Cleveland Fools Houston; Oilers Embarrassed Again

HOUSTON —  The Cleveland Browns left the Houston Oilers red-faced on prime time television--again.

Cleveland used trickery on a two-point conversion and Vinny Testaverde’s 25-yard touchdown pass to Mark Carrier for an 11-8 victory over Houston on Thursday night as the Browns reached 5-1 for the first time since 1965.

It was another embarrassing nationally televised moment for the Oilers, beaten 30-14 on Oct. 3 by Pittsburgh. The Oilers face another prime time date on Oct. 24 at Philadelphia.

The Oilers (1-5) were within 28 seconds of their first shutout loss in 18 years in the Astrodome, but Billy Joe Tolliver threw a five-yard TD pass to Lorenzo White.

When Tolliver completed a two-point conversion pass to Haywood Jeffires, Houston trailed by the margin of Al Del Greco’s missed 29-yard field goal attempt earlier in the fourth quarter.

Tolliver, who came in with 7 1/2 minutes to play, completed nine of 17 for 115 yards.

The Browns did just enough to get their fourth consecutive victory and a stronger hold on the lead in the AFC Central.

The Browns missed two early touchdown chances when Testaverde twice underthrew Carrier after the wide receiver had beaten cornerback Darryll Lewis. Lewis intercepted the first pass and returned it 20 yards to the Oilers 49. Lewis also intercepted a pass in the fourth quarter but penalties by the Oilers killed that opportunity.

Cleveland scored its points in the second quarter on Testaverde’s 25-yard pass to Carrier with 8:21 left, Tom Tupa’s two-point conversion run and Matt Stover’s 35-yard field goal as time ran out in the half.