Browns Pull Out Stops, 35-33 Win Over Giants

Marty Schottenheimer gave the game ball to owner Art Modell for his 200th victory in 25 years.

Schottenheimer should have kept it because his coaching was the key Sunday as the Cleveland Browns’ rallied for a 35-33 victory over the New York Giants.

Schottenheimer did a quarterback juggling act and made two fourth-down calls which led a Browns’ rally from a 33-21 deficit.

Gary Danielson, who didn’t start because of a sore shoulder, replaced rookie Bernie Kosar at quarterback and took the Browns on two fourth-quarter touchdown drives. His 25-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Weathers brought Cleveland to within 33-28 and Earnest Byner’s nine-yard scoring run with 1:52 left provided the winning points.

The Giants still had a chance to win, but Eric Schubert’s 34-yard field-goal try sailed wide left as time expired. Actually, a bounced snap by center Bart Oates cost Schubert his shot. Schubert was 10 for 11 on field goals before the kick, and made field goals of 35 and 40 yards earlier in the game.

“I released it a little early, I didn’t follow through enough,” Oates said. “The snap was lower than you’d like. (Holder) Jeff Rutledge did a good job of fielding it, but a snap like that throws off the precision.”

The victory put the Browns (7-6) atop the AFC Central. The Giants (8-5) fell a game behind Dallas in the NFC East.

Schottenheimer said: “The reason we (traded for) Gary Danielson is the guy’s a tremendous competitor. It’s character like that that makes you prevail in games like this.”

Danielson, who came to the Browns from the Detroit Lions, passed for 127 fourth-quarter yards. He reinjured the shoulder on a throw and Kosar came on to hand off to Byner and complete the 80-yard drive. Danielson had a 26-yard pass to Byner on fourth-and-two to New York’s 20 to keep the march alive.

A three-yard run by Kevin Mack on fourth-and-two kept the drive going.

“I wanted to keep the thing going,” Schottenheimer said.

The Browns also scored on runs of 42 yards by Mack and 2 yards by Byner and Al Gross’ 37-yard interception return.

Joe Morris gained 131 yards in 22 carries and scored on runs of 58, 5 and 3 yards to raise his Giants’ single-season touchdown record to 14. New York also scored on a 29-yard pass from Phil Simms to Bobby Johnson.