“The Three Rivers Jinx,” the streak of Browns losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium, reached 16 before Cleveland finally came through by holding on for a 27-24 win there 40 years ago, in 1986.

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Indeed, getting that monkey off their backs was one of the things that really helped the Browns go 12-4 to capture the Central Division championship and secure home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs.

But if the truth be told, that streak could have — should have — ended at just eight, on Sept. 24, 1978 in a battle of the AFC’s only remaining unbeaten (3-0) teams.

The Steelers won 15-9 in overtime on a touchdown pass off a flea-flicker, quarterback Terry Bradshaw connecting with tight end Bennie Cunningham for 37 yards.

But the Browns would have won 12-9 in overtime had Don Cockroft been given the opportunity to kick a field goal that would have been about 37 yards. He was pretty accurate from that distance.

How is that?

Here’s how it all happened:

Roy Gerela kicked two field goals in the fourth quarter to allow the Steelers to rally from a six-point deficit to tie the game at 9-9at the end of regulation. Pittsburgh won the coin toss and, of course, opted to receive to start overtime.

Rookie Larry Anderson, who had fumbled the ball away earlier in the game, returned Cocktoft’s kickoff six yards to the Pittsburgh 17, where he was tripped up by Gary Parris but did not go down. He stumbled ahead to just past the 18, got hit by Dave Graf and lost control of the ball again, fumbling it forward, with the Browns’ Ricky Feacher recovering at the 21. Feacher jumped up and spiked the ball in celebration as the Cleveland offense trotted onto the field. The Browns were a field goal away from
winning and ending The Jinx.

But the officials obviously didn’t see it that way and gave the ball back to Pittsburgh.

NBC’s No. 1 announcing team of play-by-play man Dick Enberg and color analyst Merlin Olsen were calling the game. As the replay of the play was being shown on the screen, it was clear it was a fumble.

“He (Anderson) didn’t go down. He stayed on his feet,” Enberg said. “That’s a fumble, Merlin!”

If only that were the case.

“If I were a Browns fan, I’d be really upset,” Olsen said.

They were. And the Browns owner was as well.

Afterward, an irate Art Modell raced out of his suite and stormed down to the bowles of the stadium. Finding the officials’ dressing room, he pounded on the door.

“Who is it?” came a voice from inside.

“Art Modell! I want to talk to you!“

“Art, you can’t come in here! It’s a $10,000 fine!”

Modell stopped for a minute and thought about it. That was a lot of money back then.

“What can I get for $5,000?”

Not much. Not enough.

At either price point, it was a costly — and tremendously disappointing — defeat for the Browns.

Perhaps that’s why they called it “The Three Rivers Jinx.”

Steve King