The live-on-the-edge Browns’ Kardiac Kids teams seemed to go by one and only one mantra: That is, no matter how far ahead they got, or how good they looked, they always managed to let the other team catch up, and no matter how far behind they fell, or how bad they looked, they were always able to catch up.

Though no one knew it then, that axiom – at least the last part of it – was in full evidence for the first time on this day 37 years ago, Sept. 10, 1978, against the Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Stadium.

In just their second game under head coach Sam Rutigliano – that is, in just their second game of what is considered the Kardiac Kids era – they rallied to win 13-10 in overtime on Don Cockroft’s 27-yard field goal four minutes into the extra period.

The Browns trailed 10-0 in the third quarter and were doing absolutely nothing offensively. It looked hopeless.

They finally got on the board later in that quarter on Cockroft’s 32-yard field goal and then tied it 10-10 on quarterback Brian Sipe’s 13-yard pass to wide receiver Reggie Rucker with 10 minutes left in regulation.

The Bengals had a chance to win it as time expired, but Chris Bahr, whose brother, Matt, would begin an 8½-year career with the Browns three seasons later, missed a 37-yard field-goal try as time expired.

The Browns had improved to 2-0, but more importantly, they showed that they were at the best in the most trying of circumstances.

By Steve King