doug Pelfrey 30-yard field goal, 11:10. Browns 7–3.
CLE – Matt Stover 37-yard field goal, 7:17. Browns 10–3.
CLE – Keenan McCardell 16-yard pass from Vinny Testaverde (Matt Stover kick), 0:19. Browns 17–3.

Third quarter

CLE – Matt Stover 42-yard field goal, 11:15. Browns 20–3.
CLE – Matt Stover 19-yard field goal, 7:03. Browns 23–3.

Fourth quarter

CLE – Matt Stover 35-yard field goal, 10:03. Browns 26–3.
CIN – Eric Bieniemy 1-yard run (Doug Pelfrey kick), 6:51. Browns 26–10.

Top passers

CIN – Jeff Blake – 22/46, 257 yards, INT
CLE – Vinny Testaverde – 22/23, 241 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

CIN – Harold Green – 7 rushes, 33 yards
CLE – Earnest Byner – 31 rushes, 121 yards

Top receivers

CIN – Carl Pickens – 5 receptions, 90 yards
CLE – Earnest Byner – 7 receptions, 36 yards

The game marked the final game at Cleveland Stadium and the franchise's final home game until 1999.

Standings

AFC Central
view talk edit	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

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 Baltimore 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, which provided $175 million through a 10-year extension of the existing sin tax to refurbish the outmoded and declining Cleveland Stadium.^[8]

After the move was announced, protests were held in Cleveland and even at Browns away games, and several lawsuits were filed, including a breach of contract by the city, which would have required the Browns to remain at the stadium until the end of the 1998 season.^[9] A compromise was reached in early February 1996. Modell was granted permission by the league to move the team, but only personnel. The Browns franchise, including its history, colors, logos, and other intellectual property, remained in Cleveland and the NFL officially regards the franchise as suspended for the 1996, 1997, and 1998 seasons. Modell's organization, later named the Baltimore Ravens, is officially regarded as a 1996 expansion team. The NFL agreed to revive the Browns no later than the 1999 season, by way of an expansion draft or another team relocating. The city of Cleveland agreed to drop its lawsuits and build a new stadium by 1999, funded by the sin tax passed to renovate Cleveland Stadium.

The old stadium was demolished in late 1996 and early 1997 and Cleveland Browns Stadium (now known as Huntington Bank Field) was built on the same site, opening in August 1999. While multiple teams threatened to move to Cleveland or were mentioned as considering it, the league chose in 1998 to return the team via an expansion draft and the team resumed play in 1999.

References

^ "NFL Network's A FOOTBALL LIFE to Return 9/12". tv.broadwayworld.com. Retrieved September 11, 2012.
^ "Cleveland Browns | 1995". Archived from the original on June 2, 2014. Retrieved March 20, 2014. It was supposed to be the season of dreams. The 1995 Browns were finally going to make it to the Super Bowl, adding to their already impressive resume the one thing that was lacking. The fans were primed for it. So, too, were the players and coaches. And also the national media. None other than Sports Illustrated picked the Browns to get to the big game and lose to the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers, 34-13.
^ "1995 Cleveland Browns Draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
^ "SPORTS PEOPLE: FOOTBALL; Browns Trade Metcalf for First-Round Choice". The New York Times. March 26, 1995.
^ "Cleveland Browns | Draft History 1990s". Archived from the original on April 22, 2014. Retrieved April 26, 2015.
^ National Football League (July 1, 1995). Official 1995 National Football League Record & Fact Book. New York: Workman Publishing Company. p. 37. ISBN 0761100105. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
^ https://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl/2002_3600990/texans-inaugural-season-texans-experimenting-with.html ^{[dead link‍]}
^ Harris, Rich (November 8, 1995). "Voters Extend 'Sin Tax' To Rehab Browns' Stadium". APNews.com. Associated Press. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
^ Morgan, Jon (November 25, 1995). "Ohio judge blocks move of Browns". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 3, 2021.