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Cleveland Browns: What Bill Belichick did for Tom Brady that he didn’t for Bernie Kosar

By Elliot Kennel

28 Oct 1990: Quarterback Bernie Kosar of the Cleveland Browns (left) attempts to avoid the tackle of San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Dennis Brown during a game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won the game, 20-17. Mandat
28 Oct 1990: Quarterback Bernie Kosar of the Cleveland Browns (left) attempts to avoid the tackle of San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Dennis Brown during a game at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The 49ers won the game, 20-17. Mandat /
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Cleveland Browns Brady vs. Kosar
Cleveland Browns Brady vs. Kosar. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images/New York Jets) /

But coach! John Elway did it!

There’s always a counter-example, and you could argue that there is a time and place for Bernie’s method of self-sacrifice, namely Kosar’s arch-nemesis John Elway took on a monstrous hit to make the helicopter spin play near the goal line in Super Bowl XXXII against Green Bay. Believe it or not, it was not even a touchdown, just a first down near the goal line, though Denver did wind up scoring a touchdown a few plays later.

However, we might as well admit that John Elway is a mutant and not everyone can or should do what John Elway does, especially in the Super Bowl.

Even young Browns fans may remember in 2015, when Browns quarterback Josh McCown lunged head-first for a touchdown and got blasted, fumbled, concussed, and spun around like a helicopter. It was a heroic play, and Tom Brady would never have made that play. But Tom Brady makes it to the Super Bowl and McCown has never made it.

McCown showed tremendous heart on that play and should never be questioned on that. Likewise, his courage should never be questioned, nor his desire to win. As for his judgment, well, that might be a bit more controversial. Hopefully, young quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield can learn from McCown’s mistakes rather than repeating them for himself, put it that way.

With 20-20 hindsight, Kosar would have been well-served had he been taught better self-preservation techniques. It’s not about avoiding contact, but it is about surviving the collisions when they do occur. It’s football, and you are going to get your bell rung pretty good. The point is to do it in such a way to keep all your body parts in the same place after the collision.

Back then, they were taught to lead with the helmet and play with concussions and do a lot of things that were just not smart. It might have seemed more macho, but it is doubtful whether it made more yards in the long run, and it did not really win more football games.

Not everyone can be as injury resistant as Tom Brady, but there are things that Tom Brady does that can be incorporated into each player’s game to keep them in the game longer. Definitely, the Browns should have had Kosar reviewing films of Fran Tarkenton. Maybe they did, for all we know. That would not have improved his ability to run, but might have given him some tips on how to survive getting sacked a little better.

Next. Browns pick-a-player, AFC North. dark

The biggest hole in Bernie’s game, and the largest difference between Bernie and Brady, is that Bernie took too many unnecessary big hits, and the coaching staff was unable to coach it out of him, for whatever reason. In New England, and now with the NFC Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it worked out much better for Tom Brady.

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