2002 Cleveland Browns season

Offseason

2002 NFL draft

Undrafted free agents

Personnel

• Owner and chairman – Randy Lerner

• President and chief executive officer – Carmen Policy

• Director of Football Development – Pete Garcia

• Pro Personnel Coordinator - Jeremy Green

• Pro Personnel Coordinator - Steve Sabo

• Director of college personnel – Phil Neri

• Head coach and General Manager – Butch Davis

• Offensive coordinator – Bruce Arians

• Quarterbacks – Carl Smith

• Running backs – Todd McNair

• Wide receivers – Terry Robiskie

• Tight ends – Steve Hagen

• Offensive line – Larry Zierlein

• Assistant offensive line – Mike Sullivan

• Defensive coordinator – Foge Fazio

• Defensive line – Ray Hamilton

• Linebackers – Keith Butler

• Defensive Backs – Chuck Pagano

• Defensive assistant – Phillip Banko

• Defensive assistant – Todd Bowles

• Special teams coordinator – Jerry Rosburg

• Head strength and conditioning – Tim Jorgensen

• Assistant strength and conditioning – Rob Phillips

Roster

• Devin Bush FS

Regular season

Schedule

Apart from their AFC North division games, the Browns played against the AFC South and NFC South according to the NFL's new conference rotation, and played the Chiefs and Jets based on 2001 standings with respect to the newly aligned divisions.

Note: Intra-divisional opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Kansas City Chiefs

First quarter

• CLE – Phil Dawson 20-yard field goal, 12:36. ''Browns 3–0. '''Drive: 4 plays, 3 yards, 0:54.'''''
• KC – Tony Gonzalez 17-yard pass from Trent Green (Morten Andersen kick), 8:21. ''Chiefs 7–3. '''Drive: 8 plays, 73 yards, 4:15.'''''
• CLE – Phil Dawson 32-yard field goal, 3:16. ''Chiefs 7–6. '''Drive: 10 plays, 55 yards, 5:05.''''' Second quarter
• CLE – Dennis Northcutt 43-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 12:19. ''Browns 13–7. '''Drive: 2 plays, 65 yards, 0:48.'''''
• KC – Priest Holmes 5-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 8:41. ''Chiefs 14–13. '''Drive: 6 plays, 83 yards, 3:38.'''''
• CLE – Quincy Morgan 33-yard pass from Kevin Johnson (Phil Dawson kick), 5:38. ''Browns 20–14. '''Drive: 5 plays, 71 yards, 3:03.''''' Third quarter
• CLE – André Davis 4-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 7:09. ''Browns 27–14. '''Drive: 14 plays, 80 yards, 7:51.'''''
• KC – Morten Andersen 33-yard field goal, 2:04. ''Browns 27–17. '''Drive: 9 plays, 42 yards, 5:05.''''' Fourth quarter
• CLE – Phil Dawson 34-yard field goal, 11:19. ''Browns 30–17. '''Drive: 8 plays, 50 yards, 3:27.'''''
• KC – Priest Holmes 26-yard run (Morten Andersen kick), 9:06. ''Browns 30–24. '''Drive: 4 plays, 56 yards, 2:13.'''''
• KC – Priest Holmes 15-yard run (Morten Anderson kick), 8:05. ''Chiefs 31–30. '''Drive: 1 play, 15 yards, 0:07.'''''
• CLE – Quincy Morgan 44-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (run failed), 5:52. ''Browns 36–31. '''Drive: 5 plays, 66 yards, 2:13.'''''
• KC – Priest Holmes 7-yard run (run failed), 3:05. ''Chiefs 37–36. '''Drive: 6 plays, 74 yards, 2:47.'''''
• CLE – Phil Dawson 41-yard field goal, 0:29. ''Browns 39–37. '''Drive: 7 plays, 45 yards, 2:36.'''''
• KC – Morten Andersen 30-yard field goal, 0:00. ''Chiefs 40–39. '''Drive: 4 plays, 53 yards, 0:29.''''' Top passers
• KC – Trent Green – 20/29, 276 yards, TD, INT
• CLE – Kelly Holcomb – 27/39, 326 yards, 3 TD Top rushers
• KC – Priest Holmes – 22 rushes, 122 yards, 4 TD
• CLE – Jamel White – 12 rushes, 42 yards Top receivers
• KC – Eddie Kennison – 4 receptions, 120 yards
• CLE – Quincy Morgan – 9 receptions, 151 yards, 2 TD This game is notable for Browns player Dwayne Rudd tossing his helmet onto the ground under the assumption that he had sacked Chiefs QB Trent Green, who had actually released the ball prior to hitting the ground. As a result, the Browns got hit with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, which allowed the Chiefs to hit a game winning field goal and drop the Browns to 0-1.

Week 8: at New York Jets

First quarter

• NYJ – Santana Moss 63-yard punt return (John Hall kick), 14:21. Jets 7–0.
• CLE – Phil Dawson 23-yard field goal, 8:12. ''Jets 7–3. '''Drive: 10 plays, 74 yards, 6:09.'''''
• NYJ – Laveranues Coles 37-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 5:57. ''Jets 14–3. '''Drive: 5 plays, 70 yards, 2:15.''''' Second quarter
• NYJ – Wayne Chrebet 8-yard pass from Chad Pennington (John Hall kick), 14:23. ''Jets 21–3. '''Drive: 8 plays, 62 yards, 4:22.'''''
• CLE – Phil Dawson 26-yard field goal, 7:29. ''Jets 21–6. '''Drive: 7 plays, 41 yards, 3:39.''''' Third quarter
• CLE – Mark Campbell 5-yard pass from Tim Couch (Phil Dawson kick), 4:40. ''Jets 21–13. '''Drive: 11 plays, 60 yards, 4:41.'''''
• CLE – André Davis 4-yard pass from Tim Couch (Tim Couch–Dennis Northcutt pass), 0:09. ''Tied 21–21. '''Drive: 3 plays, 11 yards, 1:26.''''' Fourth quarter
• CLE – Phil Dawson 35-yard field goal, 3:30. ''Browns 24–21. '''Drive: 14 plays, 61 yards, 8:33.''''' Top passers
• CLE – Tim Couch – 32/48, 294 yards, 2 TD
• NYJ – Chad Pennington – 19/26, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rushers
• CLE – Jamel White – 14 rushes, 25 yards
• NYJ – Curtis Martin – 18 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers
• CLE – Kevin Johnson – 5 receptions, 73 yards
• NYJ – Laveranues Coles – 5 receptions, 61 yards, TD

Standings

Division

Conference

Postseason

Game summaries

First quarter

• CLE – William Green 1-yard run (Phil Dawson kick), 13:44. ''Browns 7–0. '''Drive: 4 plays, 80 yards, 1:16.''''' Second quarter
• CLE – Dennis Northcutt 32-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 14:28. ''Browns 14–0. '''Drive: 1 play, 32 yards, 0:06.'''''
• PIT – Antwaan Randle El 66-yard punt return (Jeff Reed kick), 9:35. Browns 14–7.
• CLE – Phil Dawson 31-yard field goal, 0:49. ''Browns 17–7. '''Drive: 10 plays, 45 yards, 4:24.''''' Third quarter
• CLE – Dennis Northcutt 15-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (Phil Dawson kick), 12:11. ''Browns 24–7. '''Drive: 3 plays, 14 yards, 0:49.'''''
• PIT – Plaxico Burress 6-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 3:50. ''Browns 24–14. '''Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 3:45.''''' Fourth quarter
• CLE – Phil Dawson 24-yard field goal, 14:52. ''Browns 27–14. '''Drive: 8 plays, 64 yards, 3:58.'''''
• PIT – Jerame Tuman 3-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 12:28. ''Browns 27–21. '''Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 2:24.'''''
• CLE – André Davis 22-yard pass from Kelly Holcomb (pass failed), 10:17. ''Browns 33–21. '''Drive: 5 plays, 61 yards, 2:11.'''''
• PIT – Hines Ward 5-yard pass from Tommy Maddox (Jeff Reed kick), 3:06. ''Browns 33–28. '''Drive: 10 plays, 77 yards, 2:24.'''''
• PIT – Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala 3-yard run (Tommy Maddox–Jerame Tuman pass), 0:54. ''Steelers 36–33. '''Drive: 6 plays, 61 yards, 1:41.''''' Top passers
• CLE – Kelly Holcomb – 26/43, 429 yards, 3 TD, INT
• PIT – Tommy Maddox – 30/48, 367 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT Top rushers
• CLE – William Green – 25 rushes, 30 yards, TD
• PIT – Amos Zereoué – 13 rushes, 73 yards Top receivers
• CLE – Kevin Johnson – 4 receptions, 140 yards
• PIT – Hines Ward – 11 receptions, 104 yards, TD An amazing performance from Browns quarterback Kelly Holcomb was overshadowed by journeyman quarterback Tommy Maddox, who led the Steelers to 29 second-half points to overcome a 17-point deficit. A 3-yard touchdown run by Chris Fuamatu-Maʻafala with 54 seconds left capped the game-winning 58-yard drive.

On the third play of the game, Holcomb completed an 83-yard pass to Kevin Johnson at the Steelers 1-yard line, setting up William Green's 1-yard touchdown run and giving the Browns a 7–0 lead after just 1:16 had elapsed in the game. Most of the rest of the quarter would be taken up by drives that ended in punts, but the Steelers got a big scoring opportunity when Amos Zereoué's 36-yard run gave them a first down on the Cleveland 23-yard line. This would only amount to nothing though, as Maddox was intercepted by Daylon McCutcheon on the next play.

One play into the second quarter, Steelers receiver Antwaan Randle El fumbled a Browns punt, and Chris Akins recovered the ball for Cleveland on the Steelers 32-yard line. On the next play, Cleveland took a 14–0 lead with Holcomb's 32-yard touchdown pass to Dennis Northcutt. The Browns seemed to be taking control of the game now, particularly when another Steelers drive into field goal range was again snuffed out by a McCutheon interception (the Steelers' third turnover in less than six minutes). But suddenly Randle El brought the team right back into the game by returning a punt 66 yards for a touchdown, making the score 14–7. Cleveland stormed right back, as Holcomb's 29-yard pass to Johnson and two completions to running back Jamel White for 22 total yards earned the team a Phil Dawson field goal that made the score 17-7 going into halftime.

Early in the third quarter, Northcutt returned Tom Rouen's 37-yard punt 59 yards to the Pittsburgh 14-yard line, setting up Holcomb's 15-yard touchdown pass to Northcutt that increased the Browns lead to 24–7. Then after a punt, Cleveland drove to the Steelers 32-yard line. They were now in a position to build a near-insurmountable lead, but Mike Logan made a clutch interception to keep the team's victory hopes alive. Maddox then completed 7/8 passes for 62 yards, one of them a 24-yard completion to Randle El, and rushed for eight as he led the team 71 yards to score on his 6-yard touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, cutting the deficit to 24–14 with four minutes left in the third quarter. Cleveland responded by driving 64 yards in eight plays, featuring a 43-yard completion from Holcomb to receiver André Davis, to score on Dawson's 24-yard field goal on the second play of the final quarter, increasing their lead to 27–14.

On Pittsburgh's ensuing drive, Maddox completed three passes to Randle-El for gains of 20, 30, and six yards before finding tight end Jerame Tuman with a 3-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter. But the Browns stormed back, with Green's 23-yard run sparking a 61-yard drive that ended on Holcomb's 22-yard touchdown pass to Davis, giving them a 33–21 lead after the 2-point conversion failed.

With 3:06 left in the game, Maddox finished off a 77-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Hines Ward, cutting the score to 33–28. The Browns tried to run out the clock on their ensuing possession, but Northcutt dropped a potential first down catch on third down and 12, forcing his team to punt. Taking over at their 42-yard line, Maddox threw to Burress for 24 yards, Ward for 10, Burress again for 17, and Ward again for seven before Fuamatu-Ma'afala finished the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run. Then Tuman scored the two-point conversion to give the Steelers a 36–33 lead. The Browns attempted to drive for the tying field goal, but time expired in the game on Holcomb's 16-yard completion to Andre King at the Steeler's 29-yard line.

Maddox completed 30 of 48 passes for a franchise postseason record 367 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions. Burress caught six passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, while Ward caught 11 passes for 104 yards and a score. Randle El caught five passes for 85 yards and returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown. In his first career playoff game, Holcomb completed 26 of 43 passes for 429 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception. Johnson caught four passes for 140 yards, while Northcutt caught six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and returned two punts for 70 yards.

With the loss, the Browns season ended with them failing to win their playoff game since 1994. This would end up being both, the Browns last playoff game against the Steelers, and Cleveland's last playoff game in general up until 2020. As the Browns would end up missing the playoffs ever year from 2003-2019, with 2007 being their only winning season after 2002 prior to 2020.

This was the second postseason meeting between the Browns and Steelers. Pittsburgh won the only prior meeting.[6]

This was the first game that Heinz Field played Renegade.

References

References

1. {{usurped