NFL Week 16: January 17, 1988

As you know, there are so many painful moments in Cleveland sports history. There wasn't a shortage of games and losses to talk about. But only 2 stand out as wounds that are still difficult to talk about today. 

(Note 1 - I'm not including the move of the Browns to Baltimore as one of those; that, of course, was devastating; however, that was like watching a slow motion train wreck. You could see it coming, you tried to stop it, but it happened anyway. I still hate that bastard Art Modell....)

(Note 2 - I truly don't believe that the 2016 World Series will make the list of losses I won't be able to talk about in 10 years. The run this year just seemed like a great party when someone turned the lights on and told people to go home too early. We had no starting pitching, and it was apparent our offense was on empty. Yes, we were up 3-1, but still....with that rotation we had for games 5, 6 and 7, I wasn't completely comfortable. Now, if we were in the Cubs situation and up 6-3 in the 8th with Miller pitching, and ended up losing....that would be a different story....)

The first raw nerve we will talk about is the 1987 AFC Championship game, in Denver. This, of course, was a rematch of the 86 Champ game in Cleveland, ended by the Drive and Denver's missed field goal in overtime. As I talked about earlier, that game didn't affect me much, since I knew the game was going to overtime before I watched it on tape. However, for the rematch, I was watching live at home.

It was a late start - 4 pm Eastern, I think. We came out flat and the Broncos were clearly ready to play. We had no defense in the first half and Kosar/Slaughter/Byner couldn't get going. We were down 21-3 at the half. But strangely, I clearly remember not being despondent. I took our dog for a walk at halftime and saw a strategy for us to win.

- We get the ball to start the half....we need a TD. 

- We need just a few stops on D - our offense was moving but stalling around the 30 and 40. We just need to finish drives.

- Two stops, and two Cleveland completed drives - we are right back in this...

With that optimism, I returned to watch the 2nd half. The Browns got the 2nd half kickoff and scored.... 21-10. The Broncos then had a bomb to Nattiel to make it 28-10. 

From then on, it was all Browns. Kosar was 16-22 for 246 ...in the second half alone! Think about that...this was 1988. 300 yard passing games were rare back then - and he threw for 246 in a half. We were unstoppable. We were moving the ball at will. 

With 10:48 left in the 4th quarter, the comeback was complete; we tied it up at 31. 

Four drives - 21 total plays - four touchdowns. 

There's no way they can stop us. The question was - can we stop them?

Unfortunately, not on the next drive. Denver moved down the field and scored with 4:10 left. They were up 38-31. But still - 4 minutes is plenty of time for Kosar....

...and it was. With 1:05 left, we moved to the 8 yard line. We had 2nd and 5 at the 8. Reeves was quoted as saying he was already thinking about the coin toss to start overtime....

Marty called a draw to Byner...the rest is history. I don't have to recount what happened next. Apparently, Webster was supposed to block the safety, but he saw the hole that Byner was going to run through and he let up a moment to watch the touchdown - the safety came in and hit Byner on the blind side (Byner didn't see him) and that caused the fumble...

I was devastated. 

Furiously, I was thinking of possible ways we can win... "we still have 2 timeouts...they will have to punt...maybe a Hail Mary????"

Denver did have a 4th down with about :10 left at their own 5; they called for an intentional safety to make the score 38-33; they kicked off with about :05 left but our laterals were useless. 

I still can't believe they lost (or, at least, lost in regulation). 

Layup (who technically has no connections to Cleveland) was becoming a Denver fan at the time (for no apparent reason), so that made it extra painful. 

On that note, on to the games:

Buf 20, Mia 17. I can't figure this game out. I don't trust either of these teams - I've seen Miami blow these games on the road numerous times before. 

Atl 26, Car 20. Car shot its wad last Monday night, and Atlanta needs these games to keep hope alive for a bye. I think the Falcons play hard. 

Was 27, Chi 20. Chicago is just good enough to stay in this game, and I think the Skins are good enough to know they can't coast through games like last week. Desperation wins. 

GB 20, Min 19. The Vikes have the Packers' number. Enough said. 

Ten 24, Jax 17. Still don't trust the Titans to win the games they should down the stretch. Will Jax respond to a new coach? 

NE 31, NYJ 10. Betting on the "if first division meeting is close, second is a blowout" axiom. Seen it all the time with Browns-Steelers. 

Oak 28, Ind 17. Can't explain last week's Colts game. I think Oak scores at will against that Ind D, that is improving. 

TB 27, NO 24. Surprised the Saints are favored here. They still have no / limited defense. 

LA 23, SF 10. The Rams have more talent than the Niners, Can't see them losing this one. 

Sea 23, Az 20. Two teams that have similar talent. I have to believe the Cardinals will get up for this one. 

Hou 26, Cin 17. The Bengals will pack it in after the crushing loss last week to the Steelers. 

Pit 28, Bal 17. Not a fan of the Ravens offense. Only way they can score is to capitalize on others' mistakes; not going to happen in Pittsburgh. 

KC 24, Den 10. Someone explain to me how Denver will score in this game. 

Dal 28, Det 20. It will be interesting to watch Dallas's O - that is coming a bit to earth - against the improving Lions D. 

Best bets: 13 of them. Last week: 10-5; overall: 96-89-7

Atl -3

Was -3

Min +7

NE -17 (gulp)

Oak -3.5

Ind/Oak under 53.5

TB +3.5

LA -5

SF/LA under 39.5

Az +7.5

Hou -1

Pit -5.5

KC -3

My supercontest picks: Last week: 4-1; overall: 39-34-2

KC -3.5

Hou -1

Oak -3.5

Az +7.5

LA -3.5

Our combined supercontest picks: last week: 1-3-1; overall: 35-34-6

Oak -3.5

Bal +5.5

KC -3.5

Hou -1

Car +3

NFL Week 15

I'm traveling up in Dayton all day today -but I did want to leave everyone with a taste of a Cleveland Buffalo memory. It's the only Cleveland win that will be listed this year - it's this doozy from 2009 ...

Cleveland 6, Buffalo 3

Derek Anderson completes 2 passes - and wins ! The whole NFL world loses.

Best bets: 15 for today: last week : 9-7; overall: 86-84-7

Pit -3
Det +4.5
Bal -5.5
KC -6
Ten/KC under 43
Ind/Min under 45.5
Jax +3.5
NO +3
Atl -14
SF/Atl under 50.5
NE -3
Oak/SD under 49.5
TB +7
TB /Dal over 47.5
Car/Was under 51

My supercontest picks : last week: 4-1; overall: 35-33-2
Pit -3
Det +4
NO +2.5
Jax +6
TB +6.5

Our combined supercontest picks: last week : 3-1-1; overall : 34-31-5
Pit -3
Det +4
Bal -5.5
Az -2.5
SD +3

NFL Week 14: December 16, 2001

Boy, it's hard to believe it has been almost 15 years since this game. 15 years since Bottlegate.

All Cleveland fans know Bottlegate - Jacksonville 15, Cleveland 10, back in 2001. The details are well summarized in this oral history and the CBS broadcast of the event is here on YouTube. I would encourage everyone to watch this see just how incompetently this was handled.

To recap:
- The Browns were 6-6 in the third year after the rebirth, well in playoff contention in the weak AFC. This is the first time we had been in playoff contention this late in the season in 7 years.
- We expected to win this game at home vs. the 4-8 Jags.
- Our offense sucked the whole game; we were losing 9-0 at half (we always suck against Jacksonville), but a pick 6 by the Browns got us back in it;
- Jacskonville kicked another field goal - their 5th - and led 15-10 with 3 minutes to go. We got the kick off and finally moved down the field.
- With a minute left, we had 4th and 2 at the Jacksonville 12. No timeouts left. Couch passed to Quincy Morgan and Morgan bobbled it a bit; he then secured it and was just past the first down line at the 10. First down Browns!
- The team lined up to spike to stop the clock; they spiked it. Now second down with :48 left at the 9.
- After the spike, the referee (more on him in a moment) said we will review the 4th down play. They determined that Morgan did drop the ball, and the Jags will take over on downs.
- This, of course, is illegal by NFL rules, since another play was run before the review was initiated.

As you can guess, pure pandemonium ensued in the stadium. the video shows that the head referree did not make an announcement to the stadium for 6 straight minutes. Of course they would be angry and confused! So the people in the stands found anything they could - usually empty beer bottles - and threw them on the field in a show of anger, displeasure and frustration.

After those 6 mi nutes, the head ref - Terry McAulay - decided it was too dangerous to continue the game and unilaterally called the game. "The Game is Over", he announced. The teams headed to the locker room.

Paul Tagliabue got on the phone quickly and said "uh no, get back out there and finish the game.". So, 20 minutes later, the teams went back on the field and completed 2 kneeldowns to officially end the game.

I don't think any Browns fan will ever forget that game. My quick thoughts:

1. I can't believe the NFL did not prepare ofr this sort of scenario. I'm sure they did not see it playing out like this. I will firmly believe that McAulay botched the execution of a possible late signal from the booth.

2. Gus Johnson was announcing the game. Just keep that in mind!

3. Gus correctly lambasted the ref for not getting on the speaker and communicating to the crowd what was going on. That, in my mind, was 80% of the problem.

4. There already was a feeling that the NFL was out to get us. In the past 6 years before this game, the NFL - forced us to fight for our name and colors, gave us a shitty deal in terms of preparation time for an expansion team and a much more deal for draft picks than what Carolina and Jacksonville got, and there was still lingering hatred for even allowing the move to Baltimore. So our paranoia with the NFL was more than justified.

5. I would have loved to know if Vegas made the call to the NFL offices to say - uh, boys, get back on the field. I truly believe that's the only reason why they played those last 48 seconds.

To the picks. Is this the day. Is the the day where the browns finally win ????At home vs. a depleted Bengals team?

Pit 24, Buf 23 I hate this game. I can't trust the Steelers on the road and I don't feel like I can trust the Bills and Rex just yet - especially after last week's meltdown at Oakland.

SD 27, Car 20.  It's over for teh Panthers. They are done for the year.

Det 27, Chi 17. Boy, maybe I should wakeup to this Detroit defense....

Ind 23, Hou 16 All right, so IN underestimated the Colts last Monday night. I can't see the Texans scoring on anyone. Why aren't they on our schedule over the next 4 weeks?

Min 17,Jax 10. Trap! Why is this line only 3???

Mia 31, Arz 20.  Last week was just the wrong opponent for the Dolphins - they struggled on the road against the #1 rushing D. Should have an easier time today.

Was 20, Phi 17.  I can't figure out either of these teams this year.

Ten 24, Den16. Again, someone tell me how Denver is going to score.

SF 24, NYJ 17.  I recognize something in these Niners...this is a classic false hope situation where a struggling team starts to play better in the 2nd half of the season, but will still be bad.

TB 30, NO 20. I know, I'm probably too late on this bandwagon...

GB 28, Sea 27. Have we forgotten that the Seahawks are awful on the road?

LA 31, Atl 30.  I know, I can't resist here. There's one last stand for the Rams....

Dal 26, NYG 23. Do these teams play each other 5 times a year?

NE 23, Bal 20. I'll repeat what I said last week - there's something off about the Patriots offense.

Best bets: 16 of them. Last week: 6-10; overall: 77-77-7

SD +1.5
Det -7
Hou/Ind under 47.5
Min -3
Min/JAx under 39
Mia +2
Az/Mia over 43.5
Was/Phi under 47.5
Ten -2
SF -3
TB -1.5
GB +3
GB/Sea over 44.5
LA +5.5
Atl?LA over 44.5
Bal +6.5

My personal supercontest picks: last week: 2-3; overall: 31-32-2
Mia -1
Ten -1
TB -2.5
GB +2.5
LA +6

Combined Supercontest picks: last week: 2-3; overall: 31-30-4
Mia -1
Phi +1
Ten -1
TB -2.5
Bal +7

NFL Week 13: September 8, 2002

Year 4 of the re-birth started with plenty of promise. After the first two seasons of 2-14 and 3-13, we were competitive in Year Three, with a young coach plucked from the college ranks (Butch Davis) and some young talent on both sides of the ball.

We went 7-9 in 2001, with one of those losses highlighted here before (the Chicago) and another heartbreaking, undeserved, stolen loss to be detailed later. So there was reason to believe that this team was truly an 8-8, 9-7 team that would only get better in 2002.

Our opener was a home game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Many recall that the early 2000s Browns were filled with QB controversies, with Tim Couch and Kelly Holcomb battling it out for years for the starting spot. For the start of 2002, Timmy got injured and Kelly was our started for week 1. The Chiefs' QB was Trent Green, himself a victim of a QB controversy over in St Louis as Kurt Warner replace him.

Anyway, this was a shoot out for the ages. We had no running game, so all we did was pass; Kelly had over 350 yards and 3 TDs. Priest Holmes had 4 TDs, I believe. Down 37-36, we kicked a FG with :20 sec to take the lead, 39-37. Now, if we can only hold on for the last 20 seconds....

The Chiefs got the ball to about their own 40 with :02 on the clock. Time for one last play for them. Green went back, hoping to have enough time for a Hail Mary - but the Browns rush came on too quick. Green was grabbed,spun around, and looked like he was sacked.....the clock hit :00.... Dwayne Rudd was the primary player that grabbed him.

However, Green was not down. He managed to lateral the ball to one of his offensive linemen, who had plenty of running room. Jon Tait was the lineman - and he got the bal around the KC 40 - he ran (slowly) to his left - to the 50...to the 40. There are no Browns in the picture......

I was screaming and panicking at that moment. Where the hell is everyone????? Where's the defense?
Finally - some help came around the 30 yard line, and Tait was pushed out at the 25. Ball game. We win the opener!

Or do we ? All Browns fans know that the game is never over when the clock hits :00; it's not even over when the clock is at :00 and the refs are in the locker room.....

A flag is seen on the field - and by now, many of you know what had happened. Rudd, thinking that Green had been sacked and down, started celebrating and took off his helmet. He didn't realize the play was still going on - and Tait was running down the field......Taking your helmet of during the play is an automatic penalty - 15 yards.

Here is Chris Berman giving highlights for that play.....

The game can not end on a defensive penalty * - so the 15 yards was tacked on to the end of Tait's run; the Chiefs ran an untimed down from our 12, where of course they lined up for a field goal - and Morten Andersen made it. Final (for good this time), Chiefs 40-39.

Most NFL teams will never experience an untimed down; for Browns fans, we have lost 3 games to an untimed down over the past 15 years:

2002 - The Helmet Game
2008 - The Brady Quinn game in Detroit, where Quinn threw for 4 touchdowns;
2015- The San Diego game where we jumped offsides on a missed field goal; the Chargers got a second chance and made it on an untimed down.

This doesn't even include the fiasco two weeks ago against the Pittsburgh where the Steelers got TWO untimed downs at the end of the first half; with :02 left and the Steelers at our 1, they threw an incomplete pass but we were called for holding; on the untimed down, we were called for another penalty. The Steelers got the touchdown on the 3rd try. I'm sure that's a record - most untimed downs in one half.

* - We now know that a game can not end on a defensive penalty, but it CAN end on an offensive penalty - thanks to John Harbaugh. I had the Ravens -4, so that safety did not hurt me.

All finished ok in the Browns 2002 season, however; even with that loss, we ended up 9-7 and won a massive tiebreaker for the final playoff spot.

To the games:

Atl 24, KC 16. I believe there's got to be some hangover effect for the Chiefs, and the Falcons can't afford to lose.

Bal 20, Mia 13 Bal's defense is excellent against the run, so that forces Miami to pass - and I dont' trust Tannehill on the road.

Chi 30, SF 20. Barkley actually looked good last week. I have faith in him.

Phi 23, Cin 20. I think the Bengals are ready to quit on the season. Will be interesting to see the line next week when they go visit Cleveland.

GB 31, Hou 20. Maybe last week's Packers' game is a mirage. But boy, are the Texans awful on offense.

Den 20, Jax 10. How exactly are the Jags going to score?

NE 27, LA 20. I really didn't like the way Brady looked lat week vs. the Jets. Of course, he will prove me wrong and come out firing for 500 yards today....

NO 31, Det 23. I still think Detroit is a fraud...

Oak 23, Buf 20. Speakig of frauds, here are two of them. Or maybe they are above-average teams that know how to beat inferior opponents.

Az 23, Was 16. I think there is one last stand in store for Arizona. At home, vs. a road-weary Redskins team....

Pit 27, NYG 23.  I so want to go against the Giants here, but folks - something is off with Pittsburgh. Their defense is shaky and they only have one receiver.

SD 27, TB 20. Why can't the Chargers run the table for the rest of their games?

Sea 27, Car 13. The Seahawks, at home, in a prime time game, coming off an embarassing loss? Yes please.

NYJ 20, Ind 17. Looks like the Colts are regressing this year. I fear for Luck with that line vs. the Jet's rush.

Best bets: 16 of them. Last week: 7-6-1; overall: 71-67-7.
Atl -5.5
KC/Atl under 50
Bal -3.5
Mia/Bal under 41
Chi +2
SF/Chi over 43,5
Phi +1.5
GB -6.5
Den -3.5
LA +13.5
Az -2.5
Was/Az under 48.5
SD -3.5
Sea -7.5
NYJ +1.5
Ind/NYJ under 48.5

My supercontest picks: last week: 2-2-1; overall: 29-29-2
Az -2.5
Atl -4
LA +13.5
Sea -6.5
NYJ +2

Our combined Supercontest picks: last week: 3-1-1; overall: 29-27-4
Phi pk
Oak -3
SD -3.5
Az -2.5
NYJ +2