Dawgs By Nature
The latest Cleveland Browns news and notes from around the NFL in the Sunday Dawg Chow.
The Cleveland Browns and the Washington football team used to meet on a regular basis.
After joining the NFL in 1950, the Browns would face Washington twice a year just about every season until Cleveland moved to the AFC in 1970 following the NFL-AFL merger.
It was a fruitful rivalry for the Browns as they were 30-5-1 against Washington during those two decades. Even though the two franchises have only met 12 times since the merger, the Browns still hold a dominant 35-12-1 record in the series, including a tidy 17-15-1 mark as the road team.
Very few of the games have been close, although there is one meeting in particular that stands out in the series and that came on November 27, 1988.
The Browns were at RFK Stadium that day and trying to hold onto a playoff berth in a season that saw Cleveland have to start four quarterbacks due to injuries.
Bernie Kosar was under center that day, but the Browns went into the fourth quarter trailing 10-3. Running back Kevin Mack tied the score at 10 with a 1-yard touchdown run that capped off a 16-play drive. Washington answered back with a field goal and the situation was looking bleak for the Browns.
With time running out and the playoffs slipping away, Kosar hit wide receiver Brian Brennan on a key third-down play. Cleveland soon faced another third down when running back Earnest Byner ran up the middle for a 27-yard touchdown to give the Browns the lead.
Moments later cornerback Mark Harper intercepted a Mark Rypien pass to secure the win and keep Cleveland’s playoff hopes alive.
Today’s game may not have the same implications, but the Browns can use a win just as much as they did on that Sunday afternoon 36 years ago. And while we wait for kick off, Dawgs By Nature has the latest news and notes about the Browns and the rest of the NFL in today’s edition of the Sunday Dawg Chow.
Dawgs By Nature:
