VIDEO: Travis Benjamin's record dash turned momentum for Cleveland Browns

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Browns special teams coach Chris Tabor probably never has been so happy a unit failed at its primary objective.

Tabor wanted to block a Kansas City punt on the first play of the second quarter Sunday afternoon. Instead, he had to settle for making franchise history.

Rookie Travis Benjamin fielded a Dustin Colquitt punt at the Browns 7 and raced 93 yards for the day's biggest play in a 30-7 victory over the Chiefs. The longest punt return since the franchise was created in 1946 energized the home crowd of 62,422 fans and seemed to demoralize the Chiefs.

It was a well-schemed play that almost produced a block and most certainly produced momentum the Browns never relinquished. It also was the perfect response to the Chiefs' 80-yard touchdown run by Jamaal Charles to open the game. The Browns went from four points down to three points up in a 12-second span.

"It was a huge lift," Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. "It puts us ahead in a game. We just took an 80-yard punch for a touchdown. That was a punch in the gut. To get a play like that to put you back on top, is something that you always hope for in a game."

On a day in which the Browns got creative offensively, it was some trickery in special teams that ignited the rally. As the return unit prepared to go on the field, Benjamin was telling teammates on the sidelines to watch for something different.

The rookie said the Browns had been practicing the play called "Banzai" for several weeks, but Josh Cribbs contends Tabor planned to use it against the Chiefs because it would work against their blocking scheme.



"We schemed up perfect," Cribbs said. "They're a man-scheme team on their punt coverage. ... We tried to get a punt block up the middle -- but a touchdown is always better."

As the Chiefs lined up at the Cleveland 48, they saw Cribbs deep in his normal position. But prior to the snap, Cribbs ran to the line of scrimmage. Meanwhile, Benjamin, who had lined up wide to block one of the two Chiefs gunners, ran back to replace Cribbs.

When the Chiefs gunner -- the one lined up against Benjamin -- saw Cribbs creep forward, he moved inside to assist in punt protection. This gave the Chiefs only one gunner running downfield. The Browns got tremendous penetration, shoving the punt protectors into Colquitt, who fell after kicking the ball.

The speedy Benjamin, returning only his third punt, fielded the ball cleanly with lots of room to operate as Buster Skrine pushed Kansas City's lone gunner wide and into the end zone. The rookie started to his right before cutting back to his left, a move forcing three Chiefs to overrun the play.

"When I made the first one or two guys miss I knew I would be scot-free," Benjamin said, who stumbled momentarily after the Chiefs’ Josh Bellamy got an arm on him at the Browns 16. "I saw all those Brown jerseys up ahead blocking and leading me to the end zone."

As Benjamin picked up speed down the left sideline, the punter and Cribbs entered his field of vision. Colquitt looked like a man fleeing from the vicinity of a bar-room brawl.

"The punter saw me about to come and he opened the gate like, 'I ain't got nothing to do with that.'" Cribbs said. "As soon as [Benjamin] broke it past a couple guys, I knew he was gone."

The Browns search for ways to employ the swiftness of the 5-10, 175-pound Benjamin. He also gained 15 yards on a double reverse, a play they have attempted about five times this season. Cribbs is one of the game's premier returners. He's also a free agent at season's end and there's no guarantee he'll be resigned. In other words, Benjamin could be the Browns' future return man.

"Every time my name is called I just try to go on the field and make the most out of it," said Benjamin, who has five combined returns this season.

In the fourth quarter, Tabor put Benjamin and Cribbs together back deep for the second time this season and the veteran delivered a 38-yard return. It capped a terrific special team's day -- one in which the only missed block turned out just fine.


(cleveland.com)