1990 Cleveland Browns season

The 1990 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 41st season with the National Football League.

1990 Cleveland Browns season
Owner	Art Modell
Head coach	Bud Carson (fired) Jim Shofner (interim)
Home field	Cleveland Municipal Stadium
Local radio	WWWE · WLTF
Results
Record	3–13
Division place	4th AFC Central
Playoff finish	Did not qualify

The season was the second for head coach Bud Carson, but the Browns started the season 2–7. Carson was fired one day after a Week Nine shutout loss to the eventual AFC Champion Buffalo Bills. He was replaced by former Browns quarterback Jim Shofner, who finished the season with only one additional win. The move didn't help as the Browns finished 3-13.

The 1990 Browns surrendered 462 points, the most points of any NFL team in the 1990s.[1] Their −234 point differential is the third-worst total of any team in the '90s, even worse than the 1999 Browns expansion team.[2]

Offseason

NFL draft

1990 Cleveland Browns draft
Round	Pick	Player	Position	College	Notes
2	45	Leroy Hoard *	Running back	Michigan
3	73	Anthony Pleasant	Defensive end	Tennessee State
4	101	Harlon Barnett	Safety	Michigan State
5	129	Rob Burnett *	Defensive end	Syracuse
6	157	Randy Hilliard	Cornerback	Northwestern State
7	178	Scott Galbraith	Tight end	Southern California
8	212	Jock Jones	Linebacker	Virginia Tech
9	240	Eugene Rowell	Wide receiver	Southern Miss
10	268	Michael Wallace	Defensive back	Jackson State
11	296	Clemente Gordon	Quarterback	Grambling State
12	323	Kerry Simien	Wide receiver	Texas A&M–Kingsville
Made roster    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

[3]

Personnel

Staff

1990 Cleveland Browns staff

	Front office Owner and President – Art Modell Executive Vice President of Football Operations – Ernie Accorsi Director of Pro Personnel – Michael Lombardi Head coaches Head Coach – Bud Carson Assistant Head Coach/Offensive Line – Dan Radakovich Offensive coaches Offensive Coordinator – Jim Shofner Quarterbacks – Zeke Bratkowski Run Coordinator/Running Backs – George Sefcik Receivers – Richard Mann Pass Coordinator/Tight Ends – Lionel Taylor			Defensive coaches Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers – Jim Vechiarella Defensive Line – John Teerlinck Secondary – Mike Faulkiner Special teams coaches Special Teams Coordinator – Paul Lanham Strength and conditioning Strength and Conditioning – Stan Jones

[4]

Roster

1990 Cleveland Browns roster

	Quarterbacks 13 Jeff Francis 19 Bernie Kosar 10 Mike Pagel Running backs 29 Brent Fullwood 27 Derrick Gainer 33 Leroy Hoard 34 Kevin Mack FB 21 Eric Metcalf KR/PR 35 Barry Redden Wide receivers 86 Brian Brennan 80 Vernon Joines 88 Reggie Langhorne 83 Leo Lewis 84 Webster Slaughter 87 John Talley Tight ends 81 Scott Galbraith 82 Ozzie Newsome		Offensive linemen 61 Mike Baab C 74 Paul Farren T 69 Dan Fike G 62 Ben Jefferson G 66 Tony Jones T 73 Gregg Rakoczy G 77 Ken Reeves T 72 Kevin Robbins T 65 Ralph Tamm G Defensive linemen 60 Al Baker DE 97 Robert Banks DE 90 Rob Burnett DE 92 Michael Dean Perry DT 75 Chris Pike DT 98 Anthony Pleasant DE		Linebackers 56 David Grayson OLB 51 Eddie Johnson MLB 59 Mike Johnson MLB 57 Clay Matthews, Jr. OLB 50 Van Waiters OLB Defensive backs 44 Stefon Adams CB/RS 24 Anthony Blaylock CB 36 Stephen Braggs CB 26 Raymond Clayborn CB 30 Thane Gash FS 23 Mark Harper CB 31 Frank Minnifield CB 22 Felix Wright SS Special teams 2 Jerry Kauric K 67 Mike Morris LS 15 Bryan Wagner P		Reserve lists 42 Tim Manoa FB (IR) 89 Mike Oliphant RB (IR) 85 Lawyer Tillman WR (IR) Practice squad Rookies in italics

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Attendance
1	September 9, 1990	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 13–3	78,298
2	September 16, 1990	at New York Jets	L 21–24	67,354
3	September 23, 1990	San Diego Chargers	L 24–14	77,429
4	September 30, 1990	at Kansas City Chiefs	L 34–0	75,462
5	October 8, 1990	at Denver Broncos	W 30–29	74,814
6	October 14, 1990	at New Orleans Saints	L 25–20	68,608
7	October 22, 1990	Cincinnati Bengals	L 34–13	78,567
8	October 28, 1990	at San Francisco 49ers	L 20–17	63,672
9	November 4, 1990	Buffalo Bills	L 42–0	78,331
10	Bye
11	November 18, 1990	Houston Oilers	L 35–23	76,726
12	November 25, 1990	Miami Dolphins	L 30–13	70,225
13	December 2, 1990	Los Angeles Rams	L 38–23	61,981
14	December 9, 1990	at Houston Oilers	L 58–14	54,469
15	December 16, 1990	Atlanta Falcons	W 13–10	46,536
16	December 23, 1990	at Pittsburgh Steelers	L 35–0	51,665
17	December 30, 1990	at Cincinnati Bengals	L 21–14	60,041

Standings

AFC Central
	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
^(3) Cincinnati Bengals	9	7	0	.563	5–1	8–4	360	352	W2
^(6) Houston Oilers	9	7	0	.563	4–2	8–4	405	307	W1
Pittsburgh Steelers	9	7	0	.563	2–4	6–6	292	240	L1
Cleveland Browns	3	13	0	.188	1–5	2–10	231	462	L2

Game Summaries

Week 15: vs. Atlanta

Week 15: Atlanta Falcons at Cleveland Browns – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Falcons	0	3	0	7	10
Browns	0	10	3	0	13

at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, Ohio

• Date: December 16
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 39°F, relative humidity 79%, round (wind) 15 MPH, wind chill 30°F
• Game attendance: 46,536
• TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play–by–play) and Dan Jiggetts (color commentator)

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays Second quarter ATL (6:50) – Davis 30 yard field goal Falcons 3, Browns 0 CLE (13:04) – Mack 5 yard rush (Kauric kick) Browns 7, Falcons 3 CLE (14:58) – Kauric 23 yard field goal Browns 10, Falcons 3 Third quarter CLE (7:02) – Kauric 41 yard field goal Browns 13, Falcons 3 Fourth quarter ATL (15:00) – Dixon 11 yard pass from Millen (Davis kick) Browns 13, Falcons 10 Top passers ATL – Hugh Millen 11/27, 168 yds, 1 TD CLE – Bernie Kosar 22/37, 217 yds, 1 INT Top rushers ATL – Mike Rozier 11 carr, 31 yds CLE – Kevin Mack 13 carr, 80 yds, 1 TD Top receivers ATL – Andre Rison 6 rec, 100 yds CLE – Reggie Langhorne 5 rec, 70 yds Turnovers ATL – 0 CLE – 2

Week 17 at Bengals

Week 17: Cleveland Browns (3–12) at Cincinnati Bengals (8–7)

	1	2	3	4	Total
Browns	0	0	14	0	14
Bengals	0	14	0	7	21

at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio

• Date: December 30
• Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C)
• Game attendance: 60,041
• Pro-Football-Reference.com, The Football Database

Game information

First quarter No scoring Second quarter CIN – James Francis 17-yard interception return (Jim Breech kick), 7:10. Bengals 7–0. CIN – Rodney Holman 22-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 2:14. Bengals 14–0. Drive: Third quarter CLE – Kevin Mack 2-yard run (Jerry Kauric kick), 13:36. Bengals 14–7. Drive: CLE – Brian Brennan 16-yard pass from Mike Pagel (Jerry Kauric kick), 10:28. Tie 14–14. Drive: Fourth quarter CIN – Eric Ball 48-yard pass from Boomer Esiason (Jim Breech kick), 8:40. Bengals 21–14. Drive: Top passers CLE – Mike Pagel – 14/32, 184 yards, TD, 3 INT CIN – Boomer Esiason – 10/16, 154 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT Top rushers CLE – Kevin Mack – 16 rushes, 85 yards, TD CIN – James Brooks – 17 rushes, 84 yards Top receivers CLE – Webster Slaughter – 6 receptions, 115 yards CIN – Eric Ball – 1 reception, 48 yards, TD

References

1. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1990 to 1999, in the NFL, in the regular season, sorted by descending Points Allowed
2. Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1990 to 1999, in the NFL, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Points Differential
3. "1990 Cleveland Browns draftees". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
4. "All-Time Assistant Coaches". ClevelandBrowns.com. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved February 6, 2009.