1977: Browns Rally in Second Half, Defeat Patriots in Overtime

The Monday night game on September 26, 1977 featured the Cleveland Browns hosting the New England Patriots. The Browns were coming off of a 9-5 record in ’76 under Head Coach Forrest Gregg. QB Brian Sipe had emerged from an obscure backup role to replace the disappointing Mike Phipps and there was a fine all-purpose runner in HB Greg Pruitt (pictured at right). Cleveland pulled off an upset the previous week in defeating the Bengals and were 1-0 as they faced another significant test.

The Patriots were coached by Chuck Fairbanks and reached the playoffs the previous year with an 11-3 tally. QB Steve Grogan, like Sipe, had been unheralded coming into the league and was effective both passing and running with the ball. While the holdouts of G John Hannah and OT Leon Gray caused disruption, there was a good corps of running backs, starting with FB Sam “Bam” Cunningham and TE Russ Francis was one of the best at his position. The defense was tough, with CB Mike Haynes and FS Tim Fox coming off of outstanding rookie seasons. New England had also won its opener against Kansas City.

There were 76,413 fans in attendance at Municipal Stadium. The Browns had the first possession and advanced 85 yards in 12 plays. Brian Sipe completed a third-and-five throw to Greg Pruitt that picked up 35 yards to the New England 11 and Pruitt tossed an option pass to FB Brian Duncan for a five-yard touchdown. Don Cockroft added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Patriots punted following a short series but got the ball back when SS Prentice McCray intercepted a Sipe pass at the New England 29. They again had to punt and, helped by a 23-yard return by DB Roland Woolsey, the Browns again advanced into New England territory in the final minutes of the opening period. The drive stalled at the 26 early in the second quarter and Cockroft missed to the right on a 44-yard field goal attempt.

The Patriots made the most of the reprieve, moving methodically down the field. Steve Grogan completed a pass to HB Don Calhoun that gained 21 yards and had additional yards tacked on due to a facemask penalty on the Browns. Following two carries by HB Ike Forte, Grogan finished the 10-play, 74-yard series with a throw to Sam Cunningham (pictured below) in the end zone for an eight-yard TD. John Smith tied the score with his successful conversion.

On the first play following the ensuing kickoff, Tim Fox intercepted a Sipe pass and returned it to the Cleveland 22. The Patriots couldn’t reach the end zone but they did put more points on the board with Smith’s 35-yard field goal to go ahead by a 10-7 tally.

That was it for the scoring until a 46-yard punt return by Mike Haynes gave the Patriots the ball at the Cleveland 29 with 1:33 remaining in the first half. Cunningham and Grogan ran the ball down to the two, from where Calhoun scored a touchdown. Smith’s extra point made the halftime score 17-7 in favor of the visitors.

The Patriots had the ball first in the third quarter and punted. Cleveland advanced 54 yards in six plays as Pruitt ran for 11 yards on two carries and caught a pass for another six, and Sipe threw to TE Gary Parris for a 26-yard TD. Cockroft’s PAT made it a three-point game at 17-14.

The Browns immediately regained possession when CB Raymond Clayborn fumbled on the kickoff return and WR Ricky Feacher recovered for Cleveland at the New England 25. While the offense went three-and-out, Cockroft tied the score at 17-17 with a 37-yard field goal.

The Patriots got just past midfield on the next series but again had to punt. Starting from their 12, the Browns got a boost when Pruitt took off for a 37-yard run with a facemask penalty added on and they were into New England territory heading into the fourth quarter. However, they came up empty when Cockroft tried for a 39-yard field goal that was blocked by LB Rod Shoate.

New England responded with a 61-yard drive that took 13 plays. Grogan completed a pass to WR Steve Burks for 22 yards in a third-and-12 situation and Calhoun and Cunningham ran effectively. Grogan converted another third down play with a throw to Forte for 10 yards to the Cleveland two, and while the Patriots lost yards on the next two plays, Grogan connected with Russ Francis in the middle of the end zone for a six-yard touchdown. Smith converted and the visitors were back on top by 24-17 with 7:28 to play in regulation.

The Browns came back with a seven-play, 73-yard possession. Pruitt had a 17-yard run and Sipe completed passes to Parris for ten yards, WR Reggie Rucker for nine, and WR Dave Logan for 19 yards to the New England 13. It was Sipe to Pruitt for an eight-yard TD and, with Cockroft’s kick, the score was again knotted at 24-24.

Cleveland scored again after a Grogan pass was picked off by LB Charlie Hall. That gave the Browns the ball at the New England 27 and led to a 37-yard Cockroft field goal and a lead of 27-24 with the clock now down to 55 seconds.

That was still enough time for the Patriots to mount a drive. Grogan completed four passes to move New England down the field, the biggest to Francis for 28 yards to the Cleveland 17 with one second remaining. Smith kicked a 24-yard field goal to send the contest into overtime.

The Browns won the toss for the extra period, received the kickoff, and never gave up the ball. Sipe scrambled for four yards in a third-and-one situation and completed a pass to Parris for 12 yards while facing third-and-eight. A throw to Logan that picked up 22 yards got the ball into scoring territory at the New England 19, and two plays later Cockroft kicked a 35-yard field goal at 4:45 into overtime. Cleveland won by a final score of 30-27.    

The Browns led in total yards (393 to 263) and first downs (25 to 21). They also turned the ball over three times, to two by New England, but the Patriots drew 12 penalties at a cost of 80 yards to five flags thrown on Cleveland.

Greg Pruitt had an outstanding night for the Browns as he rushed for 151 yards on 26 carries, caught four passes for another 51 yards and a touchdown, and threw a scoring pass. Brian Sipe (pictured at right) completed 18 of 25 throws for 199 yards and two TDs while giving up two interceptions. FB Cleo Miller, who gained 31 yards on 11 rushing attempts, also had four pass receptions, for 19 yards.

For the Patriots, Steve Grogan completed 15 of 23 passes for 172 yards and two touchdowns while being picked off once. Sam Cunningham gained 70 yards on 18 carries and also topped the club with 7 pass receptions for 52 yards and another TD. Don Calhoun contributed 49 yards on 13 rushes that included a TD.

“Greg’s a great player,” said Coach Fairbanks of the Patriots about Cleveland’s Pruitt, who had played for him in college at Oklahoma. “He helped me to win a lot and now he helped take one away from me.”

The Browns had pulled off two upsets to start the season, and while they lost the next two games, they reeled off three straight victories to be in first place with a 5-2 record at the midway point. They faltered from there and the loss of Brian Sipe for the last five games proved fatal as Cleveland won only one of its last seven contests to end up at 6-8 and at the bottom of the AFC Central Division, costing Coach Gregg his job. New England lost the next week, and while the Patriots then won four straight games, a midseason slump caused them to finish at 9-5 and third in the AFC East, just missing out on a Wild Card playoff slot.

In his fifth year with the Browns, Greg Pruitt was chosen to his fourth Pro Bowl as he rushed for 1086 yards on 236 carries, both career highs, for a 4.6-yard average and caught 37 passes for 471 yards (12.7 avg.). His 1557 yards from scrimmage ranked third in the NFL. In addition to the Pro Bowl selection, he received second-team All-NFL honors from the Newspaper Enterprise Association and second-team All-AFC recognition from UPI.

1984: Stars Defeat Generals in USFL Playoff Contest

Two rivals from the Atlantic Division of the United States Football League faced off in a First Round Playoff game on June 30, 1984. The Philadelphia Stars had gone 16-2 during the regular season, the league’s best record, but both losses were to the New Jersey Generals, the club that finished second in the division with a 14-4 tally. The second meeting had been just the previous week, and Philadelphia had been uncharacteristically sloppy in both contests.

The Stars, who narrowly lost the USFL Championship game the previous year, were coached by Jim Mora. QB Chuck Fusina, the league’s most efficient passer, directed the ball-control offense that featured RB Kelvin Bryant (pictured #44 above, with WR Willie Collier) operating behind a solid line. The tough and opportunistic defense that included All-League performers in NT Pete Kugler, LB Sam Mills, CB Garcia Lane, and FS Mike Lush yielded a league-low 12.5 points per game.

New Jersey was coached by Walt Michaels and was much improved over the 1983 unit thanks to the addition of significant veteran talent. QB Brian Sipe was one of those upgrades, and while he didn’t have a big season, he was far more effective than the signal callers of the previous year. RB Herschel Walker was again the key to the offense, but he suffered from a sore shoulder all season and looked more tentative, although he still rushed for 1399 yards and 16 TDs while FB Maurice Carthon also reached a thousand yards (1042). The defense benefited from the addition of linebackers Willie Harper, Bobby Leopold, and Jim LeClair, FS Gary Barbaro, and CB Kerry Justin.

The game was played before 19,038 fans at Franklin Field of the Univ. of Pennsylvania, once home of the NFL Eagles, due to a conflict with major league baseball’s Phillies for use of Veterans Stadium. The locker rooms were too small to accommodate the teams and they had to suit up at the nearby Hollenbeck Center and walk to the stadium.

It had rained during the morning, but stopped prior to kickoff. In the first quarter, a promising ten-play possession for the Generals ended with a pass by Brian Sipe being intercepted by FS Scott Woerner at the Philadelphia 16, and he returned it to his 40.  

The opening period remained scoreless as the teams traded punts. Early in the second quarter, another turnover by the Generals set up the first score of the game. Pete Kugler sacked Sipe, causing the quarterback to fumble. LB John Bunting recovered and the Stars took just three plays to travel 49 yards. Chuck Fusina connected with WR Scott Fitzkee for 17 yards and FB David Riley for 22, and Kelvin Bryant reached the end zone on a ten-yard sweep. David Trout added the extra point and Philadelphia was ahead by 7-0 three minutes into the period.

New Jersey’s next possession ended in a punt and Garcia Lane, sprung thanks to outstanding blocks by DB Bill Hardee and WR Herbert Harris, returned it 70 yards for a TD. Trout again converted to widen the home team’s lead to 14-0.

The Generals, down by two touchdowns, were forced out of their game plan, but they advanced into Philadelphia territory on the next series, helped along by a roughing-the-passer penalty on the Stars. However, the visitors came up empty when Roger Ruzek missed on a 42-yard field goal attempt. Bryant immediately took off on a 38-yard jaunt to key an eight-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in Bryant catching an 11-yard touchdown pass over his shoulder in the corner of the end zone. Trout added the point after. The first half ended with Ruzek failing on a field goal try from 49 yards and, despite New Jersey running more plays and generating the most yards, the Stars took a 21-0 lead into halftime. Adding to their problems, the Generals lost three starters to injuries in the hard-hitting first half: Gary Barbaro, Kerry Justin, and G Wayne Harris.

The Stars punted following the first possession of the third quarter and New Jersey advanced into scoring territory, but after reaching the Philadelphia 15 following Herschel Walker’s run to convert a fourth down, the Stars stiffened on defense and Ruzek missed a third field goal attempt, hooking to the left from 42 yards.  

Philadelphia proceeded to put together a 20-play drive that covered 75 yards and ran 11:48 off the clock. Bryant punched over from the one for a touchdown that, with Trout’s PAT, put the Stars up by 28-0 with 10:41 to play and effectively sealed the win. The Generals finally got on the board when Sipe threw to WR Clarence Collins for a 14-yard TD, but it was of no consequence. Philadelphia advanced to the next round by a decisive score of 28-7.

New Jersey had the edge in total yards (313 to 269) and first downs (24 to 17), but also suffered the game’s only two turnovers, both of which were turned into points by the Stars. Philadelphia held the Generals to just 70 yards on the ground and recorded three sacks, to one by New Jersey. There were a total of 16 penalties called in the hard-hitting game, with the Stars getting flagged 10 times.

Kelvin Bryant rushed for 117 yards on 23 carries that included two touchdowns and scored another on one of his two catches for 32 yards. Chuck Fusina didn’t go to the air often but was typically efficient, completing 9 of 14 passes for 121 yards and a touchdown, including six-of-six for 77 yards in the first half. David Riley and Scott Fitzkee caught three passes apiece, for 39 and 33 yards, respectively.

For the Generals, Brian Sipe was successful on 24 of 40 throws for 259 yards and a TD along with one interception. Herschel Walker was limited to 50 yards on 15 rushing attempts but led the club with 6 catches for 79 yards. Clarence Collins contributed 5 receptions for 62 yards and a score and TE Jeff Spek added 58 yards on his 5 catches.

“A loss today meant the season,” said Kelvin Bryant. “We really wanted to get them because they were the only team to beat us.”

“We were a lot more physical today, there was a lot of emotion out there,” said Coach Mora of the Stars.

The Stars went on to defeat the Birmingham Stallions the following week for the Eastern Conference title and won the USFL Championship handily over the Arizona Wranglers. New Jersey came back in 1985 to go 11-7 and again qualify for the playoffs, and once more fell to the Stars, now based in Baltimore, in the first round.

1975: Turner’s Game-Ending Field Goal Lifts Broncos Over Browns

The Denver Broncos were struggling at 2-2, having lost two straight after opening the season with two victories, as they hosted the winless Cleveland Browns on October 19, 1975. Under Head Coach John Ralston, the Broncos were coming off the first two winning records in franchise history in 1973 and ’74, but HB Otis Armstrong, the league’s rushing leader the previous year, was sidelined with a rib injury and veteran QB Charley Johnson, a month shy of his 37^th birthday, was beginning to show his age.

The Browns, under first-year Head Coach Forrest Gregg, were having trouble on both sides of the ball in achieving a 0-4 record, having difficulty scoring points on offense while the defense had given up over 40 in each of the previous three contests. QB Mike Phipps had yet to live up to his first-round draft billing in 1970 and was feeling heat from backup Brian Sipe, but there was talent to throw to in WR Reggie Rucker and TE Oscar Roan, and HB Greg Pruitt, once a spot player, was proving to be valuable in carrying a heavier workload.

One thing both teams had going for them was placekickers. Denver’s 34-year-old Jim Turner (pictured above), who was in his twelfth year and had originally found notoriety with the Jets,  was a perfect seven-for-seven in field goal attempts thus far and Don Cockroft of the Browns, an eight-year veteran who also handled the punting, had made good on 12 straight field goal tries going back to 1974.

It was a bright, clear day with 52,590 fans in attendance at Mile High Stadium. The Browns had the first possession and moved well down the field. Greg Pruitt ran four times for 23 yards and caught a pass for another 15. The drive stalled at the Denver seven and Don Cockroft kicked a 24-yard field goal.

Following a short series that ended with a punt, the Broncos got the ball back at the Cleveland 25 thanks to a fumble. Charley Johnson threw to WR Haven Moses for 17 yards, but after two carries by FB Jon Keyworth advanced the ball to the Cleveland three, an illegal procedure penalty moved Denver back and they, too, settled for a field goal of 25 yards by Jim Turner.

The teams traded turnovers, with CB Earlie Thomas intercepting a Mike Phipps pass for the Broncos that he returned to the Cleveland five, but HB Oliver Ross fumbled at the two to end the scoring opportunity. The Browns, with Brian Sipe now at quarterback, advanced to their 20 during the remainder of the opening period and were forced to punt. Two plays later, in the early moments of the second quarter, Johnson was stripped while attempting to lateral and DT Walter Johnson recovered for Cleveland at his 47. Helped along by a roughing-the-passer penalty in a third-and-11 situation, the Browns reached the Denver 32 and Cockroft kicked another field goal, from 49 yards, to go back in front by 6-3.

The Broncos approached midfield on their next possession as Charley Johnson completed a pass to WR Bill Van Heusen for 12 yards and ran the ball himself for a 13-yard gain in a second-and-14 situation. The drive stalled at the Denver 46, but Van Heusen, back to punt, faked and threw to Ross for a gain of 30 yards, although he again fumbled and LB Dave Graf recovered for the Browns.

Cleveland went three-and-out and punted, and the Broncos again moved effectively. Johnson threw to WR Jack Dolbin for a 22-yard gain that converted a third-and-20 situation and had completions to Keyworth for 16 and 13 yards to reach the Cleveland 31. The drive again was halted and Turner kicked a 48-yard field goal to knot the score at 6-6 with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.

Now the Browns moved well on offense. Sipe completed passes for 10 and 13 yards to Oscar Roan that converted third downs and, with the clock down to eight seconds, Cockroft kicked a 43-yard field goal to put the visitors in front once more by 9-6 at halftime.

Neither team was able to move effectively to start the third quarter until the Browns, getting good field position at the Denver 44 following a 16-yard punt return by DB Pete Athas, advanced 40 yards. Pruitt gained a yard up the middle to convert a fourth down play and he and FB Billy Pritchett carried the load before the drive halted at the four. Cockroft booted a 20-yard field goal and Cleveland was in front by six.

A fumble by HB Floyd Little gave the Browns the ball at the Denver 26 and an opportunity to build upon their lead, but they came up empty when Cockroft was wide to the left on a 27-yard field goal attempt, his first miss after hitting on 16 straight. Early in the fourth quarter, another Cleveland possession concluded with Cockroft successfully kicking a 42-yard field goal, and the visitors were ahead by 15-6.

WR Rick Upchurch returned the ensuing kickoff 47 yards to the Denver 43 and the Broncos proceeded to drive 57 yards in nine plays. Steve Ramsey (pictured at right) was now at quarterback, but it was Keyworth running the ball and a pass interference penalty gaining 20 yards that moved Denver along to the Cleveland 25. Following another short gain of one yard by Keyworth, Ramsey threw to the fullback for 10 yards and then to TE Riley Odoms for 13. Keyworth fittingly completed the series by plowing a yard into the end zone and, with Turner’s conversion, the Cleveland lead was cut to 15-13.

The Browns got a good kickoff return of their own as WR Billy LeFear ran 38 yards to the 50 and Sipe immediately followed with a pass to Reggie Rucker for 20 yards. But after getting to the Denver ten, Cockroft nicked the right upright with a field goal attempt that bounced away unsuccessfully.

Ramsey quickly passed the Broncos down the field, hitting on passes of 11 yards to Odoms and 25 to Upchurch, and Keyworth ran around end for a 34-yard gain to the Cleveland 11. But three plays later Ross fumbled once more and the Browns recovered in the end zone to blunt the threat.

A short Cleveland series ended with a punt and Denver took over possession with 1:43 remaining to play. Two passes to Little and a throw to Dolbin got the ball into Cleveland territory at the 46, but two more throws were incomplete. Facing fourth-and-four, Ramsey kept the ball and ran around end for 10 yards for a first down and, on the game’s final play, Turner kicked a dramatic 53-yard field goal, which was the longest of his career. The Broncos came away winners by a final score of 16-15.

Denver led in total yards (325 to 271) and first downs (18 to 17). However, the Broncos also turned the ball over six times, to two by Cleveland. Ultimately, the game came down to Don Cockroft (pictured below), who hit on a team-record five field goals (since broken by Phil Dawson), missing two of his attempts, while Jim Turner was successful on all three of his for the Broncos, with the eight three-pointers in all tying the then-NFL record (the record moved up to nine in 1996).

Charley Johnson completed 9 of 22 passes for 110 yards with one interception before he gave way to Steve Ramsey, who was successful on 10 of 12 throws for 94 yards with no TDs or interceptions. Jon Keyworth ran for 62 yards on 11 carries that included the game’s only touchdown and caught 6 passes for 45 yards. Rick Upchurch averaged 32.8 yards on six kickoff returns to go along with 21 yards on two catches and seven yards on one running play.

For the Browns, Mike Phipps was two-of-eight for 28 yards and gave up an interception and Brian Sipe was 12-of-25 for 111 yards and had none picked off. Greg Pruitt gained 64 yards on 19 carries in addition to catching three passes for 20 yards. Oscar Roan was the top receiver with 5 receptions for 52 yards.

The stirring win for the Broncos, which nevertheless highlighted their problems on offense, was followed by three straight losses as they went on to a disappointing 6-8 record, which placed them second in the AFC West. Cleveland reached 0-9 before winning three of its last five games to finish with a 3-11 tally that ranked at the bottom of the highly-competitive AFC Central.

Jim Turner went on to achieve a career high for field goal percentage at 75.0 (21 of 28) and, adding in 23 PATs, he scored 86 points. Don Cockroft finished 17-for-23 in field goal kicking (73.9 %) and also averaged 40.5 yards on his 82 punts.

1978: Campbell-less Oilers Rally Past Browns

Both teams meeting in Cleveland on October 1, 1978 were missing key personnel and coming off losses the previous week. The visiting Houston Oilers were without star rookie RB Earl Campbell, who was sidelined by a pulled hamstring, and WR Billy “White Shoes” Johnson, the outstanding kick returner who had gone down with a knee injury. Head Coach Bum Phillips’ team was 2-2 after a low-scoring loss to the Rams and still had a potent defense while QB Dan Pastorini continued to direct the ball-control offense.

The host Cleveland Browns had won their first three games under first-year Head Coach Sam Rutigliano, but lost a close contest to the Steelers the previous week thanks to a flea-flicker pass in overtime after an apparent Pittsburgh fumble had been blown dead. They were without HB Greg Pruitt, who had a calf injury, although FB Mike Pruitt (no relation) was healthy. QB Brian Sipe was showing improvement and had capable receivers in WRs Reggie Rucker and Dave Logan plus rookie TE Ozzie Newsome. There was talent in the defensive backfield, but the pass rush was lacking.

It was an overcast day at Municipal Stadium with 72,776 fans in attendance. The Oilers took the opening kickoff and drove into Cleveland territory. HB Ronnie Coleman (pictured above), starting in place of Campbell, carried four times for 15 yards and caught a pass for another seven, but when the drive was held up at the Cleveland 33, an attempt to convert a fourth-and-one situation failed when Dan Pastorini was stopped for no gain.

The Browns advanced 43 yards in nine plays, helped by a pass interference penalty in a third-and-10 situation. Brian Sipe converted another third-and-10 play with a pass to Reggie Rucker for 18 yards to the Houston 26, but the drive finally stalled and Don Cockroft kicked a 41-yard field goal.

The Oilers put together a long series. Pastorini completed three passes and Coleman and FB Tim Wilson ran effectively, but after getting a first-and-goal at the seven, the drive came to a halt at the one. On the first play of the second quarter, Pastorini once again tried to convert a fourth down, and once again was stopped short when tackled by LB Charlie Hall before he could reach the goal line.

Cleveland managed to get out to the 14 before punting and Coleman’s 17-yard return gave Houston good field position at the Browns’ 41. With Coleman and Wilson carrying the load and Pastorini throwing to WR Mike Renfro for eight yards to convert a third-and-four play, the Oilers again moved into scoring territory, but Coleman fumbled at the 15 and DE Mack Mitchell recovered for the Browns.

The teams traded punts until, with 1:40 remaining in the half, CB Clarence Scott intercepted a Pastorini pass to give the Browns the ball at the Houston 42. They scored in seven plays, four of them Sipe pass completions. The last two were to Dave Logan, for a 21-yard gain followed by a seven-yard touchdown. Cockroft added the extra point and the home team took a 10-0 lead into halftime.

The Browns went three-and-out to start the third quarter but got the ball back when Coleman fumbled again and CB Ron Bolton recovered. However, four plays later the Oilers benefited from a turnover when CB Willie Alexander intercepted a Sipe pass at midfield. Pastorini converted a third down with an 18-yard completion to Renfro and, two plays later, connected with WR Rich Caster for a 41-yard TD. Toni Fritsch’s extra point attempt was blocked, but the Oilers were on the board and behind now by 10-6.

The teams again traded punts, with Houston winning the battle for field position. A kick that pinned the Browns back at their two led to a punt that gave the Oilers the ball at the Cleveland 43, and in a series that extended into the fourth quarter, they went 43 yards in eight plays. FB Rob Carpenter ran for the last seven and a touchdown, and this time Fritsch successfully converted to give the visitors a three-point lead.

Neither team was able to move the ball and punted following a possession apiece. They then traded turnovers, with FS Mike Reinfeldt intercepting a Sipe pass and Hall recovering a Coleman fumble at the Houston 24, and that led to Cockroft booting a 40-yard field goal that tied the score at 13-13.

There were just over six minutes remaining as the Oilers started their next series, and they were forced to punt. Cleveland took over at its 30 but, four plays later and with 1:24 left on the clock, Mike Pruitt fumbled and LB Art Stringer recovered for Houston at the Browns’ 48. Pastorini immediately went long to WR Ken Burrough, who out-wrestled Bolton for a 44-yard gain. To the Browns and their fans, it appeared that Bolton had been the winner in the battle for the ball and that it should have been ruled an interception. Cans and bottles came flying out of the east stands, delaying play and finally causing the officials to shift to the other end of the field. Three running plays were followed by a Fritsch field goal from 19 yards. A last-gasp pass by Sipe was intercepted and the Oilers won by a final score of 16-13.

The yardage totals were low, reflecting the defensive nature of the game, with Houston gaining the most (215 to 104) and also accumulating the most first downs (20 to 11). Even without Earl Campbell, the Oilers rushed for 164 yards, to just 78 for Cleveland. Each team turned the ball over four times.

Dan Pastorini completed 14 of 29 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown as well as an interception. Tim Wilson led the ground game with 72 yards on 16 carries and Ronnie Coleman contributed 63 yards on 19 attempts to go along with his team-high four catches, good for another 63 yards. With the controversial late-game catch, Ken Burrough (pictured at left) had 68 yards on three pass receptions.

For the Browns, Brian Sipe was successful on just 12 of 32 throws for 106 yards and a TD, giving up three interceptions. Reggie Rucker topped the club with three catches for 48 yards. Mike Pruitt ran for 41 yards on 11 attempts. 

“I think it was a helluva call,” said Coach Phillips of the Oilers regarding the controversial catch awarded to Ken Burrough. “When you go down in a tie, it goes to the offense…I know the fans didn’t like it.”

“I reached over and pulled the ball in and he came with it,” added Burrough. “I caught the ball and Bolton held on.”

Not surprisingly, Ron Bolton’s perspective was different (Bolton pictured below). “I had the ball,” he said. “He came across my back, which is a foul, reached over my shoulder and got his hand on the ball.” 

The Oilers, with Earl Campbell back in action, lost at Oakland the following week but then won seven of their last ten games to finish at 10-6 and second in the AFC Central. Qualifying for a Wild Card playoff spot, they advanced to the AFC Championship game before succumbing to the Steelers. Cleveland won the next game but was successful only sporadically thereafter, ending up third in the division at 8-8.

For Ronnie Coleman, once a starting halfback for the Oilers but now relegated to backup duty when Campbell was playing, the rushing total against the Browns was his highest output of the season as he gained 188 yards on 61 carries (3.1 avg.) and caught 19 passes for 246 yards.  

1984: Kelly Passes & Runs Gamblers to Win Over Generals

The Houston Gamblers, new to the United States Football League in its second season, were off to a 2-1 start as they hosted the undefeated New Jersey Generals on March 18, 1984. Owned by Dr. Jerry Argovitz and coached by Jack Pardee, the Gamblers had a pass-oriented “run-and-shoot” offense operated by rookie QB Jim Kelly, who was proving to be remarkably well-suited to it.

The visiting Generals were coached by ex-Jets mentor Walt Michaels and, while they still were a ground-oriented team based around the presence of RB Herschel Walker, had taken steps to improve the overall roster. Newly-acquired veterans included QB Brian Sipe, G Dave Lapham, CB Kerry Justin, FS Gary Barbaro, SS Greggory Johnson, and linebackers Jim LeClair, Willie Harper, and Bob Leopold and the result was great improvement over the team that went a disappointing 6-12 in the USFL’s inaugural season.

There were 35,532 in attendance at the Astrodome for Houston’s home-opening game. The Generals opened the scoring as Sipe threw to TE Jeff Spek for a seven-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter. Houston responded with a scoring drive that featured a Kelly completion to WR Gerald McNeil for 29 yards and a 12-yard pass to WR Greg Moser. It ended in a five-yard touchdown run by RB Sam Harrell. PK Toni Fritsch completed a two-point TD pass to Harrell shot-put style after the center snap on the extra point try was bobbled by the holder, Moser, who then lateraled to the veteran placekicker. The result was that the Gamblers were ahead by 8-7 after a period of play.

That lead was extended in the second quarter after CB Will Lewis (pictured below) intercepted a Sipe pass and returned it to the New Jersey one yard line. From there, Harrell scored again and, with Fritsch kicking the extra point this time, the Gamblers were up by 15-7 at the half.

Houston made it 22-7 ten minutes into the third quarter when Kelly threw a screen pass to WR Scott McGhee for a 25-yard TD that was followed by another successful Fritsch PAT. Three minutes into the final period, Fritsch added a 20-yard field goal and the game was essentially put away shortly thereafter when Lewis again picked off a Sipe pass and returned it 34 yards for a touchdown.

The Generals fought back with Sipe throwing to WR Clarence Collins for a six-yard TD and then tossing to Walker for a successful two-point conversion. With less than three minutes remaining, Walker scored another touchdown from a yard out, but that was it for the visitors. Houston came away with a convincing 32-25 win.

The Gamblers outgained New Jersey (370 yards to 234) and had more first downs (22 to 17). In addition, the Generals turned the ball over three times, all on interceptions, to one suffered by Houston.

Jim Kelly showed off his mobility as well as his passing skill, leading the team with 65 yards on 6 carries in addition to completing 22 of 36 passes for 271 yards with a touchdown and an interception. WR Richard Johnson caught 6 passes for 46 yards while Gerald McNeil gained 73 yards on his 5 pass receptions. Sam Harrell was right behind Kelly as he rushed for 60 yards on 20 carries that included two TDs.

For the Generals, Brian Sipe was successful on 18 of 29 throws for 148 yards and two touchdowns but also the three interceptions. Herschel Walker had relatively modest output, rushing for 65 yards on 14 attempts and catching three passes for 21 yards. Clarence Collins led the club with 6 catches for 64 yards.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the way this team played,” said Houston Head Coach Jack Pardee. “We held down a good club today and came up with the turnovers when we had to have them. It was a great team effort.”

The Gamblers went on to become the most successful of the six new USFL franchises in ’84, topping the Central Division with a 13-5 record before losing to Arizona in the first round of the playoffs. New Jersey placed second in the Atlantic Division at 14-4 but also exited in the first round of the postseason, falling to the division-rival Philadelphia Stars.

Jim Kelly had a sensational year throwing the football as he led the league in most major passing categories, including yards (5219) and TD passes (44) – although also interceptions (26). However, as the game against the Generals suggested, he was also one of the USFL’s most productive quarterbacks at running the ball as he gained 493 yards on 85 carries (5.8 avg.) and scored five touchdowns. 

1979: Bradshaw Out-Duels Sipe as Steelers Edge Browns in Overtime

The Pittsburgh Steelers were defending NFL Champions and off to a 9-3 start in 1979 but found themselves in a dogfight in the AFC Central with the Houston Oilers, also 9-3, and Cleveland Browns at 8-4. On November 25 they hosted the Browns. Head Coach Chuck Noll’s team was coming off a humiliating loss at San Diego the previous week but still contained the key players that made the Steelers a champion three times in the previous five seasons, including future Hall of Famers QB Terry Bradshaw (pictured above), RB Franco Harris, DT “Mean Joe” Greene, MLB Jack Lambert, and CB Mel Blount.

The Browns, under Head Coach Sam Rutigliano, were a resurgent and exciting team, prone to playing in games that weren’t decided until the last seconds. QB Brian Sipe had emerged as a fine passer and clutch performer and had good receivers to throw to in wide receivers Dave Logan and Reggie Rucker and TE Ozzie Newsome.

There were 48,773 fans at Three Rivers Stadium. The Browns went 75 yards in 11 plays on their opening possession despite Sipe being sacked once for a nine-yard loss. Sipe completed 5 of 6 passes, including three that converted third downs and the last a scoring toss of 21 yards to Newsome.

DB Larry Anderson fumbled when returning the ensuing kickoff and CB Ron Bolton recovered for the Browns at the three yard line. Cleveland couldn’t penetrate the end zone from there and settled for a 20-yard Don Cockroft field goal to go up by 10-0.

Pittsburgh came back with Bradshaw throwing to WR John Stallworth for a 34-yard gain to the Cleveland 35. It set up a 45-yard field goal by Matt Bahr and the score was 10-3.

HB Dino Hall returned the next kickoff 33 yards to give the Browns good starting field position at their 44. In a series that continued into the second quarter, Cleveland went 56 yards in 13 plays, helped along by a defensive holding penalty that converted a punting situation into a first down. Sipe completed a pass to Newsome for 20 yards and Cockroft kicked another field goal, this time from 32 yards, to make it 13-3.

Pittsburgh moved into scoring territory on its next possession but Bahr was wide on a 39-yard field goal attempt. Getting the ball back, RB Rocky Bleier gained 31 yards on four carries and Franco Harris (pictured below) had another for 11 yards. After TE Bennie Cunningham just missed scoring on a pass into the end zone – he was stripped before gaining possession – Bahr was successful on a 34-yard field goal try.

Another good kickoff return of 28 yards by Hall once again gave Cleveland good field position and the Browns made the most of it as Sipe threw to Newsome for seven yards and then to HB Calvin Hill for 30. On a third-and-seven play, Sipe threw to Dave Logan for a 16-yard touchdown and 20-6 lead.

The Steelers, down by 14 points, came back on a drive highlighted by a sensational catch by Cunningham for a 10-yard gain, another Bradshaw throw to WR Lynn Swann for 17 yards, back to Cunningham for 20, and throws to Bleier and Harris that picked up a total of 15 yards. The 76-yard series ended with a short scoring throw to Harris. It was 20-13 at halftime.

The Browns put together a scoring series in the third quarter. Sipe threw to Logan for gains of 20 and 18 yards and to Reggie Rucker for 18. On a third-and-18 play at the Pittsburgh 33, Sipe connected with Logan for 23 yards to the 10. The possession ended with Sipe’s three-yard scoring pass to Hill.

Pittsburgh again fought back with an 89-yard drive in 10 plays. A third down was converted with a Bradshaw pass to TE Randy Grossman for 47 yards. Harris scored for the Steelers from a yard out on the first play of the fourth quarter.

Pittsburgh’s defense forced the Browns to punt on the next series and it seemed as though the momentum was with the Steelers. However, the Browns got breaks when they recovered a fumble by Harris, who was stripped by SS Clarence Scott after picking up eight yards, and then Jack Lambert kept Cleveland’s ensuing drive alive by roughing Sipe on a third down play. It resulted in a field goal of 40 yards by Cockroft that put the Browns ahead by ten points.

Down by 30-20, the Steelers fought back and had a first down on the one yard line when Bradshaw was sacked. But they came back to score a touchdown on a three-yard run by Harris that, with Bahr’s extra point, made it a three-point contest.

On their ensuing possession, the Browns got a first down at midfield thanks to a face mask penalty on LB Robin Cole. However, DE L.C. Greenwood, who had an unofficial 4.5 sacks on the day (individual sacks were not officially compiled until 1982), combined with DT Steve Furness to dump Sipe shortly thereafter to force a punt. WR Theo Bell returned it 27 yards to the 50 to set up Pittsburgh’s drive to the tying points. Bahr kicked a 21-yard field goal to knot the game with 24 seconds left in regulation.

In overtime, Mel Blount and Ron Bolton both had interceptions. The game turned on a Cleveland decision to accept an illegal motion penalty on the Steelers in a second-and-ten situation. Rather than facing third-and-nine, it was second-and-fifteen, giving Pittsburgh an extra down. It proved significant when, on third down, Bradshaw took off on a 28-yard scramble to the Cleveland 38. Five plays later, Bahr booted the game-winning field goal from 37 yards with just nine seconds remaining in the extra period. Pittsburgh won by a final score of 33-30.

The Steelers led in total yards (606 to 345) and first downs (36 to 22) – indeed, Pittsburgh’s yardage total was the second-highest in club history at the time and the 36 first downs were a new franchise record. The edge was particularly notable in the ground game as Pittsburgh accumulated 255 rushing yards to Cleveland’s 62. But the Steelers also hurt themselves by turning the ball over three times (to one by the Browns) and committing 10 penalties at a cost of 95 yards (as opposed to Cleveland’s 8 for 65 yards). However, they also sacked Brian Sipe seven times, including three in the fourth quarter alone.

Terry Bradshaw completed 30 of 44 passes for 364 yards and a touchdown with one intercepted – he also ran the ball three times for 43 yards. Franco Harris rushed for 151 yards on 32 carries with two TDs and caught a career-high 9 passes for 81 yards and another score. Rocky Bleier contributed 10 carries for 61 yards and pulled in 7 passes for 45 more yards. WR John Stallworth caught 6 passes for 75 yards. Rookie Matt Bahr kicked four field goals in five attempts.

For the Browns, Brian Sipe (pictured below) was successful on 23 of 38 throws for 333 yards with three touchdowns and an interception and was also the team’s leading rusher with 30 yards on three carries. Dave Logan topped the receivers with 7 catches for 135 yards and a TD.

“This was more satisfying than blowing them out,” said Terry Bradshaw. “It has to be the most gratifying win of the year. Let that stuff about the mighty Steelers and all of that garbage die. We’re in a tough division. We could have given up several times and said the defense wasn’t playing well, but we kept coming back.”

“It was a very demanding game,” added an exhausted Franco Harris. “We had no big plays. It was nothing but long drives. That takes a lot out of you.”

“This was one of the toughest games I’ve ever played in,” said a dejected DE Lyle Alzado from the Cleveland side. “This was the toughest one to lose, too.”

The win put the Steelers in a first place tie atop the division with Houston while Cleveland fell two games back. Ultimately, Pittsburgh went on to win the AFC Central with a 12-4 record and defeat the Rams in the Super Bowl – the fourth such win since 1974. The Browns defeated the Oilers the next week but lost their remaining two contests to finish in third at 9-7.

Terry Bradshaw placed second in the league by averaging 7.9 yards per attempt, third with 3724 passing yards and fourth with 26 TD passes, although his 25 interceptions ranked second. He ended up with a fourth championship under his belt and was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time.

Franco Harris rushed for 1186 yards on 267 carries (4.4 avg.) and 11 touchdowns. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth straight year.

Brian Sipe placed second in passing yards (3793) and tied for first in TD passes (28, along with New England’s Steve Grogan). However, reflecting his gambling style of play, he also led the NFL with 26 interceptions.

In his first NFL season, Matt Bahr (pictured below) was successful on 18 of 30 field goal attempts (60 %) and led the league with 50 extra points in 52 tries. He played one more year with the Steelers but lasted a total of 17 seasons – 8.5 of them with the Browns.

1985: Sipe Rallies Bulls Past Gamblers

The 1985 United States Football League season had been a rough one for Jacksonville Bulls QB Brian Sipe as he prepared to take the field on May 20 against the Houston Gamblers. Sipe, once the NFL’s Most Valuable Player with the Cleveland Browns in 1980, had been signed to the USFL by the New Jersey Generals in ’84, and was unceremoniously dumped off to the Bulls after Heisman Trophy-winner Doug Flutie signed with the Generals for 1985. Taking over as starting quarterback for Jacksonville, he had suffered a severe shoulder separation in the season-opening game and Ed Luther had been behind center as the team got off to a 6-6 start.

Head Coach Lindy Infante’s team had a fine tandem of wide receivers in Alton Alexis and Perry Kemp and also benefited from the presence of RB Mike Rozier, who had spent his rookie season in ’84 with the Pittsburgh Maulers. The defense was improved due to the play of DE Keith Millard and LB Vaughan Johnson.

The Week 13 opponents, the Gamblers, were coached by Jack Pardee and boasted the USFL’s most explosive offense, led by second-year QB Jim Kelly. However, after being well-supported by the Houston fans in their inaugural ’84 season, the announced move to the fall for 1986 significantly dampened attendance during 1985.

For the Monday night game, there were just 17,127 in attendance at the Astrodome – the crowd was especially disappointing since there was a promotion in which, if there were at least 40,000 present, a selected fan would win a $1 million annuity ($10,000 if there were at least 35,000).

Houston nevertheless started off the scoring in electrifying fashion as WR Gerald McNeil returned a punt 49 yards down the middle of the field for a TD. The Bulls drove to the Houston one yard line but two penalties and a sack of Sipe forced them to settle for a field goal. Brian Franco was successful from 29 yards and the score was 7-3 after a quarter of play.

Toni Fritsch added a 44-yard field goal for the Gamblers at just over five minutes into the second quarter and Kelly connected with slotback Richard Johnson for a 15-yard touchdown. Late in the first half, the Bulls drove to the Houston 23, helped along by two pass interference penalties, but SS Luther Bradley intercepted a Sipe pass to end the threat with 10 seconds remaining.

Houston was ahead by 17-3 at the half, but the Bulls took control in the third quarter. The defense allowed the high-powered Gamblers to gain just four net yards while holding the ball for a total of 4:35 during the entire period.

Meanwhile, Sipe threw two TD passes during the period. The first covered 22 yards to Alexis and the second came just over two minutes later on a five-yard toss to RB Larry Mason. With 40 seconds left in the quarter, Franco kicked a 27-yard field goal and it proved to be the winning margin.

Houston did threaten once more during the fourth quarter, driving to the Jacksonville 30, but RB Todd Fowler fumbled the ball away with just under six minutes remaining in the contest, LB Terry Beeson recovering for the Bulls. Jacksonville hung on for the 20-17 win.

The Bulls had more first downs (19 to 15) although Houston had more total yards (331 to 309), but only 19 yards on 12 carries came on the ground. Jacksonville had a better-balanced attack and led significantly in time of possession (36:27 to 23:33). The Gamblers turned the ball over three times and were penalized on nine occasions while the Bulls turned the ball over just once.

Brian Sipe completed 14 of 32 passes for 191 yards with two TDs and an interception. Mike Rozier led the Bulls with 86 yards on 20 carries, putting him over a thousand yards for the year (he ended up second in the USFL with 1361). Perry Kemp caught 4 passes for 82 yards.

Jim Kelly had a rough outing against Jacksonville’s defense, completing 23 of 39 passes for 312 yards while being twice intercepted and sacked five times. Gerald McNeil had 5 pass receptions for 65 yards, WR Scott McGhee added 5 for 65 yards, and Richard Johnson contributed 63 yards on his four catches. Todd Fowler was Houston’s leading ground gainer with just 14 yards on 5 attempts, and had the costly fumble late in the contest.

 “This is my first game back and I am still getting fully integrated into the offense,” said Sipe. “But they pay me to put wins in the win column, so I’m going to just sneak out of here and grin all the way back to Jacksonville.”

“They had a real good defensive line,” said Jack Pardee about the Bulls. “They came with four men for the most part and put a lot of heat on our passer.”

Jacksonville ended up with a 9-9 record that placed sixth in the Eastern Conference. Houston made the playoffs by finishing third in the Western Conference at 10-8, although the Gamblers lost in the first round of the postseason for the second straight year.

The come-from-behind win proved to be a last hurrah for Brian Sipe, who suffered another injury and ended up completing just 55 of 89 passes for 685 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in what ended up being his final pro season. 

1980: Sipe & Pruitt Propel Browns Past Bears

There was a big crowd of 83,224 present at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium on November 3, 1980 for a Monday night game between the host Browns and Chicago Bears. Hopes were high for the Browns, coached by pass-oriented Sam Rutigliano, who were riding a three-game winning streak coming into the contest, overcoming a slow 2-3 start and giving them an overall record of 5-3. The key to the offense was 31-year-old QB Brian Sipe (pictured at right), who had slowly developed into a daring and exciting passer capable of pulling games out in the final minutes. FB Mike Pruitt provided power and pass receiving ability out of the backfield, and the receiving corps of TE Ozzie Newsome and wide receivers Dave Logan and Reggie Rucker was reliable.

Meanwhile the Bears, coached by Neill Armstrong, were 3-5 after losing at Philadelphia the week before. The offense was heavily dependent on RB Walter Payton, who had led the NFC in rushing in each of the past four seasons (and the entire NFL once, in 1977) and came into the game against the Browns ranked third. QB Vince Evans, who had taken over for ineffective veteran Mike Phipps, was mobile and could throw long. The defense was typically rugged and had given up a total of just 37 points over the previous four games.

A steady rain was falling throughout the contest. Following a three-and-out possession by the Bears to start the game, the Browns scored the first time they had the ball, moving from their 41 yard line to the Chicago 14, but a penalty wiped out an apparent scoring pass to Rucker and they settled for a 23-yard field goal by Don Cockroft.

The Browns again drove into Chicago territory, but LB Jerry Muckensturm intercepted a Sipe pass at the 17. However, the Cleveland defense stifled the Bears in the first half - Chicago didn’t get its initial first down of the game until six minutes into the second quarter.

Sipe, who wasn’t sharp in the first half, was intercepted a second time in Bears territory. It snuffed out a promising drive, as CB Len Walterscheid picked off the pass at the 14. The Bears were unable to capitalize when Bob Thomas missed a 35-yard field goal attempt. The Browns took over with 3:22 on the clock and put together a nine-play, 80-yard drive in which Sipe completed four passes and HB Greg Pruitt had a 15-yard run. Sipe finished it off by throwing to Rucker, who made a shoestring catch for a four-yard touchdown with 57 seconds remaining in the half.

Cleveland had only a 10-0 lead at halftime despite dominating the Bears in the first half, with 241 yards and 18 first downs to Chicago’s 62 yards and two first downs.

The Browns took the second half kickoff and drove 56 yards in 14 plays. However, after getting a first-and-goal on the nine, on third-and-seven Sipe was sacked by DE Mike Hartenstine for a 16-yard loss and Cockroft ended up kicking a second field goal from 42 yards through the rain and swirling wind.

Still in the third quarter, the Bears finally got on the board. Evans threw to TE Robin Earl for a 24-yard gain, ran for 12 yards, and then finished off the seven-play, 54-yard drive with a seven-yard scoring run with 1:10 left in the period. The Bears were also helped along the way by a late hit call on Browns SS Clarence Scott.

The Browns were forced to punt on their next series, but it was a good one by Johnny Evans that traveled 56 yards and gave the Bears the ball on their own 18. The Bears again moved down the field, but Vince Evans was intercepted by CB Ron Bolton at the Cleveland 16. The Browns then drove 84 yards in 13 plays, capped by Mike Pruitt scoring from a yard out midway through the fourth quarter.

Chicago fought back, however, as Evans threw to WR Brian Baschnagel for a 17-yard TD three minutes later, again making it a six-point game. Following a 24-yard kickoff return by HB Dino Hall, the Browns took over at their own 35. Mike Pruitt ran for five yards and then Sipe threw to Rucker for four.

With the Bears defense massed at the line of scrimmage to stop the run, Pruitt took a pitchout and swept around the right side on a third-and-one play from his own 44, broke a tackle, received an outstanding block from WR Willis Adams, and then had nothing but open field as he ran 56 yards for a touchdown with 3:35 left on the clock.

Pruitt’s long scoring run effectively put the Browns out of reach. The Bears went 70 yards in 10 plays on their next drive and Evans threw a touchdown pass of six yards to Earl with 37 seconds to play, but the ensuing onside kick was recovered by the Browns to extinguish any remaining threat. Cleveland came away with a 27-21 win.

The Browns significantly outgained Chicago (432 yards to 275) and had more first downs (31 to 20). The defense did a good job of keeping the Bears in the game, in particular sacking Sipe – who had been sacked only six times in the previous games – a total of three times for 36 yards in losses. The Browns were hindered by the loss of OT Doug Dieken to a knee injury early in the contest.


Brian Sipe spread the ball around to eight different receivers as he completed 23 of 39 passes for 298 yards with a TD and two interceptions. Ozzie Newsome led the receivers with 5 catches for 97 yards. Mike Pruitt ran the ball 27 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

For the Bears, Vince Evans was successful on 18 of 33 throws for 201 yards with two touchdowns and one intercepted. The Cleveland defense held Walter Payton to 30 yards on 11 carries, and he carried only twice in the second half, although he co-led the club with 5 pass receptions, for 31 yards. Robin Earl also caught 5 passes and gained 63 yards with a TD.

The Browns continued to play well the rest of the way and won the AFC Central title with an 11-5 record. They lost a heartbreaker in the Divisional playoff round against the Raiders. Chicago continued to play inconsistently and finished at 7-9 and in third place in the NFC Central.

Brian Sipe had a career year as he led the league in passing (91.4 rating) and lowest percentage of interceptions (2.5) while ranking second in pass attempts (554), completions (337), yards (4132), and TD passes (30, tied with San Diego’s Dan Fouts and Vince Ferragamo of the Rams). He was named MVP by the Associated Press, Pro Football Writers of America, and The Sporting News, was a consensus first-team All-NFL selection, and was named to the Pro Bowl.

Mike Pruitt ranked eighth in the NFL with 1034 yards on 249 carries (4.2 avg.) and scored six touchdowns; he also led Cleveland with 63 pass receptions. Despite being stymied by the Browns, Walter Payton led the NFC in rushing for a fifth straight year with 1460 yards on 317 attempts (4.6 avg.) and six TDs, although the mobile Vince Evans led the club with 8 rushing touchdowns. Like Pruitt, Payton also led his team in pass receiving with 46 catches for 367 yards.

MVP Profile: Brian Sipe, 1980

Quarterback, Cleveland Browns



Age: 31
9th season in pro football (7th active) & with Browns
College: San Diego State
Height: 6’1” Weight: 195

Prelude:
Unheralded coming out of college, Sipe was taken by the Browns in the 13th round of the 1972 NFL draft and was a member of the practice squad for two seasons before moving up to backup behind Mike Phipps in ’74, when he saw his first regular season pro action. Beating out Phipps for the starting job in 1976, he developed into a clutch performer and in ’79 led the “Kardiac Kids” to seven game-winning drives in the 4th quarter while leading the NFL in both TD passes (28) and, reflecting his gambling style of play, interceptions (26).

1980 Season Summary
Appeared in and started all 16 games
[Bracketed numbers indicate league rank in Top 20]

Passing
Attempts – 554 [2]
Most attempts, game – 46 vs. Pittsburgh 10/26
Completions – 337 [2]
Most completions, game – 30 vs. NY Jets 12/7
Yards – 4132 [2]
Most yards, game – 391 vs. Green Bay 10/19
Completion percentage – 60.8 [3]
Yards per attempt – 7.5 [8]
TD passes – 30 [2, tied with Dan Fouts & Vince Ferragamo, 1st in AFC]
Most TD passes, game – 4 vs. Pittsburgh 10/26, vs. Cincinnati 11/23
Interceptions – 14
Most interceptions, game – 2 vs. Chicago 11/3, at Cincinnati 12/21
Passer rating – 91.4 [1]
300-yard passing games – 6
200-yard passing games – 13

Rushing
Attempts – 20
Most attempts, game - 5 (for 0 yds.) vs. NY Jets 12/7
Yards – 55
Most yards, game – 33 yards (on 2 carries) vs. Green Bay 10/19
Yards per attempt – 2.8
TDs – 1

Scoring
TDs – 1
Points – 6

Postseason: 1 G (AFC Divisional playoff vs. Oakland)
Pass attempts – 40
Pass completions – 13
Passing yardage – 183
TD passes – 0
Interceptions – 3

Rushing attempts – 6
Rushing yards – 13
Average gain rushing – 2.2
Rushing TDs – 0

Awards & Honors:
NFL MVP: AP, PFWA, Sporting News
1st team All-NFL: AP, PFWA, NEA, Pro Football Weekly, Sporting News
1st team All-AFC: UPI, Pro Football Weekly
Pro Bowl

Browns went 11-5 to win the AFC Central, were the conference’s second-seeded team in the playoffs, and ranked second in the NFL in passing offense (3915 yards). Lost to Oakland Raiders in AFC Divisional playoff (14-12).

Aftermath:
Both Sipe and the team collapsed in 1981, the quarterback throwing for 3876 yards, but with only 17 TD passes against a league-leading 25 interceptions. Another off-year in ’82 was followed by a good season in 1983 in which Sipe passed for 3566 yards with a 58.7 completion percentage, 26 TDs, and 23 INTs. He moved on to the USFL, signing with the New Jersey Generals for the ’84 spring season. With the arrival of heralded rookie QB Doug Flutie in 1985, Sipe was dealt to the Jacksonville Bulls where he was injured and ended up backing up Ed Luther in his final pro season. Overall, for his career he threw for 26,938 yards (23,713 in the NFL, 3225 USFL) with 175 TDs (154 NFL, 21 USFL) against 166 interceptions (149 NFL, 17 USFL).

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MVP Profiles feature players who were named MVP or Player of the Year in the NFL, AAFC (1946-49), AFL (1960-69), WFL (1974), or USFL (1983-85) by a recognized organization (Associated Press, Pro Football Writers Association, Newspaper Enterprise Association, United Press International, The Sporting News, Maxwell Club – Bert Bell Award, or the league itself).

[Updated 2/15/14]
[Updated 11/28/14]

1981: Raiders Intercept Sipe Pass in End Zone to Win AFC Divisional Playoff

The field was icy and the wind chill factor was minus 38 degrees below zero in Cleveland on January 4, 1981 as the Browns hosted the Oakland Raiders in an AFC Divisional playoff game at Municipal Stadium. Snow rimmed the field and gusty winds added to the difficulties encountered, wreaking havoc on the passing and kicking games as well as the ground game with the poor footing.

The Browns, under Head Coach Sam Rutigliano, had won the AFC Central with an 11-5 record (the Houston Oilers had the same record but ended up a wild card team due to Cleveland’s better conference record). Along the way, they became known as the “Kardiac Kids” for having won six games during the 1980 season in the last minute; 24 of their 32 games over a two year span had been decided in the final two minutes of play. QB Brian Sipe was the NFL’s top-rated passer (91.4) and achieved career highs in completions (337), yards (4132), touchdowns (30), and completion percentage (60.8). RB Mike Pruitt led the team in both rushing (1034 yards) and pass receptions (63) while the starting receivers (wide receivers Dave Logan and Reggie Rucker and tight end Ozzie Newsome) combined for 154 catches and 2184 yards.

The Oakland Raiders had finished second in the AFC West at 11-5 (San Diego won the division on net points) under Head Coach Tom Flores. They had started slowly and were 2-3 after a Week 5 game in which newly acquired QB Dan Pastorini went down for the season with a leg injury. QB Jim Plunkett had been waived by the 49ers before the 1978 season and been an afterthought on Oakland’s bench for two years, but now his fading career was rejuvenated. He led the Raiders to six straight victories and a 9-2 record for the rest of the ’80 regular season. They soundly defeated the Oilers in the Wild Card playoff the week before, 27-7.

Neither offense was able to move in the first quarter, trading punts and maneuvering for field position. The Browns got the first major break of the day midway through the second quarter when CB Ron Bolton intercepted a Plunkett pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown. Don Cockroft’s extra point attempt was blocked by Oakland LB Ted Hendricks. The Raiders responded on their next possession by driving 64 yards and scoring on a one-yard TD by FB Mark van Eeghen; they were successful in converting the PAT and went in at halftime with a 7-6 lead.

Cleveland converted two 30-yard field goals by Cockroft in the third quarter to stake themselves to a 12-7 margin going into the fourth quarter. Oakland launched a 12-play drive of 80 yards that resulted in another van Eeghen touchdown from a yard out to re-take the lead in the fourth quarter.

It appeared that the Raiders had the game sewn up shortly after the score when they recovered a Sipe fumble at the Cleveland 25 yard line. However, with fourth-and-inches at the 15 they chose to pass up a field goal attempt; van Eeghen was stopped short, and the Browns had the ball back with 2:22 left on the clock.

The Browns fans came alive as the “Kardiac Kids” began to drive down the field. Sipe hit Newsome for a 29-yard gain. The Raiders were flagged for pass interference, and then Mike Pruitt ran for 14 yards. With less than a minute now remaining in the game, Cleveland had a second down at the Oakland 13 yard line.

The choice for the Browns was, play it safe and set up for a potential game-winning field goal, or go for the touchdown. While the steady veteran Cockroft had kicked two field goals, he had also missed two, as well as having had his only extra point attempt blocked. Coach Rutigliano elected to try for a pass into the end zone and instructed Sipe to throw it away if no one was open.

As the play developed, Sipe’s primary receiver was Logan, but for a moment he saw Newsome appear to break free across the middle of the end zone. The pass was held up by the wind, long enough for strong safety Mike Davis to recover and intercept it in front of the tight end (pictured above). With 41 seconds left, the Browns had run out of come-from-behind dramatics, and Oakland was the winner by a 14-12 score.

“I should have thrown it into Lake Erie,” said a disappointed Sipe afterward.

Neither offense excelled statistically under the harsh weather conditions. The Raiders averaged just two yards a carry running the ball (38 attempts for 76 yards) and Jim Plunkett completed only 14 of 30 passes for 149 yards with two interceptions. Mark van Eeghen was the leader of the stunted running game, with 20 carries for 45 yards and the two scores. HB Kenny King had the most receptions (4, for 14 yards) while TE Raymond Chester accumulated the most receiving yards with 64 on three catches.

The Browns were no better off, as they ran for 85 yards on 27 carries with Mike Pruitt gaining 48 yards on 13 attempts. Brian Sipe completed 13 of 40 throws for 183 yards and three interceptions. Ozzie Newsome snagged a team-leading four passes, for 51 yards, while HB Greg Pruitt gained the most yards through the air (54 on three receptions).

Oakland went on to become the first wild card team to win a Super Bowl, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles, 27-10. Cleveland declined to 5-11 in ’81, made it into the expanded postseason tournament following the strike-shortened 1982 season with a 4-5 record, and didn’t return to the playoffs again until 1985. Sam Rutigliano and Brian Sipe were both gone by that point (the coach was fired during the ’84 season, and the quarterback jumped to the USFL) as was the legacy of the “Kardiac Kids” of 1980.