Cleveland Browns: Top 10 passing games of all-time
By Thomas Moore
The Browns were riding a two-game winning streak late in the 1988 season as they desperately held on to their hopes of returning to the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.
On the first Sunday in December, the 2-11 Dallas Cowboys came to town for what many assumed would be an easy win that would boost the Browns’ playoff push. However, Dallas rolled up 410 yards of offense in building a 14-10 lead in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Bernie Kosar took over.
Kosar, who had missed time earlier in the year with an elbow injury, and who would go down once again the following week against Miami, rallied the Browns with two fourth-quarter touchdown passes – a 14-yarder to Herman Fontenot and the 36-yard game-winner to Clarence Weathers.
On the day, Kosar finished 19-of-27 for 308 yards and three touchdowns for a passer rating of 145.3. He also received no help from the running game, which totaled just 27 yards on 20 carries.
The win, while more work than expected, left the Browns with a 9-5 record and a second-place tie with the Houston Oilers.
Next: No. 7: Frank Ryan schools the Giants