Editor’s note: The following, about the contest against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 16 at Three Rivers Stadium, is the 11th in a series of stories on the games that made up the Browns’ 1980 Kardiac Kids season. This is the 35th anniversary of that memorable year.
Now NFL officials let offenses run pick plays in their passing attack as much as they like.
That is, as long as the pickers do what basketball players must do when they set a pick – that is, just use their body frame, and not their arms extended outward, to shield off defenders.
But back in the day, trying to pick off a defender got you flagged 15 yards for offensive pass interference.
When the refs saw it and/or decided to call.
And the officials didn’t call it – or perhaps they didn’t see it — 35 years ago today, on Nov. 16, 1980 at Three Rivers Stadium.
As such, it cost the Browns a hard-fought – and extremely disappointing — 16-13 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh got the game-winning touchdown with just 11 seconds left when Terry Bradshaw threw a three-yard pass to wide receiver Lynn Swann, who broke free when a fellow Steeler screened cornerback Ron Bolton. Bolton complained long and hard to the officials, but to no avail.
It was the 11th straight loss to the Steelers at Three Rivers since the place opened in 1970. It also halted the Browns’ five-game winning streak on the season and put their record at 7-4, dropping them into a second-place tie with Pittsburgh in the AFC Central, a game behind the Houston Oilers (8-3).
But it looked for a long time that the determined Browns, who had defeated Pittsburgh 27-26 at Cleveland three weeks earlier, were going to break The Three Rivers Jinx.
They led 13-7 at halftime on two Brian Sipe touchdown passes, a four-yarder to tight end Ozzie Newsome and a 15-yarder to wide receiver Dave Logan. They failed to convert the first extra-point attempt because of a bad snap.
Though the Browns remained scoreless for the rest of the game, they were able to carry that six-point lead into the fourth quarter before the Steelers began to chip away at it.
First, Johnny Evans took an intentional safety instead of trying to punt out of the end zone and possibly having it blocked, or perhaps shanking it and giving the hosts great field position.
In any event, that made it 13-9, setting the stage for Pittsburgh to stick a pick – and a loss – onto the Browns.
Mike Pruitt rushed for 55 yards and caught five passes for 49 yards, both team highs for the Browns. Greg Pruitt had four receptions for 40 yards.
Sipe was 15 of 34 passing for 178 yards with an interception to go along with his two TDs.
The Browns intercepted Bradshaw four times, but when it counted most in the waning seconds, they got picked instead of getting a pick.
Next: A rare rout.
