Today marks 80 days until the 2014 Cleveland Browns regular season begins with a road game in Pittsburgh. We're counting down with the #8 Top Cleveland Browns Opening Game:
Sunday, September 2, 1979
Browns 25, New York Jets 22 (OT)
Shea Stadium (48,472)
Chuck Heaton said it best - Openers are something special.
Mike St Clair, Oliver Davis, and Charlie Hall in the defensive huddle. Davis intercepted the pass that helped setup the winning field goal.
More newspaper headlines about the game the following day.
Newspaper headlines about the game the following day.
Quarterback Brian Sipe threw for 302 yards on the day in this epic battle.
The 1979 season opener was also the first game for Lyle Alzado with Cleveland. He finished the day with 3 quarterback sacks.
Thom Darden and Don Cockroft on the sidelines discussing strategy. Darden finished the season as the teams only Pro Bowler.
Wide receiver Dave Logan ended the day with 6 catches for 115 yards.
The Browns set the tone for a remarkable season with a nail-biting, emotionally exhausting 75-minute battle at Shea Stadium. The drama began early in the fourth when the Browns, leading 19-13, decided to go for it on fourth-and-inches at the New York 14 rather than kick a field goal. They were stuffed, and the Jets responded with the game-tying touchdown, but missed a chance to take the lead when the extra-point attempt went awry. Browns' WR Ricky Feacher fumbled the ensuing kickoff and the Jets recovered, cashing in for a 22-19 lead on a field goal with 1:58 to play. But the Browns weren't to be denied, driving from their own 14 to the Jets' 18 with time running out, and Don Cockroft sent the game to overtime with a 35-yard field goal with four seconds remaining. Momentum swung dramatically back and forth in sudden-death, with the Browns surviving a blocked punt with the aid of a ferocious pass rush that pinned New York QB Matt Robinson five times, including three by newly acquired DE Lyle Alzado. With 35 seconds left in overtime, Robinson launched a desperation pass from his own 38 that was intercepted by DB Oliver Davis, who weaved his way to the New York 31, giving the Browns one last chance. A key pass from QB Brian Sipe, who threw for 302 yards, to WR Dave Logan, who caught six passes for 115 yards, pushed them into field-goal range, and with 18 seconds left, Cockroft kicked his fourth field goal of the day into the falling dusk to give the Browns a memorable opening-day victory.
1 2 3 4 OT
Browns 7 3 9 3 3 = 25
Jets 3 7 3 9 0 = 22
NYJ-Leahy 34-yd. FG
CLE-G.Pruitt 12-yd. pass from Sipe (Cockroft kick)
NYJ-Robinson 1-yd. run (Leahy kick)
CLE-Cockroft 31-yd. FG
CLE-Newsome 17-yd. pass from Sipe (kick failed)
NYJ-Leahy 24-yd. FG
CLE-Cockroft 36-yd. FG
NYJ-Long 5-yd. run (kick failed)
NYJ-Leahy 21-yd. FG
CLE-Cockroft 35-yd. FG
CLE-Cockroft 27-yd. FG
Passing
CLE: Sipe 21-36-302 2 TD 3 INT
NYJ: Robinson 17-31-191 0 TD 2 INT
Rushing
CLE: G.Pruitt 20-81, M.Pruitt 16-49, Hill 2-1
NYJ: Dierking 14-94, Long 21-69, Harper 7-44, Gaines 6-18, Robinson 3-4
Receiving
CLE: Logan 6-115, Rucker 4-74, G.Pruitt 3-39, Newsome 3-31, M.Pruitt 3-18, Wright 1-13, Feacher 1-12
NYJ: Walker 5-65, Barkum 3-33, Gaffney 3-33, Long 1-27, Gaines 3-22, Dierking 1-8, Harper 1-3
Text reproduced from The Browns Bible:The Complete Game-By-Game History of the Cleveland Browns by Jonathan Knight, The Kent State University Press
