The Browns marched into 1980, Sam Rutigliano‘s third season as head coach, with all kinds of confidence.

And well they should have. Everything was moving in a positive direction for them.

This was going to be the season
they had anticipated since Coach Sam was hired and began retooling the team.

They would have the same quick starts they had had in 1978 and ‘79. Only this time, they were going to play better in the middle of the season, when they were up and down those two years, and way better at the end, when they struggled mightily, the latter of which caused them to just miss the AFC playoffs.

The Browns were a trendy pick nationally. The thought was that after finishing 8-8 and then 9-7, they were going to take the next step — and possibly also two or three or four more steps on top of that — and get into the postseason for the first time in eight years.

OK!

HERE . . . WE . . . GO . . . BROWNIES . . . HERE . . . WE . . . GO!!!!!!!

But to where?

Steve King