Browns Discover Chicago Is Still Payton’s Place : All-Time Leading Rusher Gains 113 Yards, Scores Twice in Bears’ 41-31 Win

With William (The Refrigerator) Perry and Jim McMahon getting so much attention, Walter Payton was beginning to feel a little neglected.

But the NFL’s all-time rushing leader resurfaced Sunday, rushing for 113 yards in 22 carries and scoring 2 touchdowns to lead the Chicago Bears to a 41-31 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

“This is the first time anyone’s talked to me this year,” kidded Payton. “I’ve been doing this for years.”

Payton, beginning his 12th season, scored on a two-yard run and an 11-yard pass from McMahon.

Other stars for the Bears included Dennis Gentry, Wilber Marshall and Matt Suhey.

Gentry returned a kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown after the Browns’ Al Gross recovered a bad snap in the end zone on the third play from scrimmage. The officials had to call the replay booth to determine if Gross actually had possession after center Jay Hilgenberg’s snap sailed past McMahon and bounded around in the end zone.

Marshall intercepted a pass and returned it 58 yards for a touchdown with 3:40 left in the first quarter, and Suhey ran six yards for a touchdown with 2:01 left in the game to clinch the outcome.

Suhey’s touchdown capped a 10-play, 72-yard drive directed by quarterback Mike Tomczak, who came on in the fourth quarter when McMahon injured his shoulder.

Before Suhey scored, Cleveland’s Bernie Kosar connected with Brian Brennan on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 5:55 to play to bring the Browns to within 34-31 after the Bears had failed on an onside kick.

The Bears yielded 349 yards in total offense, and Kosar completed 23 of 40 passes for 289 yards and a touchdown.

Cleveland Coach Marty Shottenheimer said: “Our football team did not play well enough to beat the National Football League champions. There was nothing about the game that pleased me. We lost.”

Payton registered his 74th 100-yard game. He needs one more rushing touchdown to became the third NFL player with 100 rushing touchdowns. Jim Brown has 106, John Riggins 104.

The Bears led, 24-14, at halftime after Kevin Butler, who had missed two previous attempts, kicked a 47-yard field goal with three seconds left. It was 31-21 after Payton’s 11-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter, which was preceded by a 58-yard pass play from McMahon to Suhey.

Cleveland made it 31-24 on Matt Bahr’s 22-yard field goal with 11:48 to play after the Browns had a first down at the Bears’ four. Chicago answered with a 19-yard field goal by Butler that was set up when Tomczak hit Willie Gault with a 31-yard completion to the Browns’ seven.

The Browns’ two 1,000-yard rushers from last year, Kevin Mack and Earnest Byner, were held to 68 yards combined. Mack, who scored two touchdowns, had 50 yards before leaving the game with a shoulder injury, while Byner was held to 18 yards.