10 most undervalued Cleveland Browns of all-time
By John Suchan
Matt Bahr, K, 1981-1989
Matt Bahr was the Browns place kicker from 1981 through 1989 after he was traded from the San Francisco 49ers. He was with the team through some of the best years and his consistency in the kicking game helped them during several playoff seasons.
On field goals inside 30 yards, he was an impressive 55-of-60. He was nearly perfect on extra points as he went 248 for 252. Bahr was usually a top 10 field kicker in most categories throughout his career. He was responsible for scoring 677 points in 115 games with the Browns.
He was eventually traded at the start of the 1990 season to the New York Giants where he had one of the biggest moments in his NFL career. He kicked all five field goals, including the game-winner as time expired in the 1991 NFC Championship Game against the 49ers in a stunning 15-13 win. He went on to win a Super Bowl that season as well.
Though he was appreciated by Browns fans at the time, his consistency can’t be overlooked. He isn’t talked about much now as a past Browns great but his time in Cleveland was well served.
Brian Sipe, QB, 1974-1983
Brian Sipe is appreciated by Browns fans, especially the older generation of fans for his efforts when he was the quarterback from 1974 to 1983. He holds several team records including the most passing yards thrown in franchise history.
But Sipe is always famous for the mistake he made back in the1980 season during the AFC Divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders. His interception in the closing seconds of that game prevented the Browns from moving onto the AFC Championships — and ended arguably their best chance ever at making the Super Bowl.
During his tenure, Sipe was the leader of the Kardiac Kids who tended to find ways to pull off wins in the closing moments of games and he made several big passes to help in that cause.
So, while Sipe is a valuable player of the past, too often he’s just known as the quarterback that threw the interception on “Red Right 88.”
He had six seasons out of eight where the team played winning football when he was starting. He was a gunslinger and made mistakes, but he gave his team a consistent quarterback for many years.
Today, Sipe maybe could have managed a year or two with semi-decent play before a football franchise would move into another quarterback but in his era, teams stuck with their players longer. That longevity is a lost art in this day and age.