Danielson Takes It Easy as Browns Romp, 24-6

Quarterback Gary Danielson, sidelined for the better part of seven games by a sore shoulder, let his running backs do most of the work Sunday.

Danielson threw only seven passes, one in the second half, as the Browns trounced the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-6.

Danielson’s only pass after halftime went to Clarence Weathers for a 72-yard touchdown.

“In the first half, I’d say I was about 70% (healthy), but in the second half, I was going only about half speed,” said Danielson, who replaced rookie Bernie Kosar. “The only pass I could have thrown in the second half was the one for the touchdown.”

Danielson was 4 of 7 for 105 yards. The 72-yard touchdown pass play to Weathers was Cleveland’s longest since Ozzie Newsome caught a 74-yarder from Brian Sipe against the Baltimore Colts in September 1979.

Danielson saw that the Bengals (5-7) were blitzing, so he called an audible which had Weathers run an inside pattern. Danielson was afraid his arm would not be strong enough to get the ball to Weathers if he ran down the sideline.

“It was a timing pattern, almost a lob throw,” Danielson said.

The Browns (6-6) moved into a first-place tie in the AFC Central Division with Pittsburgh, which lost to Washington, 30-23.

Kevin Mack scored two touchdowns and rushed for 117 yards in 14 carries, including a 35-yard scoring run, as the Browns broke the game open in the third quarter.

The Bengals, hurt when quarterback Boomer Esiason left the game with a hip injury, scored six points for the second straight week. The Browns’ defense sacked Esiason and his replacement, Turk Schonert, five times for losses of 49 yards.

“Under the circumstances, Turk played a beautiful game,” Wyche said. “It was a chaser kind of game in which you’re behind all the time. It’s tough to keep trying to come back.”

Schonert completed 10 of 14 passes for 109 yards.

The Browns capitalized on Cincinnati mistakes in the first half to score on a 29-yard field goal by Matt Bahr and Mack’s two-yard touchdown run.

The Bengals managed only three first-half points on Jim Breech’s 30-yard field goal. Breech added a 29-yard kick in the third quarter.