Match report by Jon Heath

Both teams started nervously on offence as defences dominated a scoreless first quarter. The only highlights were a failed fourth down attempt on each teams opening drive and a fumbled punt return by Cleveland that they recovered. All the same, the Browns had the upper hand as the Eagles failed to get a firstly down during the period.

Cleveland fumbled another punt return in the second quarter, but the Eagles returned the favour two plays later. This was followed by an interception by Philly, but another failure to move the ball. Then came the first score of the game, as the Browns went 56 yards to set up a 39-yard fieldgoal. The lead didn't last long as a 6 play, 80 yard drive was capped by a 22-yard TD pass to Van Dyke to give the Eagles a 7 - 3 lead. 9 plays later Cleveland struck back with the last play of the half, a 26-yard TD pass to Northcult and they went in 10 - 7 ahead.

The second half opened with a 49 yard KO return by the Eagles, but the Cleveland defence held firm and the resulting 45 yard fieldgoal attempt was wide right. After an exchange of possession Cleveland found themselves pinned on their own 5, but a 47 yard option screen dump-off got them out of the hole as they marched downfield. However they failed to convert in the red zone and had to settle for a 22-yard fieldgoal to stretch the lead to 6. The Eagles then riposted with an 80-yard TD drive, Van Dyke taking the 9-yard catch for a 14 - 13 lead with 12 _ minutes left on the clock. Philly quickly got the ball back, but the Van Dyke took a big hit and spilled the ball. Cleveland possession on the Eagle 23. The Browns went back wards but the 42 yard fieldgoal was good and Cleveland led again, 16 - 14. On the next drive the Eagles found themselves facing 4th and 3 on their own 29, with less than 5 minutes left. Foolishly they went for it and disastrously, Cunningham was sacked for a 7-yard loss. Again the Browns went nowhere, but scored with a 33-yard fieldgoal, for a 19 - 14 lead, at the Two Minute warning.

One last throw of the dice for Philly, starting from their own 20. 4th and 5 was converted, then four plays later, so was a 4th and 7. This was followed by a 26-yard dump-off and a 13-yard pass to bring up 1st and 10 from the Browns 12 yard line, with 4 seconds left on the clock. How that extra fieldgoal counted now, as 3 points were now no use. Cunningham, with no options left, had to go for the endzone, but the attempt was batted away and a game that went to the wire had gone to the Browns.

After Match Interview with Jon Heath.
"Altogether an excellent match, but I can't help feeling that (as it was so close) that extra game played by my Eagles ultimately made the difference. All the same it was not a great disappointment, as I'd won my personal Superbowl and exorcised a few demons in beating the Rams two weeks earlier. Anything after that was an unexpected bonus. MVP for the game had to be Prentice, for the Browns. Only 55 yards on 25 carries, but his 120 yards on 9 receptions were critical in setting up the Cleveland scores."

Match report by Julian Horne.

First Quarter
The opening skirmishes indicated just how important the game was to both coaches, and how little there was to choose between the two sides. The Browns won the toss and drove to midfield where they faced 4th and 2. When Travis Prentice was stopped for a loss the Eagles had terrific field position for their opening drive, but three plays later Coach Heath was in the same position and left his offence on the field on fourth down. Stanley Pritchett also came up short and the AFC champions were back on the field. The two sides managed only one first down in their next five combined possessions, however, and the quarter ended with the Eagles backed up inside their ten yard line.

Second Quarter
From there, Philadelphia moved the chains only once before punting from their own 16, but Dennis Northcutt's second fumbled return of the day was pounced on by the Eagle coverage team giving them great position on the Browns' 32. Only two plays later, however, Courtney Brown knocked the ball from Duce Staley's hands and Cleveland took over near midfield, only to return the ball on a Tim Couch interception after advancing just a few yards. With the score still 0-0, the Eagles punted again and stopped Northcutt inside his 20. From there, a series of confident plays took the Browns to the Eagle 30, but aggressive play from the Philly linebackers stalled the drive. Phil Dawson's 39-yard field goal broke the deadlock with just under 3 minutes to play in the half.
That score seemed to spur the Eagles into life. Randall Cunningham, so far in the game 2 for 9 with his only two completions coming on screens, then hit 4 of 4 passes for 74 yards in leading the NFC champions on a terrific 6 play, 80 yard drive. His final throw was a 22 yard catch-and-run touchdown to Alex Van Dyke, putting the Eagles up. But had they scored too quickly?
Taking the ball with a minute and 23 seconds remaining in the period, the Browns initially struggled in moving out towards the halfway line. Couch then found Northcutt for 31 yards to the Eagle 28, opening up the prospect of a field goal to cut the lead to 1. On the final play of the half, however, Northcutt beat Bobby Taylor to the back of the endzone and snared a 26 yard touchdown to make it 10-7 Browns at halftime.

Third Quarter
The opening of the second half showed the best and the worst of the Eagles' special teams. A 49 yard kick return gave them good position in the Cleveland half, but they missed their opportunity to tie the score with a 45 yard field goal sailing wide. An exchange of punts then left the leaders pinned back on their 5 yard line and the Eagle defence, unbroken aside from that final drive of the first half, baying for blood. On 3rd and 8 from the 7, Couch flipped the ball to Prentice, who raced into open field and down to the Philadelphia 46. The Browns made further progress but again seemed to have little answer to the blitz, and had to settle for Dawson's second kick and a 13-7 edge. Cunningham again brought the Eagles back and as the third quarter came to a close they faced 3rd and 10 on the Browns' 41.

Fourth Quarter
Staley's 8-yard run made it 4th and 2. Even the 50-yard field goal would have been a gamble and Coach Heath opted again to play the down. Cunningham scrambled and found Cecil Martin for the first down. Inspired, the Eagles moved quickly to the Cleveland 9 yard line where Cunningham's second touchdown pass to Van Dyke gave them a slender 1-point lead. Worse was to come for the Browns as Couch was sacked twice in three plays following the kickoff, and they were forced to punt the ball straight back to Philadelphia. Two plays later Cunningham connected with Van Dyke on a short slant, but outside linebacker Jamir Miller levelled him on the Eagle 23 and recovered his fumble. The Browns could not advance the ball but another field goal put them back in front, 16-14.
After the kickoff the Eagles moved to their own 29 before facing a 4th and 3. With less than 5 minutes to go in the game Coach Heath elected to roll the dice again, but this time Cunningham could not find an open receiver and was buried under a pile of white shirts. The Browns took over, but again could not move the ball, extending their lead only to 19-14 on Phil Dawson's fourth field goal of the day. As the ball sailed between the uprights, the two minute warning sounded.
Cunningham started from his own 20 and quickly ran into trouble with a 4th and 5. Too late now to do anything but go for it, he found the reliable Van Dyke for a first down out to the 32. Three plays later, with just over a minute on the clock, it was fourth down again - and again, Cunningham's strike to Charles Johnson kept the Eagles in business at midfield. Cunningham then found Torrance Small down to the Browns' 25, and another pass to Johnson made it 1st and 10 at the 12. A field goal was not enough, it was all or nothing. With four seconds left on the clock, Cunningham had assembled his troops and took the final snap of the Superbowl, but his last-gasp pass was tipped away from Small in the endzone. A dramatic victory for the AFC champion Browns, 19-14, but a fantastic game: it was a shame either side had to lose. Thanks, Jon, I hope we both get the opportunity to repeat the performance next year.