Cleveland Browns: Top 30 moments of all-time
By Thomas Moore
The 2002 NFL season was the last time the Cleveland Browns made the playoffs, and the first of two winning seasons since 1999.
The Browns finished the 2002 season with a record of 9-7. They should have finished 10-6.
Cleveland Browns Stadium was filled with over 70,000 fans awaiting a sure victory in the season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. The Browns led 39-37 with just seconds remaining when Trent Green dropped back to pass.
Green appeared to go down, but miraculously pitched the ball to a lineman, keeping the game alive. Lateral plays rarely succeed so a few more seconds and the game would have been over. But then you notice something on the left side of the screen.
There is Dwayne Rudd, doing the unthinkable and slamming his helmet before the game is over. Now there is nothing wrong with celebrating, but doing so before the game is over is just plain stupid.
Rudd’s move was penalized and gave the Chiefs a free play after time expired, resulting in a game-winning field goal.
This is one of the most notable blunders for the post-1999 Cleveland Browns. The team still made the playoffs, so luckily Rudd’s mistake did not do too much to hurt the team’s season. If the Browns missed the playoffs by a game, Rudd’s blunder may be up there with those in games against that John Elway guy. – Steven Kubitza
Next: No. 27: The Browns return to the NFL