Sam Rutigliano Browns discussion
Posted: Sun Apr 17, 2022 7:50 pm
Just one full-season playoff berth which, of course, was their famous 1980 campaign - Sipe's tour de force! Brian was lifted from struggling anonymity thanks to Sam himself arriving. Other 'Kardiac' seasons besides that one. You had '79 & '83. A 'debate' thread on who was better between those 9-7 teams may be warranted. But '79 & '80 weren't too far apart either. Difference was the finale, each against Cincy. Had each finale been the other way around, both teams would have been 10-6. In such an event they do, indeed, miss the playoffs in '80 being that the tie-breaker would have gone to the Pats who blasted Cleveland in the opener. However, Browns beating the Bengals in 1979 - not sure if they make the playoffs or not. This is because both they and the Broncos (who didn't play each other) would have shared conference records at 7-5 apiece.
In Sam's tenure, you also had a losing-season 'Kardiac' version that was 1981 - close losses instead of the other way around! That opening MNF slaughtering at home courtesy of blue-jersey-ed Chargers, 44-14, had to tell you how that campaign would go. But still some respectability for what it was worth. They did beat AFC-champ-to-be, CIncy, at Riverfront early and then later on handed Champs-to-be, SF, a loss at Candlestick before losing-out rest of way as the Forty Niners would win-out!
Most of the Rutigliano years involved Cleveland's offense being ranked high as the defense was ranked low. This also goes for '81. What, I guess, made the difference in the esteemed 1980 season was that, yes while D was still ranked low yardage-wise, they were significantly better in points-allowed. Sam's first year heading Cleveland, 1978, not a bad start at all! 3-0, 4-2, 5-4, and 7-6 starts at least flirting with the playoffs en route to 8-8.
With '82 being, FWIW, the other playoff berth under Rutiigliano, if you ask how things would have turned out had that season went full, answer looks to be not good. Not only was their defense ranked low, but their offense was beneath the middle as well. 1983, the "last hurrah" of the era with more 'Kardiac'-ness, had the defense in their 4th season under Schottenheimer pretty much 'catch-up' to (make that, surpass) the offense. They were ranked #9 as the offense was, no not top-5 this time, but at least in the top-10 at #10 itself. Browns were 8-5 and in good position to catch, and pass, the falling Steelers. But Denver and a very bad Houston team in Wks #14 & #15 respectively had other ideas. They were 8-7 and that was that. Their finale win over the 10-5 'Burgh was against a team that already clinched the division. 1-7 start the following season, enter Marty as HC.
I never knew until now that Rich Kotite and Dick MacPherson were assistants for Sam!
In Sam's tenure, you also had a losing-season 'Kardiac' version that was 1981 - close losses instead of the other way around! That opening MNF slaughtering at home courtesy of blue-jersey-ed Chargers, 44-14, had to tell you how that campaign would go. But still some respectability for what it was worth. They did beat AFC-champ-to-be, CIncy, at Riverfront early and then later on handed Champs-to-be, SF, a loss at Candlestick before losing-out rest of way as the Forty Niners would win-out!
Most of the Rutigliano years involved Cleveland's offense being ranked high as the defense was ranked low. This also goes for '81. What, I guess, made the difference in the esteemed 1980 season was that, yes while D was still ranked low yardage-wise, they were significantly better in points-allowed. Sam's first year heading Cleveland, 1978, not a bad start at all! 3-0, 4-2, 5-4, and 7-6 starts at least flirting with the playoffs en route to 8-8.
With '82 being, FWIW, the other playoff berth under Rutiigliano, if you ask how things would have turned out had that season went full, answer looks to be not good. Not only was their defense ranked low, but their offense was beneath the middle as well. 1983, the "last hurrah" of the era with more 'Kardiac'-ness, had the defense in their 4th season under Schottenheimer pretty much 'catch-up' to (make that, surpass) the offense. They were ranked #9 as the offense was, no not top-5 this time, but at least in the top-10 at #10 itself. Browns were 8-5 and in good position to catch, and pass, the falling Steelers. But Denver and a very bad Houston team in Wks #14 & #15 respectively had other ideas. They were 8-7 and that was that. Their finale win over the 10-5 'Burgh was against a team that already clinched the division. 1-7 start the following season, enter Marty as HC.
I never knew until now that Rich Kotite and Dick MacPherson were assistants for Sam!