Bess’ Prevent Defense Can’t Keep Browns From Beating Vikings, 23-20

Rufus Bess knew Cleveland would try to take the football away from him, but he still couldn’t prevent it.

Bess fumbled on a kickoff return with 4:10 left, and the Browns recovered, setting up Matt Bahr’s 22-yard field goal with 1:46 left that gave Cleveland a 23-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings Sunday.

“It seemed like that’s what they had in mind all along, to try to strip the ball,” said Bess, who fumbled at Minnesota’s 21-yard line when hit by Travis Tucker. “It was just stripped away from me. The guy from the blind side just pulled my arm, and it came out.”

The fumble was recovered by Cleveland’s Felix Wright, who earlier returned a blocked punt for a touchdown. Five plays after the recovery, Bahr kicked his winning field goal.

Tucker said Bess was a target coming into the game.

“I don’t think he ever saw me coming,” Tucker said. “I came from behind and just wrapped my arms around him. They (the Browns’ coaches) said all week that he keeps the ball low.”

Bess’ fumble was just one of several key mistakes that hampered Minnesota’s special teams.

Cleveland’s Frank Minnifield blocked the punt that Wright scooped up and returned 30 yards for a touchdown. Minnifield also deflected Chuck Nelson’s potential game-tying 45-yard field goal attempt with seven seconds left.

“All areas of our kicking game weren’t good enough,” Viking Coach Jerry Burns said.

Cleveland (5-3) rallied from a 17-3 halftime deficit and still trailed, 20-10, after three quarters. Bahr, who kicked a 52-yard field goal in the first quarter, added a 19-yarder to make it 20-13.

Curtis Dickey, who rushed for 106 yards, tied the game, 20-20, on a 17-yard run with 4:23 left. Bess’ fumble came on the ensuing kickoff.

The Vikings (5-3) built their halftime lead on Darrin Nelson’s 5-yard touchdown run, Tommy Kramer’s 8-yard scoring pass to Anthony Carter and Chuck Nelson’s 33-yard field goal.

Darrin Nelson rushed for 91 of his 118 yards, and the Viking defense recorded four of their five quarterback sacks in the opening half, when Minnesota outgained Cleveland, 224 yards to 55.

Kramer completed 18 of 35 passes for 261 yards and at times appeared to be favoring the right shoulder he injured two weeks ago and aggravated in last week’s victory over the Chicago Bears.

Cleveland’s Bernie Kosar completed 9 of 18 passes for 101 yards, including a four-yarder to Ozzie Newsome in the third quarter that marked the 106th straight game in which the Cleveland tight end has caught at least one pass.