Cleveland Browns: Top 10 passing games of all-time
By Thomas Moore
Oct 13, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns fans celebrate a touchdown against the Detroit Lions at FirstEnergy Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Browns closed out the 1986 season with a bitter overtime loss to the Denver Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. Heading into the 1987 season, Cleveland was a favorite to make the team’s first trip to the Super Bowl.
Those plans took a hit, however, when the players went on strike after Week 2 and the Browns sitting at 1-1 on the season.
The owners cancelled the games for Week 3 before returning to action in Week 4 with replacement players. The Browns split the first two replacement games, beating New England but losing a divisional game to Houston. With a road game coming up against Cincinnati, and the Browns facing the prospect of falling to 1-2 in the division, quarterback Gary Danielson rode to the rescue.
Danielson, along with seven other regulars, crossed the picket line in time to face the Bengals at Riverfront Stadium. Against an overmatched Bengal defense, Danielson was 25-of-31 for 281 yards and four touchdowns, good for a quarterback rating of 144 as the Browns rolled 34-0.
The veteran quarterback’s favorite target was Brian Brennan, who caught 10 passes for 139 yards, and Danielson led the Browns to 410 yards of offense and 29 first downs.
The win helped the Browns right the ship in a season that would see them return to the AFC Championship Game for a rematch with the Broncos.
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