There have been a lot of points scored in games between the Browns and San Diego Chargers down through the years. With the two teams preparing to meet again on Sunday at San Diego, let’s take a look at one of those contests.
The Browns saved their best for last in that memorable 1986 regular season, rolling past the Chargers 47-17 in the finale on Dec. 21 at Cleveland Stadium.
The Browns hadn’t scored more points in a game in exactly 20 years, when they defeated the New York Giants 49-40 on Dec. 4, 1966 at Cleveland. They also scored 47 points in a 47-13 rout of the Philadelphia Eagles on Nov. 24, 1968.
The Browns went into the game against San Diego having already clinched home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs, but they wanted to put an exclamation point behind what had been a great regular season. And they did just that in winning their fifth straight to improve their record to 12-4 and earn their most victories since moving to the NFL in 1950.
They led 14-0 in the second quarter on a 46-yard halfback-option touchdown pass from Herman Fontenot to wide receiver Webster Slaughter, and Kevin Mack’s two-yard TD run.
After the Chargers had narrowed their deficit to 14-10 later in the second quarter, the Browns scored 23 unanswered points to gain a 37-10 advantage heading into the fourth quarter and blow the game wide open. Bernie Kosar threw two TD passes, a 57-yarder to wideout Brian Brennan and a one-yarder to tight end Harry Holt, Fontenot ran nine yards for a score and Mark Moseley kicked a 37-yard field goal.
Then for good measure, Cleveland scored two more times on a two-yard TD run by Curtis Dickey and Moseley’s 32-yard field goal.
Kosar threw for 258 yards and the two TDs with no interceptions. Cleveland had 357 yards passing overall.
Brennan caught seven passes for a whopping 176 yards, one of the highest totals in team history. Slaughter added four receptions for 64 yards.
The Browns amassed 462 total yards.
All in all, it was a great way for the club to go into the playoffs.
