CLEVELAND — Beating the Indianapolis Colts 32-23 on Sunday, the Cleveland Browns advanced to 4-1 on the season -- something it hasn't done since the 1994 campaign.
To put that 26-year gap in perspective, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield and star defensive end Myles Garrett weren't even born yet the last time his team was 4-1, while head coach Kevin Stefanski was just 12-years-old.
Obviously, a lot else has changed since then, both in terms of football and the world in general. With that in mind, let's take a look back at 1994 and what life was like the last time the Browns were 4-1.
The game
It may have been 26 years since Cleveland was 4-1, but the game it won to get there featured some familiar faces. Coached by now-New England Bill Belichick, the Browns picked up a 27-7 victory over the New York Jets, who were coached by now-Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.
According to a box score from the game, an Eric Metcalf 37-yard touchdown run gave Cleveland a 7-0 lead and the Browns would ultimately go up 27-0 before surrendering the shutout in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Vinny Testaverde completed 21 of his 36 pass attempts for 257 yards for Cleveland, with Metcalf, Leroy Hoard and Earnest Byner each scoring on rushing touchdowns.
The news
Some of the most notable United States news stories from 1994 included:
- Figure skater Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by rival Tonya Harding's ex-husband at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
- Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson was arrested and charged with the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. Simpson was later acquitted of the charges but found liable in a civil suit.
- Three-time NBA champion Michael Jordan spent the year playing minor league baseball in the Chicago White Sox organization.
- Jeff Bezos founded Amazon on July 5, 1994
- The television show Friends debuted on Sept. 22, 1994.
- Major League Baseball players went on strike, leading to the cancellation of the World Series. Locally, Jacobs Field -- now known as Progressive Field -- opened in downtown Cleveland.
- On the day the Browns beat the Jets (Oct. 2, 1994), Boyz II Men's I'll Make Love to You was the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100, while The River Wild -- starring Meryl Streep and Kevin Bacon -- was the No. 1 movie at the U.S. box office.