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Kardiac memories: Browns face great expectations like in 1981

1981 team was under same type of scrutiny

By Marla Ridenour
Beacon Journal sports writer

POSTED: 07:25 p.m. EDT, Sep 06, 2008

Monday Night Football's season opener in 1981 was billed as an aerial showdown of the league's top two quarterbacks.

Dan Fouts still remembers the aftermath.

As he always did the day after a game, the future hall of famer was sitting in the Pacific Ocean, soaking away the aches from the San Diego Chargers' 44-14 romp in Cleveland Stadium. Fouts' thoughts turned to fellow San Diego residents and offseason workout partners Brian Sipe and Jerry Sherk, who had been on the losing end of a debacle that owner Art Modell later would cite as the root of the Browns' ills during a 5-11 season.

As the waves lapped over him, Fouts turned to guard Ed White and said, ''Think Brian and Jerry are sitting in Lake Erie right now?''

Twenty-seven years later, the Browns face the same great expectations Sipe's '81 Kardiac Kids failed to handle. Even though the Browns beat only one team last season with a winning record (Seattle Seahawks) in four tries and lost twice against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland went 10-6 and finished a game shy of the playoffs. The league's eighth-ranked offense, led by quarterback Derek Anderson, returns all of its weapons except receiver Joe Jurevicius. Its 30th-ranked defense has upgraded its front four.

In the eyes of some, the game today against the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland Browns Stadium is a matchup of Super Bowl contenders.

Fans and media observers felt the same way about the Browns in 1981.

Sipe was the NFL's most valuable player the previous season. He had thrown for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, both still franchise records, and completed 61 percent of his attempts. The Browns went 11-5 and won their first AFC Central Division title in nine years, but lost a playoff game to the Oakland Raiders 14-12 on ''Red Right 88.'' They won five games by three points or fewer and nine games by a touchdown or less.

Center Tom DeLeone and running back Mike Pruitt were the lone Pro Bowlers.
Considered the finest defensive tackle in Browns' history, Sherk was in his 12th and final season, relegated to third-down pass rusher by second-year defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer.

There was plenty to hype in the meeting of ''Air Coryell'' and the Kardiac Kids. Little did Sipe and Sherk know that Chargers coach Don Coryell had been planning for the matchup for months.

''We knew they were explosive,'' said Fouts, now a CBS analyst. ''Coryell knew Brian; he coached Brian [at San Diego State]. We never did anything in preseason. For six weeks, we'd practice for one game — the opening game of the season. Preseason games, I'd play maybe eight plays a game. We were ready.''

Sipe set a franchise record with 57 pass attempts, still a painful memory for left tackle Doug Dieken, who was going against future hall of fame defensive end Fred Dean. Sherk also recalls the fallout from that blowout, at least for him.

''Before the game, the defensive line coach, Tom Pratt, said, 'Jerry, I want you to take a bigger part this year and design the defensive line stunts,' '' Sherk said. ''We got beat, and after that I never brought it up again, nor did anyone else.''

Now a high school football coach at Santa Fe Christian outside San Diego, Sipe knows the 2008 Browns might find themselves walking in the 1981 Browns' shoes.

''Coming off the '80 season, we were listed as one of the teams to beat,'' Sipe said last week. ''We were the team getting the most attention in the offseason. Coaches prepared differently against you, got more information on you.

''Now everyone in the division is considering Cleveland as the team you have to go through. It's going to be a tougher road when you have sudden exposure and some success. When you're on the bottom of the heap, you're easy to overlook. That's not going to be the case this year.''

Last season, the Browns recorded their most victories since 1994 (a span of 10 seasons), scored 402 points and averaged 351.3 yards per game. They won two games by three points (both 33-30 in overtime) and five games by seven points or fewer.

In his first year as a starter, Anderson put up numbers comparable to Sipe's — 3,787 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 56.5 completion percentage and an 82.5 rating.

''The mark of a great team is one that can concentrate regardless of the circumstances,'' Sipe said. ''Maybe we succumbed to all the hype following us in the offseason and training camp. In 1981, we were in a lot of games. Two years before, we won them; that year, we didn't. It was much the same team.

''It comes down to focus. It takes a lot of leadership, and it starts with the head coach. He has to build team chemistry. [Coach] Sam Rutigliano started by bringing in Calvin Hill and Reggie Rucker — veteran players who had been there before and helped the young players stay focused. You've got to win one at a time and keep your eye on the ball.''

This year's Browns don't seem to be paying attention to the hype, even the ''Super Bowl'' chants of the fans at the first training camp practice July 23.

''Inside the locker room, we understand we didn't win a playoff game last year, we didn't get to the playoffs, let's be calm on that Super Bowl talk,'' receiver Braylon Edwards said. ''The fans, we're excited that's where their mind frame is. But we know the real deal.''

Anderson is taking the approach that it's ''Game One of a long season,'' but does worry about his teammates.

''Guys will be amped up. The stadium's going to be pretty electric. Hopefully, guys won't overexert themselves in warm-ups,'' Anderson said.

Eight-year veteran running back Jamal Lewis is one who tries to keep the Browns on an even keel.

''I don't read a lot of the hype. I don't see a lot of guys really into it,'' Lewis said. ''They just want to do what they do to help the team win.''

A loss in the opener would not spell doom for the Browns. They fell 34-7 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, prompting the trade of starting quarterback Charlie Frye and an organizational soul-searching.

''As we saw last year, the first game certainly doesn't make a season,'' Browns General Manager Phil Savage said. ''One of the real lessons learned last year is that it's not really how you start; it's how you finish and overcome bad things that happen. Last year, it couldn't have started any worse. We recovered from it and ended up winning 10 of our next 15 games.

''This year it's a nonconference game, it's an NFC opponent. I think it will be a good measuring stick to find out where we are right off the bat, but it's not the end of the world. It's not going to put us in the Super Bowl if we win it. It's certainly not going to change anything if we lose it.''

But things don't get any easier in Week Two. The Browns' brutal schedule includes a tough four-game test of the Cowboys and the Steelers at home, followed by the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road before the Oct. 5 bye. Facing the best of the NFC East, including the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, also looms large.

''I saw the first half of the Monday night preseason game against the Giants, and it became a comedy of errors,'' Sherk said of the Browns falling behind 30-3 on Aug. 18. ''Players have to be resilient. You almost have to take a baseball mentality. 'OK, I struck out seven out of 10 times, but if I get on base three times, I'll be batting .300.' We had some long losing streaks under coach Sam, but I'd still be telling my friends, 'You've got to hang in there and see what happens.' ''

With the Browns on prime time five times this season, including three Monday night games, Sipe said the team must also guard against the pitfalls that the spotlight brings.

''The guys I admired didn't know whether we were on TV or not,'' Sipe said. ''Our biggest concern was not letting our teammates down. If that team is worried about how many games they're on national TV, they've got some other problems.

''You'd better shut away that stuff, stay focused and keep all that out of your head. If anybody knew that, it was my Kardiac Kids teammates. I don't know if a team was ever more loved or in the spotlight like we were. We had our opportunity to follow through and we didn't in that season of 1981.''

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.

Monday Night Football's season opener in 1981 was billed as an aerial showdown of the league's top two quarterbacks.

Dan Fouts still remembers the aftermath.

As he always did the day after a game, the future hall of famer was sitting in the Pacific Ocean, soaking away the aches from the San Diego Chargers' 44-14 romp in Cleveland Stadium. Fouts' thoughts turned to fellow San Diego residents and offseason workout partners Brian Sipe and Jerry Sherk, who had been on the losing end of a debacle that owner Art Modell later would cite as the root of the Browns' ills during a 5-11 season.

As the waves lapped over him, Fouts turned to guard Ed White and said, ''Think Brian and Jerry are sitting in Lake Erie right now?''

Twenty-seven years later, the Browns face the same great expectations Sipe's '81 Kardiac Kids failed to handle. Even though the Browns beat only one team last season with a winning record (Seattle Seahawks) in four tries and lost twice against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland went 10-6 and finished a game shy of the playoffs. The league's eighth-ranked offense, led by quarterback Derek Anderson, returns all of its weapons except receiver Joe Jurevicius. Its 30th-ranked defense has upgraded its front four.

In the eyes of some, the game today against the Dallas Cowboys in Cleveland Browns Stadium is a matchup of Super Bowl contenders.

Fans and media observers felt the same way about the Browns in 1981.

Sipe was the NFL's most valuable player the previous season. He had thrown for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, both still franchise records, and completed 61 percent of his attempts. The Browns went 11-5 and won their first AFC Central Division title in nine years, but lost a playoff game to the Oakland Raiders 14-12 on ''Red Right 88.'' They won five games by three points or fewer and nine games by a touchdown or less.

Center Tom DeLeone and running back Mike Pruitt were the lone Pro Bowlers.
Considered the finest defensive tackle in Browns' history, Sherk was in his 12th and final season, relegated to third-down pass rusher by second-year defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer.

There was plenty to hype in the meeting of ''Air Coryell'' and the Kardiac Kids. Little did Sipe and Sherk know that Chargers coach Don Coryell had been planning for the matchup for months.

''We knew they were explosive,'' said Fouts, now a CBS analyst. ''Coryell knew Brian; he coached Brian [at San Diego State]. We never did anything in preseason. For six weeks, we'd practice for one game — the opening game of the season. Preseason games, I'd play maybe eight plays a game. We were ready.''

Sipe set a franchise record with 57 pass attempts, still a painful memory for left tackle Doug Dieken, who was going against future hall of fame defensive end Fred Dean. Sherk also recalls the fallout from that blowout, at least for him.

''Before the game, the defensive line coach, Tom Pratt, said, 'Jerry, I want you to take a bigger part this year and design the defensive line stunts,' '' Sherk said. ''We got beat, and after that I never brought it up again, nor did anyone else.''

Now a high school football coach at Santa Fe Christian outside San Diego, Sipe knows the 2008 Browns might find themselves walking in the 1981 Browns' shoes.

''Coming off the '80 season, we were listed as one of the teams to beat,'' Sipe said last week. ''We were the team getting the most attention in the offseason. Coaches prepared differently against you, got more information on you.

''Now everyone in the division is considering Cleveland as the team you have to go through. It's going to be a tougher road when you have sudden exposure and some success. When you're on the bottom of the heap, you're easy to overlook. That's not going to be the case this year.''

Last season, the Browns recorded their most victories since 1994 (a span of 10 seasons), scored 402 points and averaged 351.3 yards per game. They won two games by three points (both 33-30 in overtime) and five games by seven points or fewer.

In his first year as a starter, Anderson put up numbers comparable to Sipe's — 3,787 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 56.5 completion percentage and an 82.5 rating.

''The mark of a great team is one that can concentrate regardless of the circumstances,'' Sipe said. ''Maybe we succumbed to all the hype following us in the offseason and training camp. In 1981, we were in a lot of games. Two years before, we won them; that year, we didn't. It was much the same team.

''It comes down to focus. It takes a lot of leadership, and it starts with the head coach. He has to build team chemistry. [Coach] Sam Rutigliano started by bringing in Calvin Hill and Reggie Rucker — veteran players who had been there before and helped the young players stay focused. You've got to win one at a time and keep your eye on the ball.''

This year's Browns don't seem to be paying attention to the hype, even the ''Super Bowl'' chants of the fans at the first training camp practice July 23.

''Inside the locker room, we understand we didn't win a playoff game last year, we didn't get to the playoffs, let's be calm on that Super Bowl talk,'' receiver Braylon Edwards said. ''The fans, we're excited that's where their mind frame is. But we know the real deal.''

Anderson is taking the approach that it's ''Game One of a long season,'' but does worry about his teammates.

''Guys will be amped up. The stadium's going to be pretty electric. Hopefully, guys won't overexert themselves in warm-ups,'' Anderson said.

Eight-year veteran running back Jamal Lewis is one who tries to keep the Browns on an even keel.

''I don't read a lot of the hype. I don't see a lot of guys really into it,'' Lewis said. ''They just want to do what they do to help the team win.''

A loss in the opener would not spell doom for the Browns. They fell 34-7 to the Pittsburgh Steelers last year, prompting the trade of starting quarterback Charlie Frye and an organizational soul-searching.

''As we saw last year, the first game certainly doesn't make a season,'' Browns General Manager Phil Savage said. ''One of the real lessons learned last year is that it's not really how you start; it's how you finish and overcome bad things that happen. Last year, it couldn't have started any worse. We recovered from it and ended up winning 10 of our next 15 games.

''This year it's a nonconference game, it's an NFC opponent. I think it will be a good measuring stick to find out where we are right off the bat, but it's not the end of the world. It's not going to put us in the Super Bowl if we win it. It's certainly not going to change anything if we lose it.''

But things don't get any easier in Week Two. The Browns' brutal schedule includes a tough four-game test of the Cowboys and the Steelers at home, followed by the Baltimore Ravens and the Cincinnati Bengals on the road before the Oct. 5 bye. Facing the best of the NFC East, including the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants, also looms large.

''I saw the first half of the Monday night preseason game against the Giants, and it became a comedy of errors,'' Sherk said of the Browns falling behind 30-3 on Aug. 18. ''Players have to be resilient. You almost have to take a baseball mentality. 'OK, I struck out seven out of 10 times, but if I get on base three times, I'll be batting .300.' We had some long losing streaks under coach Sam, but I'd still be telling my friends, 'You've got to hang in there and see what happens.' ''

With the Browns on prime time five times this season, including three Monday night games, Sipe said the team must also guard against the pitfalls that the spotlight brings.

''The guys I admired didn't know whether we were on TV or not,'' Sipe said. ''Our biggest concern was not letting our teammates down. If that team is worried about how many games they're on national TV, they've got some other problems.

''You'd better shut away that stuff, stay focused and keep all that out of your head. If anybody knew that, it was my Kardiac Kids teammates. I don't know if a team was ever more loved or in the spotlight like we were. We had our opportunity to follow through and we didn't in that season of 1981.''

Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her Browns blog at http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/browns/.



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