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Top Five 1980s Cleveland Browns games to watch while social distancing

By Christopher Markoch

30 Sep 1990: Quarterback Bernie Kosar of the Cleveland Browns passes the ball during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Chiefs won the game, 34-0.
30 Sep 1990: Quarterback Bernie Kosar of the Cleveland Browns passes the ball during a game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio. The Chiefs won the game, 34-0. /
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DECEMBER 18: Bob Golic #79 of the Cleveland Browns stands at the line of scrimmage during a 1988 NFL game against the Houston Oilers. The Browns defeated the Oilers 28-23. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
DECEMBER 18: Bob Golic #79 of the Cleveland Browns stands at the line of scrimmage during a 1988 NFL game against the Houston Oilers. The Browns defeated the Oilers 28-23. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

December 18, 1988 – Houston Oilers at Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns 28 – Houston Oilers 23

The 1988 team is one of my favorite teams. I call the 1988 season the forgotten season because it was sandwiched between the Cleveland Browns appearances in the AFC Championship game. In some ways, this team was more evidence of a Cleveland curse than the Drive or the Fumble.

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After two agonizing losses in the AFC Championship game, the Browns were still a favorite to make the Super Bowl in 1988. Those hopes took a huge hit, literally in the first game of the season. Although the Browns beat the Kansas City Chiefs 6-3, they suffered a big loss. Kosar hurt his elbow after a bit hit caused him to bang it on the rock-hard Arrowhead Stadium turf.

That would be the beginning of a carousel of quarterbacks that would bedevil the team all year. In week 2, the Browns would lose backup quarterback Gary Danielson to a broken ankle. The Browns called retired Miami Dolphins quarterback Don Strock away from his gig as a golf pro in Florida simply so they would have a backup quarterback until Kosar returned.

However, in week 6, third-string quarterback Mike Pagel got injured and Strock was pressed into service. Strock would start the next week. But, after Kosar came back in week 8, Strock settled in as the backup. In week 15, however, Kosar was injured again; this time in a Monday night game against Strock’s former Dolphins team. Strock had to start the final week in a must-win game for the Browns.

In a game played in quintessential Cleveland weather, the Oilers looked like the cold-weather team. Early in the third quarter, Houston had scored 13 unanswered points to take a 23-7 lead. That’s when the grizzled veteran led the Browns on three touchdown drives, capping the comeback with a 22-yard strike to wide receiver Webster Slaughter sending the Browns to the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

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