1999 Cleveland Browns season

51st season in franchise history, resumption of operations after dormancy August 2023 March 2026 Cleveland Browns 1999 Chris Palmer Al Lerner Dwight Clark Cleveland Browns Stadium 2–14 6th AFC Central Did not qualify 1995 Browns seasons The 1999 Cleveland Browns season was the Browns 51st season overall and 47th in the NFL. It marked the return of professional football to the city of Cleveland, Ohio for the first time since the 1995 season, when the franchise was temporarily deactivated following the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy, which ultimately established the Baltimore Ravens. While technically an expansion team, the team officially and legally are considered a continuation of the previous franchise, as the history and colors of the team remained in Cleveland. The franchise was still alive as a legal entity between 1996 and 1998, and its assets kept in a trust managed by the NFL until Al Lerner became the owner in 1998, taking over the role from the previous owner, Art Modell, who first initiated the relocation in the first place, to the outrage of the citizens in the city of Cleveland. That season the Browns were given full expansion team treatment via an expansion draft and receiving the number one overall draft pick of the 1999 NFL draft, which they used to select Kentucky Wildcats quarterback and the 1998 Quarterback of the Year Tim Couch after he set the Southeastern Conference record for single-season passing yards, and he became the franchise's first draft pick following their reactivation as an expansion team. Couch would throw for over 11,000 passing yards and help the Browns qualify for the postseason in 2002, but his career would be cut short by injuries. Following attempted comebacks with the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars, he would retire after failing to make the final roster for either team. Although Couch would be unable to duplicate his college success, he would be the first quarterback to lead the Browns to the playoffs since their NFL return and the only to do so between 2002 and 2019. He would be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2024. Ever since then, Couch is considered by Fox Sports and other analysts to be one of the NFL's biggest draft busts in its history after being taken at number 1 overall, immediately ahead of fellow quarterback Donovan McNabb, only to falter throughout most of his career. However, Couch's career has been defended by former Browns offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.FOX Sports News, Scores, Schedules, Odds, Shows, Streams & Videos https://www.foxsports.com/ 2026-05-20 www.foxsports.com en-US The Browns' offense and defense both finished in the bottom of the league. The Browns scored 217 points and gained 3,762 yards of total offense, both last in the NFL. The Browns allowed 437 points and gave up 6,046 yards, ranking 29th and 31st, respectively.Pro-Football-Reference.com https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cle/1999.htm 1999 Cleveland Browns Statistics & Players January 6, 2022 Season information During the course of the 1995 season, then-Browns owner Art Modell announced his decision to move the Browns to Baltimore. Modell's new team would begin playing in the 1996 season. It would be the first time since 1935 that Cleveland would be left without an existing football team and the first time since 1943 without a team playing, when the Cleveland Rams suspended operation for one year, so the other teams could have enough players during World War II. However, many Browns fans and Cleveland city officials were determined to keep the team in Cleveland, and orchestrated a grassroots movement to keep the team in Cleveland. The NFL responded by working with city officials, and the two parties came to a unique agreement which would provide the city with a brand-new, state-of-the-art stadium and would promise the return of professional football to Cleveland by the beginning of the 1999 season. Modell also agreed to relinquish the Browns' name, colors and team history to the new owner of the Browns. Modell's new team would begin playing in the 1996 season as the Baltimore Ravens. While the Browns' new stadium was being built on the site of the old Cleveland Stadium, the foundation of the front office was being set in place. Al Lerner won a bidding war for the new team for $750 million. Lerner hired former San Francisco 49ers front office staffers Carmen Policy and Dwight Clark as the Browns' president and vice president. Football finally returned to Cleveland on September 12 when the Browns opened the season against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home; Cleveland native Drew Carey was present and gave a rousing pre-game speech. However, the fans were sorely disappointed as the Browns were defeated by the Steelers 43–0. The team would go on to lose their first seven games, but finally in week 8 of their inaugural season the "New Browns" got their first ever win over the New Orleans Saints. From the Browns' 42-yard line Tim Couch squared up and threw a Hail Mary pass that was tipped in the endzone by Saints defenders but then caught by the Browns' Kevin Johnson. The dramatic game-winning touchdown play happened in the last two seconds of the game, causing the final score to be 21–16. Two weeks later, the Browns defeated the Steelers in Pittsburgh, 16–15, for their second and final win of the year. The Browns finished the season 2–14 and sixth in the AFC Central. It was, at the time, the worst record that the Browns had ever compiled at the end of a season. Since then, the Browns finished with worse records in 2016 and 2017. The Browns did not win a home game throughout the season. Draft Expansion draft 1999 NFL expansion draft Below are players selected from other teams in the Cleveland expansion draft, in order of selection.1999 Cleveland Expansion Draft Pick Player Position Original NFL team 1 Jim Pyne^ C Detroit Lions 2 Hurvin McCormack^ DE Dallas Cowboys 3 Scott Rehberg^ OT New England Patriots 4 Damon Gibson^ WR Cincinnati Bengals 5 Steve Gordon C San Francisco 49ers 6 Tarek Saleh^ LB Carolina Panthers 7 Jeff Buckey G Miami Dolphins 8 Jason Kyle LS Seattle Seahawks 9 Rod Manuel DE Pittsburgh Steelers 10 Lenoy Jones^ LB Tennessee Titans 11 Tim McTyer^ CB Philadelphia Eagles 12 Elijah Alexander LB Indianapolis Colts 13 Pete Swanson OT Kansas City Chiefs 14 Gerome Williams S San Diego Chargers 15 Marlon Forbes^ SChicago Bears 16 Justin Armour WR Denver Broncos 17 Paul Wiggins OT Washington Redskins 18 Duane Butler S Minnesota Vikings 19 Fred Brock WR Arizona Cardinals 20 Kory Blackwell^ CB New York Giants 21 Kevin Devine CB Jacksonville Jaguars 22 Raymond Jackson^ CB Buffalo Bills 23 Jim Bundren^ G New York Jets 24 Ben Cavil G Baltimore Ravens 25 Michael Blair RB Green Bay Packers 26 Antonio Anderson DT Dallas Cowboys 27 Orlando Bobo G Minnesota Vikings 28 James Williams^ LB San Francisco 49ers 29 Scott Milanovich QB Tampa Bay Buccaneers 30 Eric Stokes^ S Seattle Seahawks 31 Ronald Moore RB Miami Dolphins 32 Clarence Williams RB Buffalo Bills 33 Freddie Solomon WR Philadelphia Eagles 34 Brandon Sanders S New York Giants 35 Mike Thompson^ NT Cincinnati Bengals 36 Jerris McPhail RB Detroit Lions 37 Antonio Langham^ CB San Francisco 49ers ^ Made roster. 1999 NFL draft 1999 NFL draft 1999 Cleveland Browns 1 1 Tim Couch QB Kentucky yes 2 32 Kevin Johnson WR Syracuse yes 2 45 Rahim Abdullah LB Clemson Extra selection yes 3 62 Daylon McCutcheon CB USC yes 3 76 Marquis Smith S California yes 4 124 Wali Rainer LB Virginia from San Francisco yes 5 148 Darrin Chiaverini WR Colorado Extra selection yes 6 174 Marcus Spriggs DT Troy from Chicago yes 6 187 Kendall Ogle LB Maryland from Seattle yes 6 191 James Dearth LS Tarleton State from New England via Seattle yes 7 207 Madre Hill RB Arkansas yes no no Undrafted free agents + 1999 undrafted free agents of notePlayerPositionCollegeTim BeauchampDefensive endFloridaMark CampbellTight endMichiganMike CookQuarterbackWilliam & MaryChris HansonPunterMarshallJoseph NastasiWide receiverPenn State Personnel Staff 1999 Cleveland Browns Owner and chairman – Alfred Lerner President and chief executive officer – Carmen Policy Executive vice president/director of football operations – Dwight Clark Executive director of player personnel – Joe Collins Director of college personnel – Phil Neri Director of pro personnel – Keith Kidd Head coach – Chris Palmer Quarterbacks – John Hufnagel Running backs – Dick Portee Wide receivers – Jerry Butler Tight ends – Ray Perkins Offensive line – Bob Palcic Offensive quality control – Tony Sparano Defensive coordinator – Bob Slowik Defensive line – Clarence Brooks Linebackers – Keith Butler Defensive backs – Jerry Holmes Defensive quality control – Billy Davis Special teams – Ken Whisenhunt Special teams quality control – Mark Michaels Head strength and conditioning – Tim Jorgensen Assistant strength/pass rush consultant – Joe Kim Assistant strength – Aril Smith Final roster 1999 Cleveland Browns 51 10 5  2 Tim Couch y 11 Ty Detmer 10 Jamie Martin American football 27 Karim Abdul-Jabbar 44 Marc Edwards American football FB 34 Madre Hill y KR 42 Terry Kirby 40 Tarek Saleh FB 84 Darrin Chiaverini y 87 Zola Davis y 81 Damon Dunn 85 Kevin Johnson wide receiver y PR 80 Ronnie Powell American football y KR 88 James Dearth y 82 Irv Smith Sr. 74 Orlando Bobo G 65 Jim Bundren C 69 Roger Chanoine T 66 Jeremy McKinney G 71 Jim Pyne G 79 Scott Rehberg T 68 Chris Ruhman T 64 Dave Wohlabaugh C 75 Steve Zahursky G/T 94 Derrick Alexander defensive end DE 93 Stalin Colinet DE/DT 62 Bill Duff y DT 73 Darius Holland DT 99 Hurvin McCormack DE 98 Arnold Miller American football y DE 78 Tyrone Rogers y DE 53 John Thierry DE 96 Mike Thompson American football DT 55 Rahim Abdullah y OLB 51 Lenoy Jones OLB 95 Jamir Miller OLB 59 Kendall Ogle y OLB 58 Wali Rainer y MLB 90 James Williams linebacker, born 1968 MLB 39 Marlon Forbes FS 24 Corey Fuller CB/FS 31 Raymond Jackson American football CB 38 Antonio Langham CB 20 Earl Little FS 33 Daylon McCutcheon y CB 47 Ryan McNeil American football CB 23 Marquez Pope SS 21 Marquis Smith y SS  4 Phil Dawson y K 17 Chris Gardocki P 97 Ryan Kuehl LS 76 Lomas Brown T IR 77 Orlando Brown American football, born 1970 T Susp. 83 Mark Campbell tight end y TE IR 67 John Jurkovic DT IR 57 Jason Kyle LS IR 22 Tim McTyer S IR 89 Randy Palmer y TE IR 86 Leslie Shepherd American football WR IR 54 Chris Spielman LB IR 91 Marcus Spriggs defensive tackle y DT IR 70 Geno Bell DT -- Chad Carpenter wide receiver WR -- Isaiah Mustafa WR 56 Ryan Taylor linebacker y LB 43 Marcus Washington defensive back y CB/S Preseason Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap HOF August 9, 1999 Dallas Cowboys W 20–17 (OT) 1–0 Fawcett Stadium (Canton, Ohio) Recap 1 August 14, 1999 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers L 3–30 1–1 Raymond James Stadium Recap 2 August 21, 1999 Minnesota Vikings L 17–27 1–2 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 3 August 28, 1999 Chicago Bears W 35–24 2–2 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 4 September 2, 1999 at Philadelphia Eagles L 17–30 2–3 Veterans Stadium Recap Regular season Schedule Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap 1 September 12 Pittsburgh Steelers L 0–43 0–1 Cleveland Browns StadiumRecap 2 September 19 at Tennessee Titans L 9–26 0–2 Adelphia ColiseumRecap 3 September 26 at Baltimore Ravens L 10–17 0–3 PSINet Stadium Recap 4 October 3 New England Patriots L 7–19 0–4 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 5 October 10 Cincinnati Bengals L 17–18 0–5 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 6 October 17 at Jacksonville Jaguars L 7–24 0–6 Alltel Stadium Recap 7 October 24 at St. Louis Rams L 3–34 0–7 Trans World DomeRecap 8 October 31 at New Orleans Saints W 21–16 1–7 Louisiana Superdome Recap 9 November 7 Baltimore Ravens L 9–41 1–8 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 10 November 14 at Pittsburgh Steelers W 16–15 2–8 Three Rivers Stadium Recap 11 November 21 Carolina Panthers L 17–31 2–9 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 12 November 28 Tennessee Titans L 21–33 2–10 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 13 December 5 at San Diego Chargers L 10–23 2–11 Qualcomm Stadium Recap 14 December 12 at Cincinnati Bengals L 28–44 2–12Cinergy Field Recap 15 December 19 Jacksonville Jaguars L 14–24 2–13 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 16 December 26 Indianapolis Colts L 28–29 2–14 Cleveland Browns Stadium Recap 17 Bye Season summary Week 1: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Cleveland Browns 1999 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week One: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary September 12 8:25 p.m. EDT Steelers 7 13 6 17 Browns 0 0 0 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 73,138 Overcast, 80 F C Bob McElwee ESPN Mike Patrick, Joe Theismann, Paul Maguire, and Solomon Wilcots Box score First quarter PIT – Kordell Stewart 1-yard run (Kris Brown kick), 5:16. Steelers 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 39 yards, 2:30. Second quarter PIT – Kris Brown 18-yard field goal, 9:56. Steelers 10–0. Drive: 18 plays, 79 yards, 7:37. PIT – Richard Huntley 5-yard pass from Kordell Stewart (Kris Brown kick), 4:49. Steelers 17–0. Drive: 6 plays, 56 yards, 3:06. PIT – Kris Brown 28-yard field goal, 0:06. Steelers 20–0. Drive: 8 plays, 44 yards, 3:31. Third quarter PIT – Richard Huntley 3-yard run (kick failed), 5:28. Steelers 26–0. Drive: 14 plays, 76 yards, 7:55. Fourth quarter PIT – Kris Brown 19-yard field goal, 11:10. Steelers 29–0. Drive: 14 plays, 64 yards, 8:00. PIT – Richard Huntley 21-yard pass from Mike Tomczak (Kris Brown kick), 10:48. Steelers 36–0. Drive: 1 play, 21 yards, 0:09. PIT – Hines Ward 1-yard pass from Mike Tomczak (Kris Brown kick), 6:08. Steelers 43–0. Drive: 7 plays, 29 yards, 4:19. Top passers PIT – Kordell Stewart – 15/23, 173 yards, TD CLE – Ty Detmer – 6/13, 52 yards, INT Top rushers PIT – Jerome Bettis – 18 rushes, 89 yards CLE – Terry Kirby – 5 rushes, 10 yards Top receivers PIT – Richard Huntley – 5 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TD CLE – Leslie Shepherd – 2 receptions, 32 yards After being deactivated for three seasons, the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL, playing their first game since December 24, 1995 and first home game since December 17, 1995. The game was featured on ESPN Sunday Night Football and a pre-game speech was given by comedian Drew Carey, a Cleveland native. In his speech, Carey said "I want to send a message. A message to everyone who ever made fun of Cleveland. A message to anyone who ever told a Cleveland joke, or laughed at a Cleveland joke. You can now officially shut up!"The Cleveland 50: The Browns Come Home https://clevelandmagazine.com/articles/the-cleveland-50-the-browns-come-home/ March 29, 2022 Cleveland Magazine The celebration would be short-lived as the Steelers would shutout the Browns 43–0. The Browns would finish the game with only 40 yards of total offense and committed four turnovers and had a time of possession of just 12:11. Week 2: at Tennessee Titans Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Two: Cleveland Browns at Tennessee Titans – Game summary September 26 1:00 p.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. CDT Browns 0 3 6 0 Titans 2 14 3 7 Adelphia Coliseum, Nashville, Tennessee 65,904 86 F C, wind 10 mph Ed Hochuli CBS Bill Macatee and Beasley Reece Box score First quarter TEN – Tim Couch sacked in end zone, 4:46. Titans 2–0. Second quarter TEN – Eddie George 1-yard run (Al Del Greco kick), 12:59. Titans 9–0. Drive: 12 plays, 59 yards, 6:47. CLE – Phil Dawson 41-yard field goal, 6:50. Titans 9–3. Drive: 5 plays, 10 yards, 1:59. TEN – Eddie George 1-yard run (Al Del Greco kick), 2:21. Titans 16–3. Drive: 9 plays, 66 yards, 4:29. Third quarter TEN – Al Del Greco 35-yard field goal, 6:39. Titans 19–3. Drive: 12 plays, 64 yards, 6:19. CLE – Kevin Johnson 39-yard pass from Tim Couch (pass failed), 2:51. Titans 19–9. Drive: 7 plays, 78 yards, 3:48. Fourth quarter TEN – Yancey Thigpen 14-yard pass from Neil O'Donnell (Al Del Greco kick), 9:52. Titans 26–9. Drive: 14 plays, 60 yards, 7:59. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 12/24, 134 yards, TD TEN – Neil O'Donnell – 31/40, 310 yards, TD Top rushers CLE – Terry Kirby – 10 rushes 40 yards TEN – Eddie George – 31 rushes, 97 yards, 2 TD Top receivers CLE – Kevin Johnson – 4 receptions, 62 yards, TD TEN – Yancey Thigpen – 6 receptions, 84 yards, TD Kicker Phil Dawson made a 41-yard field goal in the second quarter, scoring the Browns' first points of the season. Cleveland would score its first touchdown of the season in the third quarter, with a 39-yard pass from Tim Couch to Kevin Johnson. Despite this, the Titans thrashed the Browns 26–9. Week 3: at Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Three: Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens – Game summary September 26 1:00 p.m. EDT Browns 0 0 3 7 Ravens 3 7 7 0 PSINet Stadium, Baltimore, Maryland 68,803 72 F C, wind 8 mph Bernie Kukar Box score First quarter BAL – Matt Stover 44-yard field goal, 2:14. Ravens 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 54 yards, 4:31. Second quarter BAL – Stoney Case 1-yard run (Matt Stover kick), 10:31. Ravens 10–0. Drive: 2 plays, 1 yard, 0:40. Third quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 49-yard field goal, 13:19. Ravens 10–3. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:24. BAL – Stoney Case 1-yard run (Matt Stover kick), 5:30. Ravens 17–3. Drive: 7 plays, 69 yards, 3:59. Fourth quarter CLE – Kevin Johnson 12-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 15:00. Ravens 17–10. Drive: 4 plays, 83 yards, 2:25. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 13/23, 123 yards, TD, INT BAL – Stoney Case – 12/25, 165 yards, 3 INT Top rushers CLE – Terry Kirby – 18 rushes, 51 yards BAL – Errict Rhett – 22 rushes, 113 yards Top receivers CLE – Terry Kirby – 7 receptions, 75 yards BAL – Qadry Ismail – 2 receptions, 49 yards This was the first meeting between the reactivated Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, the latter of which previously played in Cleveland as the Browns from 1946 to 1995 before a controversial relocation. As a compromise by the NFL, the Browns were officially deactivated in 1996 while the team in Baltimore was considered an expansion team. The game would be a defensive battle with poor offensive performance, as both teams committed three turnovers. The Browns, down by seven with 2:34 to go, had the ball and were looking to tie the game, but Tim Couch threw an interception to Chris McAlister. The Ravens would run out the clock to win the game. Week 4: vs. New England Patriots Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Four: New England Patriots at Cleveland Browns – Game summary October 3 1:00 p.m. EDT Patriots 0 6 7 6 Browns 7 0 0 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 72,368 Sunny, 59 F C Jeff Triplette Box score First quarter CLE – Kevin Johnson 64-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 4:31. Browns 7–0. Drive: 2 plays, 64 yards, 0:47. Second quarter NE – Adam Vinatieri 23-yard field goal, 10:21. Browns 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 5:02. NE – Adam Vinatieri 21-yard field goal, 0:26. Browns 7–6. Drive: 11 plays, 45 yards, 3:49. Third quarter NE – Terry Allen 3-yard run (Adam Vinatieri kick), 9:23. Patriots 13–7. Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards, 5:37. Fourth quarter NE – Terry Glenn 54-yard pass from Drew Bledsoe (pass failed), 15:00. Patriots 19–7. Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:21. Top passers NE – Drew Bledsoe – 29/43, 393 yards, TD CLE – Tim Couch – 13/28, 201 yards, TD Top rushers NE – Terry Allen – 21 rushes, 68 yards, TD CLE – Terry Kirby – 15 rushes, 71 yards Top receivers NE – Terry Glenn – 13 receptions, 214 yards, TD CLE – Kevin Johnson – 6 receptions, 131 yards, TD Week 5: vs. Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Five: Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns – Game summary October 10 1:00 p.m. EDT Bengals 6 6 0 6 Browns 0 14 0 3 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 73,048 Rain, 65 F C Ron Winter Box score First quarter CIN – Doug Pelfrey 27-yard field goal, 10:57. Bengals 3–0. Drive: 8 plays, 66 yards, 4:03. CIN – Doug Pelfrey 26-yard field goal, 1:51. Bengals 6–0. Drive: 15 plays, 90 yards, 6:31. Second quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 4-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 13:46. Browns 7–6. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 3:05. CLE – Terry Kirby 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 12:04. Browns 14–6. Drive: 3 plays, 52 yards, 1:27. CIN – Carl Pickens 5-yard pass from Akili Smith (pass failed), 1:08. Browns 14–12. Drive: 11 plays, 85 yards, 5:07. Third quarter No scoring plays Fourth quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 33-yard field goal, 14:09. Browns 17–12. Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 1:39. CIN – Carl Pickens 2-yard pass from Akili Smith (run failed), 0:05. Bengals 18–17. Drive: 10 plays, 80 yards, 1:59. Top passers CIN – Akili Smith – 25/42, 221 yards, 2 TD CLE – Tim Couch – 15/27, 164 yards, INT Top rushers CIN – Corey Dillon – 28 rushes, 168 yards CLE – Terry Kirby – 15 rushes, 57 yards, TD Top receivers CIN – Darnay Scott – 8 receptions, 110 yards CLE – Kevin Johnson – 5 receptions, 73 yards Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Six: Cleveland Browns at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary October 17 1:00 p.m. EDT Browns 0 7 0 0 Jaguars 3 3 8 10 Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, Florida 62,047 Sunny, 71 F C Tony Corrente Box score First quarter JAX – Mike Hollis 20-yard field goal, 2:53. Jaguars 3–0. Drive: 15 plays, 68 yards, 8:14. Second quarter CLE – Terry Kirby 9-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 12:21. Browns 7–3. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 5:32. JAX – Mike Hollis 36-yard field goal, 0:51. Jaguars 6–3. Drive: 7 plays, 38 yards, 1:43. Third quarter JAX – Kyle Brady 7-yard pass from Jay Fiedler (Jay Fiedler pass to Kyle Brady), 1:47. Jaguars 14–3. Drive: 3 plays, 25 yards, 1:13. Fourth quarter JAX – James Stewart 2-yard run (Mike Hollis kick), 5:54. Jaguars 21–3. Drive: 12 plays, 70 yards, 6:40. JAX – Mike Hollis 24-yard field goal, 0:44. Jaguars 24–3. Drive: 11 plays, 42 yards, 3:57. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 18/23, 161 yards, TD JAX – Jay Fiedler – 12/14, 113 yards, TD Top rushers CLE – Terry Kirby – 22 rushes, 71 yards JAX – James Stewart – 23 rushes, 58 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Darrin Chiaverini – 5 receptions, 45 yards JAX – Keenan McCardell – 7 receptions, 76 yards Week 7: at St. Louis Rams Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Seven: Cleveland Browns at St. Louis Rams – Game summary October 24 1:00 p.m. EDT Browns 3 0 0 0 Rams 14 7 3 10 Trans World Dome, St. Louis, Missouri 65,866 None (indoor stadium) Walt Coleman CBS Gus Johnson and Brent Jones Box score First quarter STL – Roland Williams 1-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 8:34. Rams 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 6:26. STL – Isaac Bruce 4-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 6:49. Rams 14–0. Drive: 4 plays, 28 yards, 1:33. CLE – Phil Dawson 47-yard field goal, 0:17. Rams 14–3. Drive: 13 plays, 51 yards, 6:32. Second quarter STL – Roland Williams 1-yard pass from Kurt Warner (Jeff Wilkins kick), 10:59. Rams 21–3. Drive: 8 plays, 69 yards, 4:18. Third quarter STL – Jeff Wilkins 28-yard field goal, 3:13. Rams 24–3. Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 3:33. Fourth quarter STL – Marshall Faulk 33-yard run (Jeff Wilkins kick), 14:50. Rams 31–3. Drive: 4 plays, 73 yards, 1:57. STL – Jeff Wilkins 36-yard field goal, 4:06. Rams 34–3. Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 5:38. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 22/40, 185 yards, 2 INT STL – Kurt Warner – 23/29, 203 yards, 3 TD Top rushers CLE – Tim Couch – 2 rushes, 50 yards STL – Marshall Faulk – 16 rushes, 133 yards, TD Top receivers CLE – Leslie Shepherd – 6 receptions, 85 yards STL – Marshall Faulk – 9 receptions, 67 yards Week 8: at New Orleans Saints Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eight: Cleveland Browns at New Orleans – Game summary October 31 12:00 p.m. CST / 1:00 p.m. EST Browns 0 7 7 7 Saints 7 3 3 3 Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana 48,817 None (indoor stadium) Mike Carey CBS Don Criqui and Steve Tasker Box score First quarter NO – Keith Poole 5-yard pass from Billy Joe Hobert (Doug Brien kick), 3:59. Saints 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 15 yards, 2:08. Second quarter CLE – Marc Edwards 27-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 7:37. Tied 7–7. Drive: 1 play, 22 yards, 0:06. NO – Doug Brien 49-yard field goal, 0:08. Saints 10–7. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 0:58. Third quarter CLE – Kevin Johnson 24-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 8:53. Browns 14–10. Drive: 2 plays, 22 yards, 0:44. NO – Doug Brien 22-yard field goal, 1:15. Browns 14–13. Drive: 13 plays, 56 yards, 7:38. Fourth quarter NO – Doug Brien 46-yard field goal, 0:21. Saints 16–14. Drive: 8 plays, 35 yards, 3:20. CLE – Kevin Johnson 56-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 0:00. Browns 21–16. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:21. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 11/19, 193 yards, 3 TD NO – Billy Joe Tolliver – 9/20, 92 yards, INT Top rushers CLE – Karim Abdul-Jabbar – 13 rushes, 39 yards NO – Ricky Williams – 40 rushes, 179 yards Top receivers CLE – Kevin Johnson – 4 receptions, 96 yards, 2 TD NO – Aaron Craver – 2 receptions, 32 yards The 0–7 Browns headed to New Orleans to take on the 1–6 Saints. The Saints would score first, with quarterback Billy Joe Hobert throwing a five yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Keith Poole. The Browns would respond midway through the second quarter with fullback Marc Edwards on a 27-yard catch-and-run from Tim Couch to tie the game at 7–7. New Orleans kicker Doug Brien made a 49-yard field goal in the waning seconds of the first half to put the Saints up 10–7. Cleveland would take its first lead of the game with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Couch to wide receiver Kevin Johnson in the third quarter. Brien would make two more field goals, giving the Saints a 16–14 lead with just 0:21 left in the game. Cleveland started the final drive at its own 25-yard line, needing to score a touchdown in under 15 seconds to win the game. On the first play, Couch's pass to wide receiver Darrin Chiaverini fell incomplete, being broken up by Willie Clay. The next play, Couch completed a 19-yard pass to Leslie Shepherd to the Cleveland 44-yard line. Head coach Chris Palmer would immediately call a timeout with just 0:02 left. Down to the Browns' last chance for a win, Couch would heave up a 56-yard Hail Mary that was caught by Johnson in the end zone for the game-winning touchdown. With the last-second win, the Browns got their first victory since being reactivated and was the franchise's first win since December 17, 1995. The Browns had 243 yards of total offense and maintained possession of the ball for only 19:10; the Saints had 351 total yards and possessed the ball for 40:50. However, Cleveland only turned the ball over once while New Orleans had five turnovers. Week 9: vs. Baltimore Ravens Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Nine: Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 7 1:00 p.m. EST Ravens 7 10 7 17 Browns 3 0 0 6 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 72,898 Clear, 47 F C Gerry Austin Box score Fresh off their first win since 1995, the Browns hoped to get revenge on the Ravens and get two wins in a row. However, thanks to a flurry of touchdowns and field goals by the Ravens, the Browns lost 41-9 and fell to 1-8. Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Ten: Cleveland Browns at Pittsburgh Steelers – Game summary November 14 1:00 p.m. EST Browns 7 0 0 9 Steelers 3 0 9 3 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 58,213 Partly sunny, 58 F C Johnny Grier CBS Craig Bolerjack and Beasley Reece Box score First quarter CLE – Kevin Johnson 35-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 12:25. Browns 7–0. Drive: 5 plays, 80 yards, 2:35. PIT – Kris Brown 41-yard field goal, 7:34. Browns 7–3. Drive: 10 plays, 47 yards, 4:51. Second quarter No scoring plays Third quarter PIT – Kris Brown 32-yard field goal, 9:57. Browns 7–6. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:03. PIT – Richard Huntley 5-yard run (run failed), 8:18. Steelers 12–7. Drive: 3 plays, 8 yards, 0:41. Fourth quarter PIT – Kris Brown 47-yard field goal, 10:10. Steelers 15–7. Drive: 10 plays, 51 yards, 5:50. CLE – Marc Edwards 5-yard pass from Tim Couch (run failed), 5:12. Steelers 15–13. Drive: 3 plays, 15 yards, 1:14. CLE – Phil Dawson 39-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 16–15. Drive: 5 plays, 58 yards, 1:51. Top passers CLE – Tim Couch – 18/28, 199 yards, 2 TD, INT PIT – Kordell Stewart – 15/32, 137 yards, 2 INT Top rushers CLE – Karim Abdul-Jabbar – 18 rushes, 56 yards PIT – Jerome Bettis – 26 rushes, 99 yards Top receivers CLE – Kevin Johnson – 5 receptions, 73 yards, TD PIT – Hines Ward – 4 receptions, 39 yards The Browns traveled to Pittsburgh to square off against the Steelers, hoping to get revenge on what happened on opening day. In the first half, the Browns had a 7-3 lead. However, by the second half, their lead disappeared as the Steelers lead 15-13. With almost no time remaining, Phil Dawson made a 39-yard field goal, as the Browns defeated the Steelers 16-15; securing their second win of the season. Week 11: vs. Carolina Panthers Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Eleven: Carolina Panthers at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 21 1:00 p.m. EST Panthers 3 14 7 7 Browns 0 3 0 14 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 72,818 Clear, 48 F C Dick Hantak Box score Week 12: vs. Tennessee Titans Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week 12: Tennessee Titans at Cleveland Browns – Game summary November 28 1:00 p.m. EST Titans 7 6 13 7 Browns 0 14 0 7 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 72,008 Partly cloudy, 38 F C Bernie Kukar Box score With their second straight loss, the Browns would be eliminated from playoff contention at 2-10. Week 13: at San Diego Chargers Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Thirteen: Cleveland Browns at San Diego Chargers – Game summary December 5 1:00 p.m. EST / 10:00 a.m. PST Browns 3 7 0 0 Chargers 3 10 3 7 Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California 53,147 68 F C, wind 7 MPH Tony Corrente Box score First quarter CLE – Phil Dawson 33-yard field goal, 9:30. Browns 3–0. Drive: 12 plays, 45 yards, 5:30. SD – John Carney 44-yard field goal, 1:08. Tied 3–3. Drive: 6 plays, 27 yards, 2:04. Second quarter SD – John Carney 19-yard field goal, 8:01. Chargers 6–3. Drive: 9 plays, 63 yards, 4:48. SD – Kenny Bynum 1-yard run (John Carney kick), 2:11. Chargers 13–6. Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 3:26. CLE – Kevin Johnson 19-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 0:06. Chargers 13–10. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 2:05. Third quarter SD – John Carney 30-yard field goal, 7:41. Chargers 16–10. Drive: 15 plays, 52 yards, 7:19. Fourth quarter SD – Jermaine Fazande 2-yard run (John Carney kick), 6:28. Chargers 23–10. Drive: 11 plays, 57 yards, 7:15. Top passers CLE – Tom Couch – 18/29, 184 yards, TD, 2 INT SD – Jim Harbaugh – 16/23, 161 yards Top rushers CLE – Karim Abdul-Jabbar – 10 rushes, 29 yards SD – Kenny Bynum – 17 rushes, 60 yards Top receivers CLE – Kevin Johnson – 5 receptions, 41 yards, TD SD – Jeff Graham – 5 receptions, 82 yards The Browns faced the 4–7 Chargers in San Diego. The first quarter started low-key as both teams notched field goals, respectively from Phil Dawson (33 yards) and John Carney (44 yards). However, by the second quarter, San Diego dominated the rest of the game, with touchdowns from Kenny Bynum and Jermaine Fazande, leading the Chargers to victory. Week 14: at Cincinnati Bengals Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fourteen: Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals – Game summary December 12 1:00 p.m. EST Browns 7 8 6 7 Bengals 10 20 14 0 Cinergy Field, Cincinnati, Ohio 59,972 Rain, 41 F C Ron Winter Box score Week 15: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Cleveland Browns 1999 2;text-align:center; autocollapse Week Fifteen: Jacksonville Jaguars at Cleveland Browns – Game summary December 19 1:00 p.m. EST Jaguars 0 14 3 7 Browns 0 7 7 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 72,038 Clear, 39 F C Jeff Triplette Box score Week 16: vs. Indianapolis Colts Cleveland Browns 1999 2; text-align:center autocollapse Week Sixteen: Indianapolis Colts at Cleveland Browns – Game summary December 26 12:00 p.m. EST Colts 0 13 6 10 Browns 7 7 14 0 Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio 72,618 31 F C, wind 25 mph Phil Luckett Box score First quarter CLE – Terry Kirby 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 4:10. Browns 7–0. Drive: 12 plays, 53 yards, 5:47. Second quarter IND – Edgerrin James 1-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 14:06. Tied 7–7. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 5:04. CLE – Darrin Chiaverini 28-yard pass from Ty Detmer (Phil Dawson kick), 9:56. Browns 14–7. Drive: 7 plays, 67 yards, 4:10. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 41-yard field goal, 1:56. Browns 14–10. Drive: 13 plays, 66 yards, 6:19. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 19-yard field goal, 0:00. Browns 14–13. Drive: 6 plays, 32 yards, 0:51. Third quarter CLE – Ty Detmer 8-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 10:47. Browns 21–13. Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 4:13. IND – Edgerrin James 1-yard run (pass failed), 7:04. Browns 21–19. Drive: 6 plays, 69 yards, 3:43. CLE – Terry Kirby 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 0:11. Browns 28–19. Drive: 7 plays, 90 yards, 4:13. Fourth quarter IND – Edgerrin James 2-yard run (Mike Vanderjagt kick), 9:54. Browns 28–26. Drive: 11 plays, 77 yards, 5:17. IND – Mike Vanderjagt 21-yard field goal, 0:04. Colts 29–28. Drive: 11 plays, 54 yards, 4:08. Top passers IND – Peyton Manning – 27/43, 276 yards CLE – Ty Detmer – 15/26, 173 yards, TD Top rushers IND – Edgerrin James – 28 rushes, 103 yards, 3 TD CLE – Karim Abdul-Jabbar – 19 rushes, 84 yards Top receivers IND – Marvin Harrison – 14 receptions, 138 yards CLE – Irv Smith – 4 receptions, 48 yards On a cold and windy afternoon, the 2–13 Browns hosted the 12–2 Colts, looking to end the season on a high note. The Browns led for most of the game and were up 28–19 at the beginning of the fourth, but were shutout in the final quarter as the Colts scored ten unanswered points to win 29–28. Standings NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York, NY, 978-0-7611-2480-1 References Cleveland Browns official Web site History: Cleveland Browns Draft History: 1990s http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/90.php 2007-04-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20061021092340/http://www.clevelandbrowns.com/team/history/90.php 2006-10-21 Pro Football Hall of Fame official Web site Team Histories – Baltimore Ravens https://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?franchise_id=3 2007-04-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20070416105133/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?FRANCHISE_ID=3 16 April 2007 live Pro Football Hall of Fame official Web site Team Histories – Cleveland Browns https://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?franchise_id=8 2007-04-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20070413074814/http://www.profootballhof.com/history/team.jsp?FRANCHISE_ID=8 13 April 2007 live Sports E-Cyclopedia Cleveland Browns (1946–1995; 1999–present) http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/clev/browns.html 2007-04-13 https://web.archive.org/web/20070502031708/http://www.sportsecyclopedia.com/nfl/clev/browns.html 2 May 2007 live External links 1999 Cleveland Browns at Pro Football Reference (Profootballreference.com) 1999 Cleveland Browns Statistics at jt-sw.com 1999 Cleveland Browns Schedule at jt-sw.com 1999 Cleveland Browns at DatabaseFootball.com Cleveland Category:Cleveland Browns seasons Cleveland