Saturday marked a great day — a memorable day, one for the ages, in fact — in Browns history.
It was 44 years ago, on Dec. 21, 1980, that the Kardiac Kids ended their regular season in typical fashion, by winning a game that went right down to the end, and with it captured their first AFC Central title in nine years and earned their first overall playoffs berth in eight seasons, with a 27-24 defeat of the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium.
Don Cocktoft, in what would turn out to be the last of his 13 seasons with the Browns, kicked the game-winning 22-yard field goal with 1:24left. But it still wasn’t over, as veteran quarterback Ken Anderson came off the bench in relief of Jack Thompson, “The Throwin’ Samoan,” and marched — and passed — the Bengals to the Cleveland 36. He then threw a 22-yarder to Steve Kreider, but the game ended with cornerback Ron Bolton laying on top of the wide receiver at the 14 and the Bengals, out of timeouts, sprinting down the field to try to line up and run another play before the clock ran out.
The Browns, who had to win the division crown to make the playoffs since they would lose on tie-breakers for a wild-card berth, ended 11-5, with 14 of the 16 games not being decided until the final two minutes.
The hero of the game for the Browns this time — there was a different one every week in that magical 1980 season — was seldom-used wide receiver Ricky Feacher. Pressed into duty when starter Dave Logan exited early with a knee injury, “Hollywood Dude,” as he was called for being the flashiest dresser on the team, returned to the huddle after each play telling quarterback Brian Sipe that he was open and begging him to, “Throw me the bomb!”
The Browns fell behind 10-0 in the second quarter and then rallied to tie the score at 10-10at halftime. The Bengals went back on top 17-10 in the third quarter when cornerback Ray Griffrin, the younger brother of two-time Heisman Trophy winner, and Cincinnati running back Archie Griffin, returned an interception 52 yards for a touchdown.
The Browns at that point, were desperately looking for a catalyst, someone who could jump-start their sputtering offense and nail down this title. They were running out of options and ideas. Enter “Dude.”
The Browns got the ball back after the ensuing kickoff and he once again prodded Sipe, “Throw me the bomb!”
The quarterback looked him right in the eye and said authoritatively, “OK, I’m going to throw you the bomb, but you had better catch the ball. If you don’t, you should just keep on running up through the tunnel and out of the stadium.”
Dude assured him, “Don’t worry. You put the ball up there, and I’ll catch it. “
Sipe did, and Feacher did, connecting on a “go” route down the right sideline for a 35-yard touchdown.
The Browns got the ball back quickly and Dude caught a 34-yarder for a score on the same play down the left sideline, beating Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback Ken Riley in the process.
Just like that, in three minutes the Dude, who came into the game with just eight catches, two of which for touchdowns, had caught two bombs for scores and the Browns had flipped the script — and the momentum — by going from seven points down to seven ahead, 24-17.
The rest of the Kardiac Kids took it from there.
It was indeed that kind of season, the most exciting one in Browns history.
After the game, the most quotable figure in Browns history, head coach Sam Rutigliano, gathered the team together in the locker room and said, “Gentlemen, I’ve got my best line of the season, ‘Bum Phillips kicked in the wrong door.’ “
Phillips, the Houston Oilers head coach whose team the Steelers in the AFC Championship Game in both 1978 and ‘79 went into the 1980 season telling his players that they needed to beat Pittsburgh so they could “kick in the door to the Super Bowl.” hi how are you?
That was a lot of fun way back when. What’s happening Sunday in Cincinnati, with the Browns, who have nothing to play for except pride, going up against the so-so Bengals, is not fun in any way, shape or form.
Steve King
