Today marks 90 days until the 2014 Cleveland Browns regular season begins with a road game in Pittsburgh. We're counting down with the #9 Top Cleveland Browns Opening Game:
Sunday, September 4, 1994
Browns 28, Cincinnati Bengals 20
Riverfront Stadium (52,778)
At the end of the 1994 season the following players made the Pro Bowl Michael Dean Perry, Leroy Hoard, Rob Burnett, Eric Turner, Eric Metcalf and Pepper Johnson.
Defensive back Don Griffin helped the defense hold Bengals quarterback David Klingler with his second quarter interception.
Eric Metcalf scores on a 92 yard punt return for a touchdown.
Eric Metcalf scores on a 92 yard punt return for a touchdown with the media capturing it.
Pepper Johnson led the way on defense with 5 solo tackles on the day.
Tom Tupa became the first NFL player in history to ever score a two-point conversion.
The Browns parlayed a pair of touchdowns on kick returns in the second quarter into a comfortable lead, then held off the Bengals in the final minutes to pick up their second straight opening-day victory. Taking control early, the Browns surged ahead 11-0 on a touchdown reception by RB Leroy Hoard, setting the tone for an impressive season, then became the first NFL team to successfully convert a two-point conversion when punter/placekick-holder Tom Tupa took the snap on the extra-point attempt and charged up the middle and into the end zone. After the Bengals scored to cut the margin to four points, Cleveland RB Randy Baldwin returned the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown. Then three minutes later RB Eric Metcalf scampered a team-record 92 yards for a score on a punt return - marking the first time since 1958 the Browns returned a kick and a punt for scores in the same game and the first time any NFL team had done it since 1977. Down by 18 points, the Bengals slowly chipped away at the lead, cutting the deficit to 28-20 in the fourth quarter, and drove to the Cleveland 10 with a minute to play. But Browns' rookie DB Antonio Langham, in his first pro game, intercepted Cincinnati QB David Klingler in the end zone to preserve the victory.
1 2 3 4
Browns 11 14 0 3 = 28
Bengals 0 10 3 7 = 20
CLE-Stover 19-yd. FG
CLE-Hoard 11-yd. pass from Testaverde (Tupa run)
CIN-Fenner 1-yd. run (Pelfrey kick)
CLE-Baldwin 85-yd. kickoff return (Stover kick)
CLE-Metcalf 92-yd. punt return (Stover kick)
CIN-Pelfrey 38-yd. FG
CIN-Pelfrey 49-yd. FG
CLE-Stover 22-yd. FG
CIN-Scott 24-yd. pass from Klingler (Pelfrey kick)
Passing
CLE: Testaverde 14-24-149 1 TD 2 INT
CIN: Klingler 27-43-224 1 TD 2 INT
Rushing
CLE: Hoard 16-92, Vardell 2-8, Baldwin 1-5, Testaverde 1-2, Metcalf 7-0
CIN: Broussard 6-48, Fenner 13-41, Klingler 4-25, Green 7-4
Receiving
CLE: Jackson 3-45, Carrier 3-33, Metcalf 2-27, Vardell 4-22, Hoard 1-11, Reeves 1-11
CIN: Fenner 7-60, Scott 3-50, Broussard 6-35, Green 5-35, Query 1-14, Tony McGee 2-12, Tim McGee 1-10, Pickens 1-6, Sadowski 1-2
Text reproduced from The Browns Bible:The Complete Game-By-Game History of the Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, The Kent State University Press
