WHAT IF THIS IS INSTEAD LIKE THE 1980 BROWNS?

By STEVE KING

In my last piece, I expressed regret – and fear – that the 2020 season is going to end just like the one in 2007, with Browns suffering a loss they never should have suffered on the road in the next-to-last game, causing them to come up just short of making the AFC playoffs.

But what if, instead, 2020 ends up like the 1980 season, when the Browns recovered from disaster in game No. 15 on the road to earn a berth in the postseason?

That also has a possibility of happening, you know. You do know that, right?

 Sure, you do. And if you don’t, then you should.

Here’s the quick story:

The 1980 Browns – the Kardiac Kids — were leading the host Minnesota Vikings 23-9 in the fourth quarter and were driving for more points – to put exclamation points behind a victory that would clinch them a playoff spot – when Brian Sipe’s pass was intercepted, setting off a series of strange and wacky events that ended with Tommy Kramer throwing a “Hail Mary” touchdown pass on the game’s final play – one that was batted by the Browns right into Ahmad Rashad’s hands in the end zone – to give the Vikings a stunning 28-23 win.

“All of Art Modell’s lieutenants were ready to jump out of the plane on the way back to Cleveland that night,” head coach Sam Rutigliano said of the team’s owner. “But I told them to relax, that everything would work out just fine.”

The loss reduced the Browns to 10-5 – this year’s team is also 10-5 heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale against the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium – and put them into an all-or-nothing situation. Beat the AFC North rival Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium, and the Browns win the division title. Lose to the Bengals, and the Browns miss the playoffs altogether. These was no way they could make the playoffs as a wild card.

The Browns fell behind 10-0 early in the game and then, on the strength of two Sipe touchdown passes to little-known wide receiver Ricky Feacher within 3½ minutes of one another in the third quarter, a 17-10 deficit morphed into a 24-17 lead. The Bengals eventually tied the game 24-24, but Don Cockroft put the Browns ahead 27-24 on a field goal with 1:24 left.

The game ended with Ron Bolton laying on top of Bengals wide receiver Steve Kreider on the Cleveland 14 after he caught a long pass from Ken Anderson.

The Kardiac Kids had won again by the skin of their teeth.

Because of how they’ve played, I’ve often likened this year’s Browns to the Kardiac Kids. So, then, does this 2020 bunch have one nail-biting, winning finish left in them?

We’ll find out.

But again, it’s just as possible that that will happen, as it is that a repeat of 2007 will occur.