BROWNS at Chargers, 1980 AFCC?

[74_75_78_79_]

If Sipe would have "thrown it into Lake Erie", how does a Browns/Chargers match at the Murph play out the following week? Sure-enough plenty see this 'what-if' in the same way as a hypo-SBXXXIV date between the Rams & Jaguars! SIPE-vs-FOUTS, the obvious pre-game hype! With Matthews & Lyle anchoring one defense, and Dean and that front anchoring the other. Someone would have to win and represent the AFC in such an event! Chargers, of course, beat Philly that Week #13; and Browns did beat them at the Vet the previous year. And should the following year's 44-14 MNF-opener serve as any possible indication? I'd say not, but in an '80 AFCCG hypo, I'd think I'd lean toward SD. Both teams didn't play each other in the '80 regular season.

[7DnBrnc53]

This is assuming that Don Cockroft makes a FG (when he struggled during that game. They should have replaced him that year).

If he can somehow find a way to kick it in (it wouldn't have been that far), then the Cinderella Raiders are defeated, and I think the Chargers end up winning the next week (I agree that we don't see another 44-14 shellacking, though. Maybe 28-24 or something like that).

[Brian wolf]

Maybe Sipe should have ran Mike Pruitt into the line and set up the last second kick for Cockroft but we all know the pass was bad. A tough loss, especially after Sipe had good passes dropped earlier in the game that could have been TDs. Not running the Pruitts enough, not checking down enough throughout the second half made it tough for Sipe but the Cardiac Kids were just denied that day by a tough Raiders defense.

Had they won, it would have been an interesting game in SD but the Browns would have also ran the ball better against the Chargers. Despite having Alzado, I dont think the Browns pass rush would have gotten to Fouts like the Raiders did with Hendricks and Hardman. A close game but I think SD prevails ...

[Jay Z]

I think the Chargers probably beat the Browns. They were sort of similar teams, pass happy teams with average defenses. I go with the home team. Big difference was that Sipe threw fewer INTs, but that may have been a statistical fluke, as he led the league in both 1979 and 1981. Browns did have Mike Pruitt as 1000 yard rusher, but really were not all that great at running the ball.