1993
Record: 7-9
Head Coach: Belichick
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Third
Opening Day QB Starter: Kosar
Season-Finale QB Starter: Vinny Testaverde
Other QBs who started: Philcox
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Testaverde
Noted: Kosar didn’t survive the season, being unceremoniously released following a 29-14 home loss to Denver in Week 10 after the season’s second bye-week. The loss dropped the Browns to 5-3. However, they would only win two more games the rest of the season. Testaverde, a free agent acquisition and Kosar’s college teammate at Miami (Fla.), relieved in Week 3 and led the Browns to a come-from-behind 19-16 win over Oakland after they trailed, 16-3, in the fourth quarter. Belichick followed suit the following two games before permanently benching Kosar for Week 7. Testaverde started and led the team to wins over Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. However, he was injured during the fourth quarter against the Steelers and Kosar came off the bench. Kosar didn’t get the chance to lead a game-winning TD drive, as Eric Metcalf returned a punt 75 yards for the winning TD with two minutes remaining. With Testaverde injured, Philcox started the next four games, only winning one (17-13 over New Orleans). However, Testaverde came off the bench and led the team to the win, and he started the remaining four games, including a 42-14 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the second-to-last game. Kosar wound up signing with the Dallas Cowboys and played a key role in their Super Bowl-winning season.
1994
Record: 11-5 (1-1 playoffs)
Head Coach: Belichick
Postseason: Yes (Wild-Card)
Division Finish: Second
Opening Day QB Starter: Testaverde
Season-Finale QB Starter: Testaverde (Postseason: Testaverde)
Other QBs who started: Mark Rypien
Other QBs who played: N/A
Leading Passer: Testaverde
Noted: It was Testaverde’s team for the first time, and he was under pressure from fans and media who were angry about Kosar’s release. In a make-or-break season, the Browns had their best record since 1987 and snapped a four-year streak without a playoff berth. Testaverde only started 13 games (he played 14) due to injury, and still finished with more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (16). But, he threw for 2,575 yards. Testaverde was injured during a 37-13 win over the Bengals in Week 8, with the Browns sitting at 6-1. Rypien, who won a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins in 1991, started the next three games, winning two of them. He relieved an injured Testaverde the following week in a 20-13 loss to Kansas City, but Testaverde returned for good the following week, going 3-2 the rest of the way. Testaverde led the Browns to a 20-13 Wild-Card win at home over New England on New Year’s Day. However, he struggled against the Steelers the following week, completing 13 of 31 passes for 144 yards with a TD and two Ints in a 29-9 loss. Adding insult to injury, Testaverde was sacked for a safety late in the fourth quarter. The Browns haven’t won a playoff game (or hosted a playoff game) since.
1995
Record: 5-11
Head Coach: Belichick
Postseason: No
Division Finish: Fourth
Opening Day QB Starter: Testaverde
Season-Finale QB Starter: Testaverde
Other QBs who started: Eric Zeier
Other QBs who played: Tom Tupa
Leading Passer: Testaverde
Noted: This was the year of the move. Modell announced he was moving the team on Nov. 6 — at that point, the Browns were 4-5. However, word leaked of the move prior to the game on Nov. 5, in which the Browns were killed, 37-10, at home by Houston. Testaverde led the Browns to a 3-1 start, but was benched following a 23-13 loss to Jacksonville for Zeier, a third-round rookie out of Georgia. Zeier caught lightning in a bottle in his first start, throwing for 310 yards in a 29-26 OT win at Cincinnati. But then the move came, and the wheels fell off. Zeier only started three more games (all losses) before Testaverde took over for good. Testaverde led the Browns to an emotional 26-10 win on Dec. 17 in their final game at the old Cleveland Stadium, which snapped a six-game losing skid. Testaverde actually had a decent year, throwing for 2,883 yards with 17 touchdowns and 10 Ints. The franchise was renamed the Baltimore Ravens (Testaverde remained, but Belichick was fired shortly after the move was finalized), and the Cleveland Browns would be dormant for the next three seasons.
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