When it comes to the subject of the best defenses in Browns history, then the one in 1994 has to be mentioned.
While the Browns had a lot of great defenses back in the day, the 1994 unit may be the best of the modern era. The statistics tell us so. The Browns set a team record for fewest points given up in a 16-game season with 204, or but 12.75 per game.
And that defense was at its best on this date 21 years ago, Sept. 18, by positing its only shutout of the year in a 32-0 victory over the Arizona Cardinals at Cleveland Stadium.
In improving their record to 2-1, the Browns intercepted three passes off former Chicago Bears Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jim McMahon, who would end up in Cleveland the following year, and ex-Washington Redskin Jay Schroeder. One of them was returned 93 yards for a touchdown by Pro Bowl safety Eric Turner.
Running for his life while in there, McMahon was team’s leading rusher with 31 yards – nearly half the Cardinals’ total of 63 — on four scrambles.
Browns quarterback Vinny Testaverde threw for 248 yards and two touchdowns, a 16-yarder to fullback Tommy Vardell and an 81-yarder to wide receiver Derrick Alexander. Testaverde also ran one yard for a score as the Browns put the game away in the second half by scoring 29 points.
There are several other games of note on this date in Browns history, including one in 1961.
It was 54 years ago today that the Browns went to Philadelphia and lost 27-20 to the defending NFL champion Eagles in the 1961 season opener. What was most interesting about the game is that it matched two of the first three Browns head coaches in history against one another.
There was Paul Brown, of course, who was beginning his next-to-last year in Cleveland, and the Eagles’ Nick Skorich. Skorich, from Bellaire, Ohio in Belmont County, was in his first year on the job. He coached the Eagles for three years before being fired. He was succeeded by Joe Kuharich, the father of Bill Kuharich, now executive chief of staff for the Browns and serving as the interim general manager while GM Ray Farmer serves a four-game suspension for his involvement in Textgate.
After leaving the Eagles, Skorich went to the Browns in 1964 and served as defensive line coach under Brown’s successor, Blanton Collier. He was an integral part of the defensive game plan in the Browns’ 27-0 upset of the Baltimore Colts in the 1964 NFL Championship Game.
Skorich was an assistant in Cleveland for seven seasons and then was named head coach in 1971 when Collier was forced to retire because of poor hearing. Skorich coached the Browns for four years, guiding them to their first AFC Central crown in that first season and following that up by getting them to a wild-card berth in 1972.
By Steve King
