EDITOR’S NOTE: Back in the day, there was a term called “a Kodak moment,” which meant that there was a scene so great that it just had to be captured on camera, and the most popular brand at the time was Kodak. In lieu of former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar‘s recent disclosure that he is facing several challenging health issues, we have come up with some Kosar moments to tell the story of his iconic 8 1/2-year career with the Browns from 1985 to midway through the 1993 season. This is Part 5 of that series.


By STEVE KING

Bernie Kosar has never met a pass he didn’t like.

And he has never met a long pass he didn’t love.

That was the case when he was playing at Boardman High School in the Youngstown area.

It was the case when he was playing for the University of Miami.

It continued to be the case when he was playing for the Browns.

He wasn’t shy about proclaiming that, either. Anyone who knew him, knew that.

And, to be honest, it’s still the case today deep into his retirement, 30 years since he last played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins.

Such was the case in the week leading up to the Browns’ big matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals in the next-to-last game of the regular season on Dec. 14, 1986 at Riverfront Stadium.

The Browns were 10-4 and had a one-game lead over the 9-5 Bengals in the AFC Central. If the Browns won, then they would clinch their second straight division title. But if the Bengals won — and there’s was good reason to believe that was well within the realm of possibility since they beat up the Browns both physically and on the scoreboard in a 30-13 blowout victory on Thursday Night Football in the teams’ first meeting three months earlier at Cleveland — then they would have pulled into a first-place tie with just one game to play and would hold the first tie-breaker, head-to-head meetings, by virtue of having captured the season series.

On Monday of game week, just 24 hours after the red-hot Browns won their third straight and sixth in seven tries by defeating the host Buffalo Bills 21-17, Kosar went to see head coach Marty Schottenheimer in his office at the team’s in-season headquarters at what was then known as Baldwin-Wallace College.

“Let’s throw the bomb on the first play on Sunday,” the second-year pro said.

“I’ll think about it, said Schottenheimer, who was in his second full season as head coach.

On Tuesday, as the coaches huddled to put the game plan together, Kosar went to Schottenheimer and said, “Let’s throw the bomb on the first play on Sunday.”

“I’ll think about it,” the coach said.

On Wednesday, when the bulk of the game plan would be installed as practice resumed, Kosar went to the coach and said, “Let’s throw the bomb on the first play on Sunday.”

“I’ll think about it,” Schottenheimer said.

On Thursday, as most of the rest of the game plan would be implemented, Kosar said once again to the coach, “Let’s throw the bomb on the first play on Sunday.”

And once again the coach said to his franchise quarterback, “I’ll think about it.”

Then on Friday, as the Browns were getting ready to install the last few pieces of the game plan as they completed preparations, Kosar sought out Schottenheimer and said to him, “Let’s throw the bomb on the first play on Sunday.”

The coach replied, “I’ve thought about it, and yes, we can do that.”

Kosar was thrilled beyond belief. He felt the Cincinnati secondary was vulnerable, especially in passes thrown over their heads, and he wanted to attack them right from the get-go.

There was just one change. After Kosar, Schottenheimer and offensive coordinator Lindy Infsnte conferred, it was determined that the Browns would throw the bomb on the second play, using the first play to run the ball up the middle to set up the Bengals for the pass.

On second and nine from the Cleveland 33, Kosar retreated and hit streaking wide receiver Reggie Langhorne in stride down the right sideline for 66 yards, finally getting pushed out of bounds at the Cincinnati 1. Two plays later, Kevin Mack had the first of his two one-yard touchdown runs on the day and the rout was on. The Browns went to win 34-3, and it wasn’t even that close. They dominated all aspects of the game. It remains one of the most complete performances in team history.

And it all occurred because of the Browns delivering a roundhouse punch at the start of the game, stunning the Bengals, which, in turn, occurred only because of Bernie Kosar’s insistence and persistence with something in which he has always believed: that is, never pass up the chance to pass.

NEXT: The moment no one will ever forget.

Steve King