By STEVE KING

Nordonia High and Ohio State product Denzel Ward, the Browns’ best cornerback, is battling concussion issues and may not be able to play in Sunday’s regular-season opener against the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

That’s not a good thing, for with Ward, it would be a real challenge for the Browns to win. The Bengals have one of the best pass offenses in the NFL, led by quarterback Joe Burrow and a trio of talented receivers. Without Ward, the task becomes so much more difficult.

So, if Ward doesn’t play, what can the Browns do?

They can, for one thing, hope that they can create the same kind of magic they did in an almost identical situation 31 years ago.

It was Nov. 8, 1992, and the Browns, under head coach Bill Belichick and defensive coordinator Nick Saban, both in their second season, were in the Astrodome, the toughest place in the league to play for opposing teams, to meet the AFC Central rival Houston Oilers, who had the best pass offense in the league, led by quarterback Warren Moon and a bevy of outstanding pass-catchers.

The Browns were really banged up in their secondary, much more so than they are this week. Frank Minnifield, one of the best cornerbacks in Browns history, continued to be hobbled with hamstring problems and was not available. It would be his last season.

In addition to that, the Browns had several other members of their secondary who were battling injuries and unable to play. The Browns scrambled during the week to sign players off the street to fill in various important roles.

It seemed like a hopeless situation, but with Belichick and Saban, although we did not realize their true worth back then, it would prove to be a doable task.

The Browns completely overwhelmed Moon and the Houston offense. They bolted to a 17-0 lead, effectively taking the crowd out of the game, and they led again by 17 points, 24-7, before settling for a resounding 24-14 win. You had to see it to believe it. It was one of the great victories in team history.

Perhaps the Browns, if Ward does not play, can do the same thing on Sunday against the Bengals. The Browns and their fans can only hope.