By Zac Jackson
This report filed August 31, 2001

Charlotte, N.C. — The Browns’ first team offense passed its final preseason test with flying colors. But when Tim Couch and Company headed to the sidelines, little did anyone know the fun was just beginning.

Two kickoff return touchdowns and whole lot of wild moments later, the Carolina Panthers pulled out a wild 23-20 victory Friday night in Ericsson Stadium.

A 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by rookie WR Andre King gave the Browns a 20-16 lead with 4:59 to go in the game. But Carolina came right back and scored the winning TD on a 51-yard pass from Matt Lytle to Dialleo Burks at 3:53.

The Browns advanced the ball past midfield on their final drive but Damien Richardson intercepted Spergon Wynn with 14 seconds left to seal the victory for Carolina.

The Browns starting offense ran 16 plays, gained 121 yards, and scored 10 points. Couch was 7-9 for 95 yards and a TD, a 12-yarder in traffic to RB Jamel White less than five minutes into the game.

"It was probably the most efficient and most cohesive our offense has been this season," Browns Head Coach Butch Davis said. "We were having success running the ball, throwing the ball, and our defense did an outstanding job early."

The lone blemish on the first team’s chart was a Rickey Dudley fumble on the first drive that was recovered by Panther S Mike Minter. The starting defense also looked solid in holding Carolina to 20 total yards and just two first downs in the opening quarter.

Cleveland covered 40 yards in five plays on its initial scoring drive, which was set up by a Courtney Brown fumble recovery on Carolina’s second play from scrimmage. DT Gerard Warren forced Panthers RB Tim Biakabatuka to reverse his field, and DE Keith McKenzie stripped the ball from Biakabatuka.

A 29-yard field goal by Phil Dawson at 6:19 of the first quarter made it 10-0, Browns. The kick capped an eight play, 66-yard drive that was highlighted by a 41-yard flea-flicker pass completion from Couch to Quincy Morgan.

That’s when things got interesting.

The Panthers countered with a 101-yard kickoff return by rookie WR Steve Smith on the ensuing kick. The Panthers fumbled the snap on the PAT and did not convert. At 5:58, it's Browns 10, Panthers 6.

Smith, a fourth round draft pick out of Utah, also had a 63-yard punt return TD in the fourth quarter negated by a penalty.

Asked about his special teams units allowing two touchdowns, Davis said, "That makes me ill."

QB Kelly Holcomb then engineered a 14-play, 72-yard drive that featured completions of 29 yards to WR Jammi German and 19 yards to Dennis Northcutt. Dawson kicked a 32-yard field goal with 4:56 to go in the second quarter to put the Browns up, 13-6.

The Panthers moved to the Browns' one-yard line on a pass interference penalty on Browns CB Lamar Chapman with 1:55 to play in the first half. The teams then traded penalties and Carolina finally crossed the goal line with 18 seconds left in the half on a one-yard run by Biakabatuka. The PAT tied the game at 13.

"You hate to give up a touchdown right before halftime," Davis said. "It gives the other team a psychological advantage going into the locker room, and I don't like that."

Two key players were injured in the game—DE Courtney Brown (sprained knee) in the first quarter and WR Dennis Northcutt (bruised shoulder) in the second quarter.

Brown will have an MRI when the team returns to Cleveland. Davis said Northcutt is fine and left the game as a precaution.

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