Top 5 Cleveland Browns games from Bill Belichick era to watch while social distancing
The last home game, Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns, 1995
This game was one of the saddest moments in Browns history. Most of us could not quite believe it. That is what everyone was saying, though many fans still held hope that there would be some last-minute miracle to make the move unnecessary.
There are many opinions on the controversy and who was responsible for what. According to the account by Mike Naymik in Cleveland.com, the fundamental problem was that Art Modell did not comprehend that his Stadium Corporation was going to lose revenue from luxury suites. It should have been obvious that the baseball season rental money was going to be paid to the new Jacobs Field (now Progressive Field) rather than to the Stadium Corporation. Why would people pay the old stadium to sit in the new stadium?
But Modell freaked out, realizing that a huge error had been made. At Modell’s request, the city put forward a voter initiative for $175 million to upgrade the stadium. The vote would be November 6, 1995. But one day before the vote could be taken (it passed of course), Modell announced the team would move to Baltimore. That way, his colossal errors with the stadium financing would be effectively erased.
At the time the Browns were 4-5, but went sour at that point. By the time they met the Bengals in the last home game, they had lost five games in a row.
They managed to pull together for the last home game against Cincinnati, the team started by their former coach, Paul Brown, who was fired by Art Modell in 1963.
The Bengals had a decent offensive team, with unknown Jeff Blake beating out first-round draft pick David Klingler, much like Brian Sipe had surpassed Mike Phipps for the Browns 20 years ago. In any case, the Bengals were getting big numbers from wide receivers Carl Pickens and Darnay Scott.
Harold Green and Eric Bieniemy gave the Bengals two good all-purpose backs. However, the Bengals were very cavalier about pass defense that year, giving up 4512 yards through the air, second-worst in the NFL. They were also 26th in rush defense, so it is not surprising that they were usually outscored by their opponents.
What an odd feeling it was to watch old friends play one more time before being taken away. In a way, it’s fitting that Earnest Byner comes up big in this one. He was in many ways, the heart of the Browns.
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Video links: The last home game, Bengals at Browns, 1995 part 1